Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-08-28

Inc chief 0rnanentafl0n was, Of
course, along the streets where the
royal progress was TO have been made.
Here the frontS Of the buildings were
literally turned into flower gardens,
with electric lights, like dew drops.
mirroring the colors Of the rainbow.
Arch succeeded arch. Canada's gor-
geous structure on Whitehall making
the bravest show. Golden lions were
IN the streets and pictures and flags
and bunting covered the dingy old
buildings with a robe Of royal beauty.
London is Of dreary appearance at the
beS; but Il had on It's store-clothes
during coronation week and swept the
rubbish into a corner and covered the
heap with the Union Jack.
But not along the main-traveled
highways alone was there evidence OF
British loyalty and love. On the south
side the Spurge0n tabernacle bore In
letters Of blazing light the appropriate
words: Fear God, Honor the King"
While from the grimy windows OF the
hotels in the East End were to be
seen floating the ensign Of the empire
and scrawled over the doorway the all
too appropriate mo~tto-prayer: God
save the King" There was no general
decoration scheme covering all Lon
don. That would have been lmprae-
tieable. But decoration was univer-
sal and scarcely a house in all this
broad city didnot recognize by display
Of light and color the coronation time.
A JOURNEY AROUND THE FLEET.
All was ready, we have said. for the
coronation pageant. The special rep
resentatives Of all the nations of the
earthwere in London. The Pope's
messenger was here to sit in the noble
Protestant cathedral Of Westminster
Abbey and hear Edward swear that
the Roman Catholic faith was ''su-
perstitious and idolatrous." Indian
princes, BuddiSts and MoSlem and
Brahmin in belief, were there. And
Whitelaw Reid, the American mis-
representative, in specially construct
ed knee-breeches and paying $4,000 a
month for a house on CarltOn-Hill
Terrace, was on hand. Mr.. Reid left
London Officially a day OF two after
the King was taken III but u~nOfieially
he is yet in the city.
None Of the preparations for the
coronation had been carried out upon
a grander scale or had more nearly ap-
preached completion than the assem-
blage Of the British fleet and vessels Of
foreign nayies off Spithead on the
Channel coast. In company with
some thousands Of loyal Britishers and
some hundreds Of Americans, more or
less loyal, we went down by special
train 10 Southampton and, upon the
steamer, Empress Frederick, sailed
around the twenty-five miles Of feet.
A number OF the foreign vessels had
gone home. The Illinois, fitting re-
preventative OF the navyOf the United
States, had steamed away. There were
yet In evidence, however, the swiftest
cruiser, which, singularly enough,
was not the property OF any great ma
tlon but Of Chill, while the heaviest
armored ship was owned by Japan, the
eastern nation recently walked up.
The entire British feet was anchored
in the splendid harbor, that is, all the
home defense feet, no ship being
withdrawn from a distant station.
The display was a magnificent testi-
mony to the magnitude OF the British
navy, more than equal to the com
bined navies Of any two nations. Here
were twenty-five miles Of warships,
from the London, a modern monster
upon which the flag OF the Admiral
foated, to a couple Of old hulks not
unlike,the earavels in which Columbus,
Of Chicago Worlds Fair fame, sailed
for India and found America Upon
this fleet John Bull has expended
over $3.50 OO,O 200. nearly o~ne-fourth as
much as the entire taxable wealth Of
the State Of Missouri.
WE REVIEW THE TROOPS.
10 company with the Queen, the
Prince and Princess OF Wales, the
Duke Of Oonnaught and Others Of the
royal family we reviewed tine colonial
troops on Tuesday and the Indian
troops on Wednesday. The Queen
resembles Mrs. Chas. E. Leonard, Of
Cooper county. Not many members
Of the royal houses are good looking,
but Queen Alexandra redeems the rep
utation Of the entire number, for She
is extremely handsome and queenly.
Grandmother though she is she is more
youthful in appearance than the stiff,
pretentious Prince Of Wales, her son.
She was received with many mani
festations Of popular affection and
more opera glasses were leyeled at her
than at the bespangled troops.
There were only some :, 100 soldiers
Ia line at both reviews, but no army
on earth could exhibit such an array
Of color in uniform and in face. There
were black and white and tan, yell
low and red. The red coat Of Tommy
Adkins, the high horse plumes Of the
Life Guards, the kits Of the High
landers, the short apron-skirt Of the
Soundanese, warriors from every part
Of the globe, all enlisted In the army
OF the King. That Great Britain,
"the tight little island" in a northern
sea, has been able to bring together
under one flag peoples 50 diverse, is
eloquent testimony TO her skill in
managing men. That her agents have
not always acted from the best Of
motives OF along the wlsest lines is
doubtless true, but that which they
have accomplished with the material
at their disposal is little short Of
marvellous.
ENGLAND AND TUE ENGLISH.
Drunkenness is the curse Of Eng
land. The American bar finds no foot
hold in England, but the English bar
is far worse. The United Kingdom
consumes more int0xicants in proper
tiOn TO its population than any other
nation In the world. The publican
and the Tory have joined hands to.
prevent any suppression Of the grow
ing evil. AS conspicuous as is this