The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-05-12
THE CAPITAL OF AUSTRALIA.

more than S5OOo0 nave beoa about IN tIe
present cricket ground, Inl 1t Is said 10
he the finest of Its kind IN ne world. II
comprises nine acres. of which fogr an d n
half acres are used for playing
The Melbourne Races.
wish could take Won ont 10 one Of the
grand meetings at the Me - uae race
course. The city claims to have ,hn finest
racing park Of the world. Ii Is L1oWn as
the Pennington race curse. It has an area
of about 300 acres and ;he rack Is 4 T. lie
and a half in length. Thu 9saoie 3tO acres,
except the grand stands stables aud ttatL.
Is covered with a lawn OF th.k Ntlvcty
green. The tracks are No oae tIuau z
inside the other, one fitted % tor s,cep,C.
chaScs and the other fee running and Gr-
die races. The grounds afc c';lirpel with
the latest improvements. she LoN"S :, ri
at the rising of a wire moved h. electricity.
ana there are all sorts of patent improve
ments as to timing, etc
At the great races, such rs the Mel
bourne cup. hundreds If ln1ISa Ills Of u o.
pie are present and the slgnt !, cne wo, u
coming Ia Australia to 500. The inside Of
the ring Is given mp to 'le ''Apla whe pt
nothing whatever The Erlnl -iald hHilt
first-clnss seats, which cost $50 each. aIrl
directly behind it on ne h,t itscH are
equally good places, which voI eau Lave
tions the spectator has fun viev Of, The
horses for the whole distance lie 'CCd NOT
lose sight of the race 'Or ~" tenth If 4
second, and is just where - can see the
! have frequently nit ld'd thc1c races.
They are held every saturday afternoon
during the season when Ma mas SEE ;h' u
sands of well dressed men 3io omen IN
the grand stand and on the hill * ,ho
back. / was surprised a the dressing ro'h
Of the women and men. The slrls wear as
the men are far better dressed llhn tle't
brothers OF England NealN every 80
bets, the girls putting up ,helr money ~
vel as the boys The .rV~d lcc ale" ne
public officials. the iu i.:ns and evcl ihe
riea hers. though | " i hit s.N TIA; N
lie latter make extra''gInt bets.
Coffee Palaces VS.. Hotels.
as that big building u! h)tcl asked
Melbourne man one Afternoon MS We were
going by one of the fnest structures of this
magnificent mt city Ky ror,v g, don't think IT..
an hotel and sun L nearS tine n DINER ae rahi
to sell liquors and so 1t may be an ho'e
after all.
But what is IT." asked.
ut Is big coffee palace. 90,
and what is "A coffee palace: .o
"Oh. Won know" said The man, you
can't sell liquors In coffee PALACE. coz
that belongs 10 a proper hotrl except th'
lar. An hotel is place where liquors fI'
sold without the liquors II can he an j"
"\yhat do YOU mean by the owners buy
ing out the right of some poor hotei
SThat Is part of our liquor opium ~ "
ONLY so many places are Ncehseu, nnu -
a nov nJare wants to start up " has 70
Inv out one of the old licenses or walt UNI
there is A vacancy. Our laws VIII nor PCT
init saloons. Liquors can he solu "nS IA, S
public houses or hotels, but many ol IN,
hotels have only one or two bed rooms u
rent and their chief business Is IN ruhasinnlss
Tho bar. The charge Is from SO 10 S-H
ner annnm. although some places are ever
less than these amounts. hare or,
| Notwithstanding this | md that hars az
more frequent here than in America Ihe
man who wants drink can get II IN ahN
block and II he Is an Australian w
chances are. nine ont Of ten, lnat u,
whore diIuking Is more common ana Wher'
so many people keep themselves Wei
soaked. The chief drink Is Scotch whiisAi
and the Gust omary way or drinKlhs ~
70 mix II with water and sip H. etta
many drink whisky with their meals, an.
treating. as they call IL here, shouting,
is common. The man Is thought 70 ~
mean who drinks alone, and In the stnoh N
rooms Of the hotels you may see men SIP
ping and drinking together from uihhe
u1 One of the surprising things Is the littl
account that is taken OF drunihe IN hs ,.,n
drinkine No one seems ashamed OF paNlh
contracted the habit. and | have near
many men refer as nonchalantly TO tnei
having been drunk ms you would 10 haNlh
Sot long ago | was riding on the railroa
in company with, three Austr ala W ,h
were evidently old friends. one or VI
,,en said. "You see how much fatter
That Fat comes iof from stonpfG Soo,
~" used 10 drink five bottles of ~
, nySry week eek right along and often muc
more. About six months ago ! taPere1i %
and nj once began IN fatten, ana sin'
tben have gained two stone, In mouth,
The other gentlemen Joined n IKE sT9ri !,
~ themselves and friends. Ihcy kepl "
,he conversation until the train stopped !
n station. when they all went out Tor
glass Of whisky ana soda. NJ,
one ~ the worst features Of the lldno
traffic in Melbourne and other A Adnssd 4
cries Is that the drinks are nifpehsvn !,
women one Of the chief professions q
Semnlss Is that of barmaid, and the pre-
| Tier the girl the greater her custom. y
aielhourne girls are especiaiiy neautltn u
and the town has 'se reputation or narln
The p-ettiest hsrmsids Of s .S h.y. ne
serlsr horrs Some Of them are 'st