The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1901-06-02


come right into the city, while vessels
of 10000 tons and upward anchor at
the mouth Of the river, little below
Melbourne proper.
The traction system has cost the city
100000. the sewerage system S15,-
100000 the waterworks the same sum.
In the greater Melbourne there are GO
telegraph offices, 30 pOstofiices and so
public and private libraries. One Of
the public libra les has 600 volumes
on its shelves, all of which bears wit
ness to the progressivenesS of this an
tipodean city.
The public buildings of Melbourne
are magnificent. The Victorian parlia-
ment building is a fine structure of
light gray stone. One has TO go up al
most as many steps to reach the front
door as at the capitol in Washington.
This building will not be the meeting
place Of the federal parliament. for one
of the questions yet TO be decided is
the selection of a site for the federal
capital. 1t is almost certain that, ow-
ing to the jealousy between Sydney
and Melbourne, neither of these cities
will be chosen. but probably some place
between the two.
As the capital of Victoria Melbourne
has not only the city buildings, but the
great colonial offices. These cost all
told S20,000000. The town hall was
erected at an expenditure of $1,000
600. 1t stands in the very heart of the
city and is built of white freestone,
with a foundation of bluestone. Be
sides being the home of the mayor and
civic officials, it is a great place of en-
tertainment. seating $500 people. In
the large hall is an organ, which was
until recently the biggest in the world.
and the city pays an organist salary
just to play it twice a week for the
amusement of the people.
And this brings me to the considera-
ton Of the jewellers in the gates of
Melbourne. They know how to live.
They are not wrapped up in business
cares, but have an eye to pleasure as
well as to fortune building. In and
around Melbourne are 1000 acres Of
race tracks, II football and crickEl
grounds, 100 parks and public gar
dens. OF course the great sport, 81 the
public is cricket, but they arStdevoted
to horse racing Of the running, not the
trotting, brand. The cjN claims to
have the finest racing park in the
world. 1t is known as the Pennington
course, has an areasfof about 300 acres,
and the track is a mile and a half
around. The whole area, except the
ground given over to grand stands,
tracks and stables. is covered with a
velvety green lawn. At the great races,
notably on Melbourne Cup day, hun
dreGs of thousands Of people go out to
Pennington.
There are two tracks. one running
inside the other. the outer being for
races on the fat, the inner for the 'lep-
pers," or steeplechasers. The Enclosure
within these tracks is free field-that
is to say, is for the benefit of those
who would like to see the races and
cannot afford to pay for their fun.
The grand stand is built on a hill at
one side of the course, and the seats in
it cost $3.50 each. Directly behind it
on the hill itself are equally good places
for 62 cents each. From either of these
locations a man can have a view of the
horses for the entire route and need
not lose sight of the race for mo-
ment, being just where he can clearly
see the finish.
AS 1 said above, the great game of
the Australians is cricket, the national
game of the motherland. The Mel
bourne Cricket club was founded al
most coincident with the beginning of
the city and now has more than 5000