Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-05-25
Price Of Seats in Stands and Other Places Of
Vantage Take Severe Tumble.
DOWN IN REACH OF ORDINARY POCKETS
Clubs Find it Difficult 10 Raise Money for
Decorative Purposes.
MISERABLE WEATHER ADDS ToTHE GLOOM
Invitation Now Being sent by the
King 20 His Personal Friends
to Attend the Corona
tion Ceremony.

Copyright 1902, by Press Publishing Coz
LONDON, May 24.-(New York World
Cablegram-special Telegram.) There has
been a slump in the coronation season.
Nothing can save It from dismal failure ex-
cept a declaration of peace For the last
two months we have been waiting in eager
expectation for the promised outburst Of
unexampled and brilliant gaiety which was
to make the season Of 1902 unique in social
annals, but instead OF gaiety there is de-
preston dullness and feeling Of disap-
polntment. The king is a prey to deep
chagrin, II Is asserted, at the poor show
London society is making in honor OF this
great occasion.
The absence OF all signs OF the enthusi-
astlc interest which herslded Queen Vic
torias two jubilees is unmistakable. The
classes who hope to make money out of
visitors and the section OF the press which
thinks It policy persstently to adulate the
court are doing everything possible to
pump up popular excitement There is lit
tie response and no spontsneiety of inter-
est is evinced as was the case at the jubi-
lees; there is no symptom OF that gradu-
ally swelling emotion which eliminated in
the triumphal progress through the capital
OF the venerable queen in 1887 and again in
1897. The story is that the king asked
some members of his entourage to explain
the dead-alive perfunctory spirit in which
his people are approaching the celebration
and the reply was:
First, the war; second because the cor
onation ceremonial is TO be participated in
by only small set class third, because
the novelty of royal professions through
the streets has worn of.
There is something in these explanations,
but there Is still more in the fact that
King Edward does not inspire that senti-
| mental devotion engendered by the
long and memorable reign which the
| Britons lavished on Queen Victoria, who,
also unlike him. possessed the attraction
Of being unknown to the vast majority Of
her subjects.
stands Going Up.
Already the principal West End streets
arc disfgured by unsightly boarding, in
closing stands of every kind. The clubs,
which have suffered grievous loss by the
spread Of the fashion Of restaurant dining,
are feeling heavily the financial strain OF
providing suitable decorations. Whites, In
| st. James street, a historic institution has
been compelled to make a whip among it's
members for subscriptions and the result ie
so poor that 1t is doubtful whether 1t can
| decorate at all.
The big political clubs whose funds are
augmented by political gifts. are speculat-
| ng heavily in seating accommodation and
all hnd the demand for seats sluggish in
the extreme. At the st. James club, a
| great diplomatic center only eight seats
! have been applied for to date, at $25 each,
whereas at the last jubilee the committee
found II necessary there, as at other clubs
to ballot for the available places.
| The street decoration and illumination
are being we'll organized, but In many cases
the original plans have been curtailed be-
cause the necessary subscriptions were not
| forthcoming. The seats agents are coming
down noticeably in their interpretations OF
profit and now offer very good seats on Pic
| cadilly and st. James street at from $40 ia
SIS apiece. Compared with the prices asked
a month ago, these figures encourage the
hope that in coronation week the judiciouE
visitor can get the best possible accom-
modations for very much less even than the
present quotations.
The miserable, unreasonable weather con-
| tributes to the depressing influences under
which King Edward is to be crowned, but II
the peace negotiations issue successfully
that may save the situation. Otherwise
the much-boomed coronation may prove
painful fiasco
Invitations from the King.
King Edwards personal friends have re.
ceived their invitations to the coronation
The cards, which came carefully packed IL
tissue paper, between cardboards, are abou
ten inches long by eight inches deep. artis,
tically printed in sepia brown, with devices
Of the imperial crowns and heraldic EN-
blazonments Of the king and queen arount
the border.
The invitation reads: by command OF tn,
king, the earl marshal is directed to in.
vite --- to be present at the Able!
church of Westminster on the 26th day o
June 1902. Norfolk, Earl Marshal"
The card is elegant, but simple, and 4
intended, apparently, to be retained as al
heirloom.
It is also announced that through th,
intercession OF the queen the peeresses II
the abbey are TO be seated in chairs In
stead OF hard benches. These chairs are o
mahogany, OF the Chippendale type and no
upholstered. The abbey authorities expee
each guest will buy her chair afterwar,
as a memory OF the occasion. Otherwis
they will be publicly auctioned on Their
is no doubt about the utilltarisn spirit Il
which everything appertaining to this up
to-date coronation is being exploited.
Creating n New Title.
King Edward is credited with intendin
TO signaliEe his coronation by creating
new title, prince OF the Empire" TO b
conferred upon those who already hav
the order Of the Garter and who have per
formed services which can be recognize
| In no other way case In point is tina
OF the duke of Norfolk, on whom falls tn
brunt Of the arrangements for the corona
} tiop and who already possesses every dis
tinction possible. The title will not b
: hereditary and will be open only TO duksi
} II is rumored that the hrst recipients
] this new honor will be, in addition to IN
D duke Of Norfolk, the dukes OF DeVonshir,
! Richmond and Fife. The holders OF thl
r dignity will be entitled to be addresse
3 as his highness" and get precedence Of a
= except the royal dukes.
v n is asserted thai Lord salisbury M