Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-04
METRoPSI1s WAS NEVER MORE
CROWDED THAN NOW.
The Cakewalk Has at Last Invaded the
Royal Circle and Teachers Are
Making Money From Society.
pecial Correspondence of The Evening Star.


as they thought. and they regard the gov
eminent as a cheat.
So they have begun to show their choler
by Kidding the ministry with pin pricks.
For year there has not been such string
of interrogations, chiefly Hibernian. as yes
terday. Mr.. John Roche, with double-bas-
soon voice. the man who. in the old days.
"teetotally denoid" that he ever stole a
deer, lowered his head, and speaking into
his waistcoat, told the ''chafe secretory''
that somebody is stealing the Birr and Por-
tumna railway, and he wanted Mr.. Wynd-
ham to give instructions to prevent this"
Mr.. Wyndham is guileless and gentle-a bit
OF an Irishman himself-and therefore
gulhble. but he boggled at the suggestion
! that, even in Ireland. there was so Samson
like thief as one who could up and away
with a railway line.
Amused the House.
but. sorr." observed Mr.. Roche with
sepulchral selemnity las I was coming
along to my parliamentary duties, 1 saw
with my own eyes people running away
with it,"
The house went off in squirt of laughter,
and all the comment Mr.. WYndham could
make, was that he was afraid there isn't
anything left worth stealing
A hard knuckle knot of a man. dark and
sturdy. Mr.. John O'Donnell-who has spent
much OF his time in gaOl. and who leaped
into fame some time ago by running across
the floor and shaking a large fist in the
amazed face of Mr.. Balfour-now wanted to
know whether the floors of nearly all the
cells IN his majesty's prison at Tullamore
are tagged with a kind of stone known az
sweating stone and would Mr. Wyndham
recommend in the interests of the health of
prisoners. that boarded flooring be put in
cells which have no fires?
MT Wyndhafn was solicitous about the
n6aIIn OF the prisoners b11f no
the existence of stones that could sweat
Mr. ODonneif stood up. and stridently
pawied. u arfI'in a position to state that
your information is incorrect" a natural
observation. for Mr.. O'Donnell has recently
been an occupant OF Tullamore.
MT Roche slowly rose again. and. having
lowered his chin till he caught sight OF
the lowest button on his vest. dropped
his voice another octave and said: From
personal experience can corroborate that"
Hear, hear, cried the Celts in chorus.
And, shouted little Patrick O'Brfen,
bouncing into notice. with considerable
experience ! can corroborate it. also"
Hear, hear came the cry again.
Then a. bunch of Celts jumped up, ready
to afford "torroborative detail to an other
wise bald and unconvincing narrative.
But the speaker with a strong hand
made them all sit down again go
The fiery haired Mr.. Patrick Delany.
however. sent poser sizzling across the
floor to Mr.. Wyndham.
"Hev ye liver bin an inmate yerself?"
Questions ranged the hemisphere. from
the beauties Of bimetallism to the burklng
of Servfa, from the merits of Irish salt but
ter to the dOings of the French in Morocco,
from the teaching of art at South Ken
sington to an inquiry whether Lord Charles
Beresford is really in the habit of giving
beer to the engine men on the Majestic
which he Is not.
It's about all the fun parliament has
the Irish-and the real reason why home
rule has never been granted to Ireland
may be the fear that all humor will de-
part from an otherwise solemn house.
Perennial American Visitors.
Every year London welcomes a larger
number Of American visitors. The pleasure.
social and commercial. which their arrival
gives has been enough to occupy their hosts
without leaving them time to inquire into
the cause Of this increase.
Now, however, Senator Chauncey Depew
has been explaining matters. Within the
last twenty years new social type has
come into being in the states-a class of
wealthy Ieisured people corresponding more
or less to English aristocracy in their pur-
suits and ideals, il not in descent. America
is the abode of busy men, and these people
of leisure find themselves looked upon as
nuisanees by friends, whom they distract
from their ufe-concern of amassing wealth.
The office is the only place where the av-
erage American man is to be found and he
discOurages callers by such devices as the
notice, Keep out! This is meant for you!"
which Is inscribed on many doors. The re-
suit Is that these unfortunate do-nothings
feel very lonely and are compelled to emf
CRATE to Europe in search of social happi-
ness This it appears, they find at its high
est point in London, which Mr.. Depew con-
sders to be the best watering place in
Europe"
Needless to say. tradespeople welcome
their advent, which, in a wet season like
this, forms one Of their mainstays.
However, visitors to London just now run
some risk of having to sleep with the home
less ones who frequent the embankment
and the parks. The hotels have never been
so full. 1t is nothing out of the way for q
man, after being turned away at eleven
hotels, to have to be content with a room
somewhere near the roof at the twelfth
OF course, the fact that last week was
Ascot week and that this week is given
over to patrons Of the Royal Agricultural
Show. accounts In some measure for the
boom. but the secretary of one of the
largest hotels told me today that since the
war things have frightened all round for
hotel keepers.
Some of the hotels would not have a room
to spare for weeks. while in his own place
they had been obliged to put beds in bath
rooms and find '.shakedowns" anywhere
The American invasion this year has done
some little toward the general crush, but
caterers are congratulating themselves that
the increased custom is likely to last much
longer than, the transatlantic holiday sea-
son.
Benefit Matinees.
The matinee, in aid Of Guys Hospital at
Mr.. Trees Theater. which realized e. 100.
has quickly been followed by another at
the same stheater. Yesterday afternoons
performance at His Majestys made the
remarkably good contribution OF $1,000 to-
ward the $4,000 needed for the building of
the new consumption sanatorium bearing
the queen name at Davos.
The English were first with hospital work
in the famous valley In the "Grisons" can
ton Of Switzerland, but the small begin
nings In 1888 have since been oudistanced
by fine sanatoria built by Germans. Dutch
ard Jews. In the matinee Mr.. Beerbohm
Tree was associated with Mr.. Carl Hent-
Schel
The energetic president OF the o. P. Club
secured the services of the artists and ar
ranged the program, and he also produced
a souvenir portfolio-program. which had
large sale at the hands of many society
ladies. The price of the souvenir was, very
properly, fixed one at half a crown, and
there was thus no scope for that fascinat-
ing. but Irritating cajolery which marks
and sometimes mars, these charitable oc-
casions. But the seats fetched very high
prices, voluntarily given
-Hoarseness kept Miss Ellen Terry away
from the performance, and kept the scene
Ill Il tn,