The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 11, 1904, Page 17

TPages 1710 267‘ TI‘IE CALL i Pages 17 t0 26 —eeeeeedlly AN FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1904. WHOSE LOVABLE TRAITS ENDEAR HER TO HER «SUBJECTS” IN LONDON IS A QUEEN OF COSTERS — WHERE THE QUEEN CARRIES N HEre, DBUSINESS OF RENTING— COSTERS = CAIRZS =™ EgrrowS . /471 lj ;’—%jfi; 7»051»,@:)57'.{ g WHERE BEVRYITHIIG ‘fiffe QIR RS SELLe THE oLL _enN SHE BLENDS COMMERCIALISM AND CHARITY of Stairs Lead; Up to “Her Majesty’s Palace” Rickety Flight 10.—En, ns besides nd poss- the dis- the o occupies g Edward. To men- ere is a of the nd a “queen named, how- porary T nt. Each of the commun- for the time nost extraor- of them is ever ver an autocrat, ally. The dig- in fact at night plain f a queen of ass tr next mc sed as crowned. hard-working 40, lity in cos- t her no one would wield the influence rather tough com- she moves. She is 1g and there is ich would indi- the wealthiest woman : ass in England. HAS GOOD BANK ACCOUNT. Her “palace” i situated in a most congenial neighborhood, and one has 1 of rickety stairs to reach 3 drawing-room. There 1 find her absorbed in a multi- e of books znd papers, in which the te of her finances is primitively set She is sufficiently industrious to e with the services of clerks or , &nd it is the Commission- e Income Tax only who can hing like an approximate idea state of the queen’'s banking acco It is hinted that she is worth at least $3 hard cash and that her yearly income cannot fall short of e of t she is 0 in most substantial part of this in- derived from the hiring out of and trucks to costermongers wk their wares through the streets. She comtrols over 300 these trucks and barrows. They cost, anything between $15 and usual charge to the hirer week. business to the unitiated might appear somewhat risky, because all 4 of the person who s a deposit of 25 cents and ddress. Some of these out - two or three and in numerous turned to the ness is exhaust- ire repair. The hiring monthly, and per- y are kept un- new Th tretch, never tion the “gueen” and embers cf her staff. BEGAN IN HER YOUTH. confidential man combines He deals prosy and in F a of carpen Moreover, L takes their moments does 'd smith work. ails to impress he nev upon one that he from his boy- hood worked for and enjoyed the con- fidence of queens. He is a retired non-commissioned army officer and he is as loyal to his present sovereign, the queen of the costers, as he was to Queen Victoria during his thirty years of army service. barrows are constructed on the premises and in the busy season, which is between June and October, employment is provided for a num- ber of wheelwrights, smiths and car- penters In her youth Mrs. Russell assisted bher father and mother in the coster All the trucks business, but since her marriage she has been able to live an easier and more comfortable life. She is now a widow. Her husband had been a coster from his boyhood and it was mostly through his energy and indus- try that the present business was built up. Since left to her own re- sources she has shown a grasp of the working of the concern that aston- jshes people with wider experiences. She is acquainted with every part and every little detail in the con- struction of barrows and trucks and neither smiths nor carpenters could deceive her with regard to the quality of their work. HER CHARITABLE ACTS. She is an extremely charitable woman to her class and it is this fea- ture in her character that has ele- vated her to the dignified and distin- guished position she enjoys among the costers of London. If trade is bad or a coster has fallen on evil times through some unforeseen cir- cumstance she will lend him money to purchase the necessary little stock of fruit, vegetables or some other salable article that may enable him to get on his feet again. When a death occurs in the coster communi- ty she can always be depended on to advance the money for the burial un- til there is time to get up the usual “friendly dead” by which every cos- ter pays a little to defray the ex- penses of the funeral. Mrs. Russell never misses one of these sad processions and it is only on such occasions that she puts on anything approaching style. Her well equipped brougham is always in the first flight of coster vehicles and al- though it bears no external marks of royal distinction it is always pointed out as” “the queen's carriage.” At coster weddings, too, she is much in evidence, and the happy pair can al- ways rely on receiving a substantial and useful wedding present from her. At such ceremonies she is distin- guished by the quietness of her dress, which is in striking contrast to the cheap and flambuoyant finery affected by coster women on these occasions. BARROWS OF ALL COLORS. It is only in the colors of her barrows that she shows any ambition to shine in the coster world. These are painted in all the shades of the rainbow, just to suit the coster taste. Her name and address are inscribed on every barrow and truck, but there is no sign of the royal arms anywhere, Although she lives in the midst of a thickly popu- lated district, her immediate neighbors appear to be only a schoolhouse and a dingy looking little church. There is no record that society ever penetrated within her dominions except when the Marquis of Headfort married Rosle Boote, a gayety dancer, at the little church referred to. Mrs. Russell does not forget to tell you that she was present at that wedding—not as an in- vited guest, but as a spectator. At the annual athletic sports