Evening star., 1902-08-16
EXODUS FROM LONDON
Many Americans Leave for
Their Homes.
HEAVY BOAT TRAIN
AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY WAS
GREAT SUCCESS.
Peculiar Results of Thefts on Railway
Trains-London News
and Gossip.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

There was great exodus of Americans
from London Saturday on their return jour
ney. The special boat train conveying pas
sengers from Euston to Liverpool to join
the Campania was an unusually long and
heavy one, and was drawn by two engines.
Among those travelling by it was Madame
Melba, who is going on professional tour
through the states, with heavy bookings in
the west. A number of friends were present
to wish her bon voyage and to congratu-
late her successful season at Covent
Garden. The takings at her last appear
ance at the performance of "Rigoletto" are
said to have been a record for Covent Gar
den, and the gallery alone represented more
than a thousand pounds
Her fifteen appearances have evidently
been none too trying for the prima donna
is looking remarkably well. Miss Edna
May was present at the station saying
farewell to a number of theatrical friends.
Mr., Foster Fraser, whose book, The New
Siberia, has just been published, on
commission to the states for The York
shlre Post, was also a traveller on the
traln. ana was accompanied by Mrs. Fra
ser. Mr.. Fraser is an indefatigabe searcher
after truth and you may expect to hear
things about the United States that have
never come to light before. His book on
Siberia is excellent and full of good things
Successful Bank Holiday.
Bank holiday this August was success
in spite of the rain The river was crowded
with holiday makers. AIRY and 'Arriet, the
former in more or less orthodox boating ar
ray, the latter in gay and airy summer at
tire, gave samples of amateur sculling that
aroused alarm among those of greater ex-
perience and less rashness while under the
treeS poats were moored and tea was drunk
IN IN merrlment but little damped by the rain.
Steam and electric Launches, their decks
crowded, sped up and down. The snaiTs
progress of a single boat dependent on sails
ana breeze that never came was cause
of mirth to passersby.
Not far from Eel Pie Island, we'll known
10 Americans, where many had landed for
tea. novel riverside dwelling which has
sprung up attracted some attention 1t is
long. roOmy hOuseboat built securely in
space of ground close to the river, with
a terrace front in stone and asphalt This
novel house, which is a compromise be-
tween a houseboat and a bungalow, makes
a delightful abode for the warm weather
Boat hlrers and hotels in Richmond did
fair trade during the afternoon, though
their takings We're less than they usually
are on the August festival of St Lubbock
Some idea of the extent of the railway
traffic on these holidays so enjoyed by our
British cousins may be gathered from the
fact that the London, Brighton and South
Coast railway issued over 1900 cheap
railway tickets to the resorts served by
their system. For their long distance traf-
fic they ran seventy-six special and ffty-
three ordinary trains The company also
conveyed nearly 10000 passengers to ia
vorite places in the Surrey hills. The Lon
DON Tilbury and Southend railway con-
veyed as many 5000 cheap trippers
to SOuthend don-Sea The Southeastern
and Chatham line took nearly $1,000 people
to the seaside, and the marvel of it is that
not single hitch or accident is recorded.
There are many thousands of people in
London to whom bank holiday brings no
delights and no relief from toll. In stormy
weather they accept the situation with
resignation born Of a look at the sky, but
in fine weather consolation for them is
far to seek. Barmaids. bus drivers and
railway men get no relaxation. The British
Museum is one of the few government de-
partments that remain open on bank hoi
days. Every effort is, of course, made to
concede the holiday to as many officials as
possible, and those who are duty one
day get off on another.
As pleasure resort the museum may
not be compared. for instance, with the
soon-to-b o-be-converted aquarium but 1t is
still used by many hundreds of people
whose idea Of holiday lies in that direc-
ton. In fact. the museum has distinct
vogue a holiday resort. Whence and
how it came by such a fattering reputa-
ton is a mystery, but even the oldest Of
fetal smiles sadly when any one talks of
the connection between the museum and
the wild, giddy delights of bank holiday.
Lord Cheylesmore's Will Stolen.
The disclosure made in the probate court
yesterday Of the theft of Lord Cheyles-
more's bag containing his will is an un-
welcome reminder of the liability of this
class of property to disappear during rail-
way journeys. The deceased peer was of
feeble mind, and it seems that bag con-
tanning his will was stolen on a railway
journey shortly before he died. The thief
was caught and confessed that the will and
other papers, being of no use to him, were
destroyed by him. On the truth of the
thef's affidavit hangs a large property, as
TO whose ownership the court must decide.
Not very long ago an officer in a crack
cavalry regiment lost some valuable war
office papers at Waterloo station, and was
inconsolable thereat, whilst Mary, Duchess
of Sutherland, had the misfortune to lose
her valuable jewels at the Gard du Nord,
Paris, few years since, because her jewel
case was left unprotected in a railway
compartment for a few brief moments.
The most cruel loss of this kind happened
to the late Duke of Devonshire. The dukes
married life. though short, was of un-
broken felicity, and after his wife's death
it was a habit of his grace to carry about
in a wallet the letters her grace had writ
ten to him. A railway thief, imagining
from the care taken of the case that it con-
tanned valuables (from the thiefs point of
view) stole it, and although the duke Of
fered a big reward for the recovery of his
W
Like the thief who stole Lord Cheylesmore's
will, the purlOiner Of the Duke of Devon
shires letters, probably, finding them Of no
use to him, destroyed them.
remarkable will case will presently
come before the courts either in France or
England-possiby in both The testator a
very wealthy Greek gentleman, one Of
whose daughters is married to an eminent
French statesman left two wills in identi-
cal terms, one lodged in London and the
other in Paris. The contest is as to which
of the wills shall be proved. If it be the
French will, then the disposition will be
altered, because the testator has not obeyed
the French law providing that all the chill
dren should be treated alike. If the will in
London be proved, then the testators dis
positions will stand as he left them 1t
may be understood how important is the
point, as it involves a difference of six
hundred thousand pounds in favor of the
children. I understand 1t will ultimately
become a question Of when the respective
wills were lodged.
Scare About st. Paul's Cathedral.