The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-15
PORTSMOUTH Its PRlM .SEhRs
FRS NEW FAME DOESN'T -RISTQW.
PIE QUAINT TOlfN. = -

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Dustie Il the Peace Conference All Outside
the CITY Limits-Readers Of New
Ensiand Tales Feel At Home In These
surrSondings-The Life At the Hotel
PosTsxourn, N. H., Aug. 1.-THE fact
that this Is the capital Of the world just
now doesn't seem to have impressed Ports
mouth great deal. Only by striking an
average can this be called the conference
Of Portsmouth anyway. for the navy yard
where the delegates are meeting Is across
the river and also across the border OF
temperate Maine, and the Wentworth Is
about four miles as wagon drives on the
other aide OF town. Twice a day, when
there 10 conference. the automobiles
carrying the delegates scorch through the
town and Portsmouth lifts itself from the
cracker box, says -There they Co." and
falls asleep again.
The drive Of the delegates is through
New England at its prettiest. the thick
growing fertile part Of New England.
The road to the navy yard winds for some
sir miles about the ramifcations Of the
river and bay. 1t is lined for good part
Of the way with woods OF green leafed OAK
and graceful white birch. 1t passes a
regular New England duckpond, with
little waterwheel and New England
farmer In his shirt sleeves watching history
soorch by. Twice It crosses the wide,
peaceful Piscataqua River. which carries
In these days a multitude OF little boats
and canoes.
It runs past mansions OF the eighteenth
century, proud In their superb colonial
doorways, all prim and white. 1t turns
into . corner Of sleepy. pretty Portsmouth
q town which is all OF the past. Every
other house is colonial or early American,
the business blocks are boxes of buildings,
economically built as to caves, presenting
SQUARE unornamented rows OF front win
dows-the kind Of building that flashes
upon one here and there in that part OF
old Greenwich Village which the march OF
steel has spared.
The inhabitants seem as prim as the build
jngs. They walk the streets with con-
,cientious precision. Ask one OF them
the way and he or she will stop, lead you
TO the corner, give minute directions. pass
perhaps bit of gossip about the weather
and bid you cheerful good day.
Over the river is Kittery and the navy
ward. Kittery from the other bank pre-
eents a few rows Of boxlike houses scat
tered about at the will OF utterly irresponsi-
bic streets. The houses in the distance
look like the houses OF German toy box.
Each stands amid high old elms. The
last building before the navy yard bridge
is a Chinese laundry, the last one before
that is a general notion store. in whose
windows the star exhibit Is Life Of Frances
E. Willard" in two volumes, for this ia
Maine, where the emissaries OF the lands
OF vodka and rice brandy are meeting.
A correspondent who has seen most OF
the world except New England said yester-
r.ay after he had covered this road to the
navy yard:
by Jove, your New England writer's
fr We done their local color we'll. l keep
thinking I've seen it all BEFORE"
Witte and Rosen on these drives pay
little attention to the scenery. Witte when
undistuTbed Is always In deep thought.
The japanese, on the other hand. watch tho
road and always turn back to look at the
duckpond which has something OF the eject
Of Japanese gardening.
The navy yard shows no signs OF the
honor which has been thrust upon It, The
approach is by a bridge over the river.
marine guard patrols it and even keeps
loiterers of the bridge. This same guard
IA turned out and paraded whenever the
enyoys pass. When the 1000 employees
enter the yard at and o'clock they must
show official passes. This rule Il observed
TO the letter. A marine guard also patrols
the approaches to the general stores build
ing. Otherwise, repairing, scraping and
building go on as ever.
THE JAPANESE LOVE OF FLOWERS.
A young woman Of the hotel going for
her morning constitutional broke branch
from towering tree this morning. carried
Il with her to the dining room and propped
It into small pitcher In the center OF the
table. Coming out from luncheon two
Japanese correspondents passed. They
stopped, started very slightly and began
to range about the table, watching that
branch. Not to seem impolite they with
drew after q little, but found an excuse
to Renter the dining room and to pass
that table twice. After them came an
under secretary Of the legation. He stopped
In his tracks, looked and smiled. Then
followed the correct Mr., Matsumoto OF
tho Japanese Parliament. Another stop.
The correspondents on their second back
trio met Il en-. The four Japanese stood
smiline and talking in undertones The
American girl who owned the. Towering
branch noticed the direction Of their eyes.
would you like some Of the flowers?'
abe asked, and reached her hand toward
tho pitcher.
Il beg you do not touch It, said one
Of the correspondents, 1You-you were
taught In Japan?'
The American girl looked very puzzled
until another correspondent explained that
quite by accident and by natural eye for
beauty she had done pretty piece OF work
in the Japanese art Of flower arrangement,
which most children Of Nippon are taught
In school. She insisted on giving the
branch, arranged as it was, to the Japanese
party, andit stood on their table at dinner.
THE DAYS ROUTINE AT THE HOTEL.
The day turned out little cold and beauti-
fully clear. One can almost see the house
on the Isle Of Shoals away out at sea. The
guests, who are getting bit indifferent to