Evening star., 1924-09-14


land sports reach their height Of pop
ularity. for this week. that famous
old shfpyard where for so years de-
lenders OF American prestige on the
wave were built, the Herreshoff yacht
works Of Bristol, r. l., has been sold
at auction and will be transformed
into commercial warehouses. The
Herreshons built all those yachts, the
names OF which are part Of the Amer
lea, the Wasp. the Navahoe, the Vigi-
liant, the Defender, the Constitution,
which year after year, beat the best
sailing vessel which great Britain
could send, the Valkyrie of Lord
Dunraven, the several Shamrocks OF
Sir Thomas Upton, in fact. all comers.
But yachting has ceased to pay-not
enough rich men interested in it-too
few vessels sold to keep a shipyard go
ing. The renowned Arm OF yacht
builders is not leaving the trade en-
tirely. but will continue to put to-
'gether trig racing boats for the New
York and New England yacht clubs in
a smaller place on the East River,
New York. But the passing Of the
Bristol shipyard. in the opinion of
amateur sailors. marks an epoch in
naval architecture and will attract
worldwide attention. The HerrshofYs
as yacht builders have Influenced the
mode of war ships all over the uni
verse and their reputation is among
the things which Rhode Island cher
ishes.
All those provident folk who have
bicycles packed away in their attics
may get them out, have modern at
tachments provided and they are then
ready to join the fashionable throng
at any Autumn or Winter resort.
Palm Beach has long recognized the
utility Of the bike" and everybody
uses them, for 1t is quite a walk from
cottages and hotels to the beach and
no provision for motors. The present
Ambassador. to Belgium and Mrs
William Philips never gave up their
bicycles and they have used them
constantly at their villa. near Ostend.
during the past Summer. They were
also familiar to their friends at Ber-
muda and to the general public rid
ing their wheels. In Florida the wheel
has never lost its popularity. and the
splendid hard, wide beaches at the
edge OF the waves are always filled
with the modish. pedaling along mer-
rily and utterly oblivious to the fact
that the fashion has changed in other
parts Of the world. In Holland and
Belgium and certain portions of
France the bicycle is seen as often
as 1t was in this country twenty
years ago. knickerS and puttees
never look as attractive as when
their owners are in the saddle of
bicycle, and the courses to the golf
links all up and down the North
Shore and in the Berkshres have
this Summer been filled with devotees
en- route to the game, all ready. save
to jump down. gather up bags and
sticks and proceed with games.
New York. according to returned
Travellers has snatched the laurel
crown from Old World centers like
Theater in Munich, and those who
now desire to hear and see the Wag-
ner musfc-dramas must face the At
lantic in Midwinter if they he Euro
peans or journey to Gotham from
other parts if they desire perfection
in every detail. Time was when
every inch about Munich and Bey-
reuth was rented for five months
when the Wagner and Mozart music
festivals were due. Music lovers from
this country engaged apartments
from year to year and their entrance
tickets likewise. For ten years and
up to the World War Mrs. Gilbert II.
Hitchcock had a cottage on the
Starnberger outside of Munich, and
her seats for the Ring and for the
Mozart series engaged from Summer
~ one was always JOlneQ
by a circle of music loving friends
from the Middle West, and they ar
rived in time to hear a few Of the
great operas at Beyreuth before pro-
ceeding to Bavaria. Mrs. William
Howard Taft began to visit the Ba-
varian cities years ago when the
songfests were due. and it was their
influence and inspiration which
guided her so capably when she was
director of the Cincinnati Orchestra
Association. For the past five years.
however, the opera in Germany has
declined in brilliancy, both as to cast
and to stage settings, and the Bey-
reuth establishment has been closed
entirely. Recently those who have
witnessed similar operatic produc-
tions in New York declare in favor OF
the American variety. The resump-
tion Of the Beyreuth-Wagner operas
during the past Summer was hailed
with delight, and while the affairs are
not yet up to those Of the past, the
opinion is that in time they will
reach their old standard