Evening star., 1911-06-10
LONDON BUSY TOWN
Scrubbing and Securing in
Readiness for Coronation.
TRIBUTE TO ROYAL GUESTS
Metropolis Doesn't Mind Common
Folks Seeing It Dirty.
BAD TIME FOR SIGHTSEEING
Westminster Abbey Closed and Part
of Crown Jewels Gone-Beauty
Of Victoria Memorial.
TRIBUTE TO ROYAL GUESTS
BAD TIME FOR SIGHTSEEING
Special From Staff Correspondent.

Special From a Staff Correspondent.
LONDON, May 81, 1911.
London is beginning to tidy up for
the coronation of King George. 1t is
scrubbing and securing and painting and
gliding at rate that promises to make
it almost attractive in the course. of the
next few weeks.
OF course London takes an annual bath.
1t is by lease law required to repaint at
least once in three years-a provision
whereby the ducal landlords who own a
large part of the capital area Obligate
their tenants to keep the premises they
occupy from accommodating an absolutely
Stygian hue But in a coronation year
there must be an unusual effort to look
clean.
The ordinary tourists who flock here
during the summer months do not count
in the reckoning of whether 1t is or is
not worth while 10 scour and scrape off
the SCOT and CRIME of many months. But
when king is to be crowned certain ex-
allied personages, already thus invested,
are certain to be present, and London,
like all other cities. has a pride in its
appearance In the eyes of the mighty.
Like Spring House Cleaning.
The consequence Of this outburst of
energy with brush and soap and paint
is that London looks like a house that
Is In process of being cleaned for the
spring. Scaffolds are hanging in front
of walls, and enormously tall ladders
are stretching up dizzily against five
and six story buildings, whereon white
| gowned men apply their ministrations
| and add, bit by bit. a little of bright
ness to the streets.
This is a slow and, 1t would seem. a
| dangerous process of painting. The
| ladders are unjointed, and are of course
tremendously heavy. I have spent some
time watching a building where a gang
was thus al work. hoping to see one
of the ladders moved, but the painters
have never seemed to be through the
particular part on which they were en-
gagged. Perhaps they are bound by GER
| tain occult organization laws to finish
| one ladders worth day. If they were
not so inaccessible one might possibly
! ascertain. but would not climb one OF
| those ladders for the most cryptic OF
| all truths.
Ignore Short Cuts.
1t would be a mistake to assume that
London workingmen are leisurely from
| this one instance. They are spry enough
as a rule, though the disposition to take
the short cut is not strikingly evident
This long, cumbersome ladder proposition
has a parallel in large building method
/ to be observed near the British Museum
| where a hotel annex is being constructed
! reminding one Of a certain hotel addition
work In progress in Washington when
+, left that city. The contractors have
| erected an immense three-legged crib
work. slender and airy. fully one hundred
| feet in height. in the middle of the plat
| On the top they have laid platform anG
| fc In vtol 1a6 ha hOatinp engine 9nC
crane for emplacing the steel beam:
which are to form the new building.
| 1t Is perhaps very scientifically done
but it somehow ifnpresses the alien be-
| holder as a waste of time and expense
| especially in view OF work commonl!
seen in Washington and of course Other
American cities. where the hoistlng ap
paratus IS powerful and simple and the
| gradually rising steel frame is utilized
as the base for thu mast and hoom
while the engine remains On the ground
where it's vibrations do not affect the
work. The process OF hosting stee
beam by this extraordinary looking aeria
! crane is watched with the keenesi inter
est daily by great crowds o. admirers.
Poor Time for Tourists.
To return to the coronation. Let me
recommend to all prospective visitors tC
! London not to select the weeks just prior
| to such an event for sojourn here u
it is desired to see everything mentioned
in the guidebook. You go to the Tower
| and of course make straight for the
! crown jewels and regalia. There in the
dark strong room where the baubles OF
| Britain's royalty are safeguarded a plac
| and brazenly announces to the newcomer
| already bereft Of his sixpence at distan,
and unconfiding wicket, that the most i'm
| portant of all the items in the list, tine
| true crown of England, has been taken
| away to be prepared for the coronation
together with sundry other articles oi
| use on the day when the ceremony of in.
| yestiture Is performed.
| or course there Is enough left to make
| an interesting show Of gold and gems
| but somehow II is Hamletless perform
ance One would like to know just what
has to be done to kings crown before
the coronation. Perhaps 1t has to be
| made to fit. Inasmuch as g king nova.
| days wears his crown only on the oc-
| casion of the coronation 1t should, OF
| course, be comfortable. Yet some exact.
| ing tourists might in such circumstances
4 argue that king should be willing to
wear tight or wobbly crown for the
very few minutes that 1t stays on his
1 royal head, in order that the payers OF
| sixpences at the Tower might be wholly
i convinced that England is in truth q
i kingdom. ruled by a king who has q
4 crown Of his own. 80
II Doors Of Abbey Closed.