The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-06
MILLIONS
LONDON HAS ANNUAL HAIR
VEST OFF AMERICANS. /
sixty Thousand Visitors from the United
States-Estimated They Spent
Nearly So, 900 ,ooo. II

This years American season in London
has been In every way Il record one ana
the hotels and shopkeepers have benehteo
enormously by the rush of visitors from
the other side of the Atlantic, says the
London Express.
Not so very many years ago the West
End tradesmen took next to nothing dur
ing the months when society went cut of
town. Business was practically stagnant
until the mansions in the West End pulled
IN the blinds and opened the shutters ana
society returned.
TODAY things are different. The peace-
ful invasion of American pleasure seek-
ers has endowed London with a second
season. Everybody benefits by them, from
the diamond merchant in Bond street to
the cabman plying for hire. LONDON Is
recognized as the market place of the
Americans, and London has been astute
enough to cater especially to Americans
during their season.
Everything is done to provide Tor tnems
as II were, a home from home. The RESI-
taurants have found out the virtue OF ice
water and soda fountains, and even the
chemist contributes his quota to their
comfort by stocking chewing gum. Inc
result Is satisfactory to all parties.
Inquiries made by an Express represent
tative yesterday among the tourist COM
panies, hotels and steamship lines snow
that something like 10000 Americans have
VlSllGu bOn0OiL lhAG 1taAs 0Oa1
for a brief five days, others dwell here for
q longer period, but the hotels, large ana
small. and the boarding-houses of Blooms
bury and Bayswater, have been held oy
the invading American since March.
Between them these 10000 Americans
nave spent about Ell, 100000, chiefly In Lon
don. This calculation is based on hgureS
supplied by one of the largest hotels, when
alone has housed $500 Americans since
March, and the average hotel bill or eacn
has been $50. There are at least hve no
tells which can give similar figures, and II
the average American spends ELS in Lon.
don, we reach the total stated. Some, or
course, spend next to nothing and i've N
clearinghouse for e2 Is. a week, but
others spend hundreds, or even thousands,
of pounds on jewelry and dress.
Go where you. viii in London at this
period, you will hear nothing but grateful
recognition of American custom.
Americans come to>Lendon for the spe-
cihc purpose of buying" said a West End
with half-empty trunks and buy a COM
plete outfit of socks, ties. collars, shirts,
suits of clothes and hats. 1 have been
frock coats at a time when business is at
a standstill as far as my regular GUS
toners are concerned
"They will lave flowers" said a florist.
IT might shut up shop, for all the best
London customers are out of town, but
the American. visitors keep things going.
to a magnificent bunch of pink roses, ARE
sold to a wealthy American customer.
Roses are their favorite flower"
The American visitors have STAYED off
disaster from the river this year. The
weather matters nothing to them. To come
to London without seeing the river would
the visitors equip themselves with mackin-
toshes and umbrellas for their river trip,
the Thames boatmen reap the benefit.
The hotels and boarding houses get by
far the largest share of the 91,500, 600
which American travellers leave behind
them in London. Next come the antique
dealers, for America is particularly keen
on old china and Sheffield plate, and will
pay almost any price for a fancied object.
Then follow the ~tailors, the haberdashers,
the hatters. the jewelers. n the miscel-
laneous traders.
Roughly, one may apportion the Ell, $780,
600 which the AMERICANS leave behind