The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-10-04

for laboring people and all we'll behaved. Each person waited upon himself. talk ing his pls.te 10 the counter to have 1t filled with soup or meat At the same time boys and girls were coming in and going out carrying buckets of soup and meat home to dinner s &
 Slot Restaurants.
 Kristiania has a great many automatic or slot restaurants. such as I have de- scribed in my letters from Paris and else- where. In such places you can put in coin equal to a nickel or a dime and take out sandwiches. roast beef, hot cof- fee, plate of strawberries or a glass of champagne.
 There are also excellent eating places in the business sections. have been taking some of my meals at the Masonic Hall restaurant. opposite the parliament house. I get as good a dinner there for 50 cents as is served in New York for dollar. have one of the bills of fare before me. It starts out with crab soup. after which come a grilled salmon steak and potatoes, one-half of a wild duck and salad, and ends with a cup of ice cream. I washed that meal down with half liter of imported Munich beer fresh from the cask, and the whole. in- |'cluding my fee to the waiter. was 75 cents.
 Ibsen and the Theatre. Indeed. these Norwegians live we'll They have good homes. good stores, good food and plenty of amusements. They are fond of music, and they have fre- Quent concerts. Their National Theatre Is finer than any in Washington city Between the acts there are long pauses, when the people go out and walk up and down the beautiful halls outside the au- dience room. Connected with these halls O ctav nk toA anything from sandwich and beer to l plate of ice cream I have noticed that beer Is the favorite beverage, and that ladies drink 1t at such times as much as the men. The theatrical audiences are about as well dressed as those of the United States. and they look much the same.
 The last play attended was Peer Gynt," by Ibsen. the great Norwegian poet and play writer. had to leave my hat and coat in the dressing room, for nothing Is allowed to be taken to the seats. The scenery and stage manage ment were excellent; the play was we'll set and the acting was good
 Speaking of Ibsen. it is wonderful how proud these people are of him. He has statue in the heart of Kristiania. his bust is in the art gallery and there are also several fine portraits of him belong- ing to the city. The poet is now we'll up in the seventies, and at present he is in poor health. He lives quietly and com fortably here in Kr.stiania
 Norway's New Ruler.
 I saw the new ruler of Norway and Sweden while in Stockholm. It is now nine months since King Oscar withdrew from the government of the country and made Prince Gustaf, his eldest son. re- gent of the two kingdoms The young man has been ruling well, and, so far as I can learn, he is popular in both Swe%sn and Norway. He Is now forty-five years old. and is at the beginning of his prime.
 He is straight. tall, fine-looldng fellow. martial and kingly in his bearing, and possessed. 1t is said. of much of the abil- ity of his father. He was married in 1881 to Princess Victoria, daughter of the Grand Duke of Baden, and he has three sons, so that the line Is secure in his family.
 The old king does not absolutely with draw from the government, and he could