The St. Louis Republic., 1901-09-01
LONDON DESERTED,
DUBLIN IS LIVELY,
British Metropolis Continues to
Present Empty Streets, but
Irish Capital Is Gay.
HORSE SHOW WAS A MAGNET.
But Despite Scenery and the
Queens Tour, the Emerald
Island is Not Gaining Pop
ularity With Travellers.
HORSE SHOW WAS A MAGNET.
SPECIAL BY CABLE

SPECIAL BY CABLE -
London. Aug. 3l.-Deserted London hsS
seldom looked more cheerless than durii,al
the last week. when. in addition to the dead
| aiive appearance Of Mayfair an Beleraria.
with their rows of shuttered houses and
t9eir empty streets. the first nippinR cold of
autumn arrived to make things more nm.
comfortable. g--T-s -.sfi5e,7s.
The remnant Of society compelled by cir
cumstances to stay in town made a point
OF effacfng itself as much as possib,e
mmgnng with the struggling crowd of be-
lated tourists. especially Americans who
monopolize Bond and Regent streets and
other West Ead shopping thorouEhfares
Even the prominent hotels are ali hpt
empty.
Nor Is the West End alone In its abnormal
quietude. Around the city proper simiia !.
evidence OF desertion Is everywhere visible.
Usually busy quarters like Aldenseatey
Smithfeld. Mark Lane and Billingsrate
seem struck with a semi-Sunday stiffness
the week through. while the neighborhood
OF the Royal and Stock exchanges appears
to have adopted bank-holiday air for
keeps.
Dublln Ii LiyeIy.
FROM empty London to lively, n dirty
Dublin, the center Of attraction for sucb
society as is not dispersed over the moors
naturally gravitated. With the finest horse
show to be seen. certainly on this side Of
the Atlantic, 1t Is not to be wondered at
that the Irish capital succeeds in drawing
Immense crowds every August. even when,
as was not the case this year, the fatfRues
OF the London season make an exodus from
the city and It's life most desirable.
But the blight of official mourning, which
rrh hnx- - n.
not fail in London. Then, too. the Emprsss
fTederick,s death robbed the famous Rath
ertng at Bailsbridge of its gay appearance.
, wh.ch. patriotic irishmen and women are
wont 10 boast, discounts anything seen in
Hyde Park. the Bots de Boulogne or Fifth
avenue.
Allowing liberal discount for Hiber-
nian patriotism. 1t must be conceded that
nowhere else do society damseis show the
same suppleness and grace of carriage with
SO bright and wholesome complexions. as
on the greensward of Dublin's famous race
course. Whether the atmosphere is responsi-
Bile. or whether 1t is msrely a reaction from
the somewhat affected decorum Of The Eng
lish capital. the result certainly is that
nowhere else is society seen to such ad-
vantage.
Drawbacks to Pleasure.
Speaking OF Ireland I am told that the
hopes OF popuiartzing the Emerald Is.e fer
tours, which the Queens visit promised,
have teen far from fulfilled.
largely responsible for this disappointment,
that is to say. by the Irish themselves. Wis.
itors who have made trip in ireland,
however. tell another story
While they admit that the scenery Ct the
Irish lakes, from Donegal to Cork, offers an
attraction equal to anything In Switzerland
every one complains of the execrabfe hotels
The most enchanting view from ones bed
room is no compensation for grimy furni-
ture, soiled linen and cracked water Jugs;
fresh-caught salmon is hardly appetizing
half cooked and served on cold and greasy
plates; while the rates charged might
stagger waiter at the waldorf-Astoria or
the Carlton. Yet everybody around the
hotel is offended unless literally tipped.
!. Another drawback to the pleasure of a
tour in Ireland Is the ubiquitous begyar.
Killarney Is simply infested with these
nuisances., An Irish-American priest from
Boston. who has Just arrived in London
from tour of Ireland, declared that 1t cost
to spend three days around Killarney.