The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-27
CLUB FOR OpTIMTTS ONLY
LONDON PLANS A RESORT FOR
CHEERFUL MEN.

LONDON PLANS A RESORT FOE
CHEERFUL MEN.
Netting In rranee-The Kaiser Ut shs
French Frentier-Anether Failure Il
Discover what = Sausage ls--sieep
walking or q 10o.Year-Old Tortolss
bad News From Tho Wine District
Wonderful Decorations for Diree.
toire Gowns- Ronaparte's Youth
LONDON. Sept. i&-New ideas In ciut
life are constantly becoming realities In
London. the homo OF clubs. Tho lateei
Is an Optimists Club. which only thoss
who acknowledge the duty Of cheerful
ness and make D point OF looking on th'
bright side 6f everything oan join.
The hall porter Is TO be selected for hi
smiling. ruddy countanance, and all tbs
house servants will have 10 be 'sleel
headed men and such he sleep o. nights.
None with @lean and hungry looks need
apply for positions. -
The decorations Of the clubhouse will
DO gay and bright, the furniture comforta-
bio and attractive. The walls will be hung
with notices such as 'Why worryf II
WILDE all the same In q hundred years,
and with portraits OF the great optimists
Of fiction and histofy-Sir John Falstaf.
DR.. Paneloss. Mark Tapley. &c.
A for the members. any OF who ID
convicted upon the evidence OF two fell
low members Of being In the club for hall
on hour without smiling will DO suitably
fined. The penalty for. expressing any
doubt as to all being for the best in the
bestof possible worlds win be champagne
all around.
From time 10 time lectures will be given
on current topics TO. show that there IL
no reason for discomfort. let alone despair.
and that the country is not going 10 the
dogs, az is the general belief in all other
clubs when the November fogs ome
The organizers Of this scheme have
already q great many names on their list,
and they are looking for q clubhouse un-
associated with sad reoollections Of
previous clubs which have lived and died
there, and which is centrally and cheer
fully situated. Az ali this il not easy
to find they viii at first take temporary
rooms In the region Of Piccadilly and later
on be cheerful on a larger scale.
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The reports that August Belmont and
other American horse owners are likely
to bring over their stables. or q part Of
their stables, to Europe are welcomed
in France, n country that gives n warmer
reception to any one who wishes to spend
money in It than any other.
The newcomers will find that II they
wish to bet on their horses they will have
two methods open to them, the pari mutuel
end the individual bet. for it is a mistake
to suppose that the former is the only
legal form Of betting in France, When
in q 1T Of Righteousness some seventeen
bnde all betting tho public replied with
q boycott OF the racetruoks, and for sew
erai meetings the horses raced around
without any one TO look at them.
The pari mutuel system wes then In
troduced by q rather hastily framed
law which allowed owners and those
interested In horse nising to make bets
with one another. although no one could
make a book. that Is take bets from any
one who came and asked him to do 30,
bots being limited to ones acquaintance
Several legal decisions during the last
year have interpreted the law, which
is not very explicitly worded, with con.
siderable freedom.
One result OF this tolerance has been
that the money taken at the pari mutuel
boxes already shows q falling Of OF $4,000.
600 for this year as compared with las,
year and IL expected to be . B,0oo,o 600 be.
hind by the end OF the year. As th,
Government collects q rakeof OF s PEI
cent. on all money wagered under the
pari mutuel system. which it devotes 70
public works and the encouragement
Of horse breeding, this means q loss Of
from ss5o.000 to $500. 900 for this year
90 that IL 10 expected that the Government
win soon be taking measures to amend
the INV and prohibit oil betting between
individuals.
Whatever was the kaiser's reason fol
sending up that trial balloon In the shape
Of the report Of his intended incursion
Of 100 yards into French territory the
incident. deprived as 1t wa Of its most
exciting feature. has pleased the French
people immensely. Every detail con-
nected with II has found It's way into
print. The correspondent Of the Atsace-
Lorraine Journal gives a vivid story.
The Emperor. he tells. has reached
the Hartmann chalet when up comes. all
out of breath, q bearded German gen.
darme. he haits half a yard from the
frontier.
Der Herr Kommissarl which 10 the
French Commissaire?'
NJ. Cochet 10 pointed out to the gen.
darme, who explains. with the correspon-
dent as Interpreter, that the Emperor
wishes to speak with him. The special
police superintendent sent by the French
Government from Epinal is then con-
Quoted to the chalet by the geadarme.
On his retur there 10 q rush to interview
hico.
'what did the Emperor say to me3 Well,
nothing very mucn. ! was presented 10
him In e salon by NJ. the Kroisdirektor
lpreiect) Petri. and the Emperor, pressing
my hand. saia:
81 thank the authorities Of the depart
ment for the preparations made at the
frontier. But ! cannot 60 40 far, seeing
that have not tho time. have to re-
turn To Colmar, whore a bottle OF good
wlns lR waiting for me-"
NJ. Cochet draws of his gloves and
says:
'Voildi I shall beaueath these gloves to
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