of the Costers’ Association she occupies the post of honor on the grand stand and contributes liberally to the prizes, espe- cially those for the donkey and barrow races. BRIDGE STILL THE RAGE. It is not expected that the denuncia- tion of the craze for bridge in so-call- ed high society will have any apprecia- ble effect In abating indulgence in this popular form of gambling. There is one man who eould accomplish more in the way of checking it than all the clergymen in the Church of England, were he so minded. If the King were to give up playing bridge and exclude it from the games provided for his en- tertainment at the great houses which he visits the force of his example and influence combined would exercise a tremendous effect. But he shows no intention of denyving himself the pleas- ure he gets out of it. During his recent sojourn at Glen- quoich as the guest of Lord Burton he played long every night, his partner being Miss Jane Thornewill, sister of Lady Burton, who rejoices in the repu- tation of being the best woman bridge player in all England. It has already to all around her. She visits the local schools and distributes quantities of chocolate and toys to the younger children. On market days she goes into the towns of Chelmsford and Rom- ford and takes a keen interest in all that is going on, especially in the sale and purchase of agricultural produce. SEES POINTS OF INTEREST. been announced that he Intengs to re- e visited Lady War- peat his visit next year, to be efrterv %CE ‘training home for young women tained in similar fashion. KING AN ENTHUSIAST. s the Xing's “clerk of the closet,” an office corresponding to that of fath- er confessor, and for which, by the way, he is paid $55 a year, in addition to his salary of $75,000 a year, the Arch- bishop of Canterbury is supposed to be specially charged with looking after the King’s spiritual welfare. At the re- cent church congress in Boston no suggestion, however, was made of ap- pealing to the King to lend his assist- ance to an anti-bridge crusade. Mean- while there is no doubt that the game has revived the gambling mania to such an extent that it is cutting deep into fashionable finances. Week-end partiés at the great country houses, which used to be deveted in the main to Lealthful outdoor sport and recreation, now frequently serve as excuses for bridge playing all day long and far into the night, Sundays included. And on Monday mornings, when the parties break up, it is quite a common thing to see the guests exchanging checks for considerable amounts. ENGLISH SOCIETY GOSSIP. It is a coveted mark of distinction among our feminine aristocracy to be pre-eminent in the display of some va- riety of gems. The Duchess of Rox- burghe stands easily first in the mat- ter of turquoises, which are peculiarly adapted to her type of beauty. The great bulk of them were collected be- fore her marriage, while she was still Miss May Goelet. Buying here and there and always displaying excellent judgment in her purchases, she has ac- quired no less than a hundred brooches, pendants, earrings and bracelets stud- ded with these precious stones. They were broken up after her marriage, and she now wears them in the form of a superb ornament. To complete it in accordance with her design a few tur- quoises had to be added to those she had already obtained, but it took months to procure them and the best European markets were ransacked for them, because her own maiden collec- tion . consisted of absolutely faultless stones, perfectly matched in color, and she would be content with none that did not conform to the same high standard. MRS. BONYNGE'S PLANS. Next season will find Mrs. Bonynge, mother of Viscountess Deerhurst, fixed up in a London residence which she will occupy for the greater part of the year. Since her recent arrival in Lon- don she has been exploring Mayfair and Belgravia for a suitable house. In both localities there are a considerable number of houses to let just now so that it is easy enough to get a real good establishment at a very moder- ate rental. Money is so scarce that a number of people are letting their town houses and are moying into flats. Thus report the fashidnable real estate agents. Mrs. Bonynge has just made an offer for a house in Chesterfield Gardens, a few doors away from Mrs. Bradley Martin and Lady Craven. She has her eye also on a magnificent residence in Grosvenor Gardens in Belgravia, but as Chesterfield Gardens is more in the heart of the American colony it is be- lieved she will make it her choice. She is at present staying with her daughter at the latter’s country house in Essex and is making herself most agreeable at Dunmow and was highly pleased with the provision that had been made for turning out these women fit and competent housekeepers. She expressed a hope that Lady Deerhurst might one day be able to direct a similar institu- tion. This hustling Afmerican matron has seen more of Essex during the few weeks she has been there than her daughter has been able to in the years she has been in England. Mrs. Bonynge has motored to all the places of interest in the county, including Claybury Lunatic Asylum, which is supposed to be the most perfect insti- tution of its kind in Europe. She has seen Dr. Barnardo’s homes at Barking- side and General Booth’s farm for the submerged tenth at Hadleigh. She went on to Osea Island, where the ex- brewer Charrington is endeavoring to convert aristocratic topers. She also visited the old inn at Chigwell and saw the old room where Dickens spent so many pleasant evenings. Mrs. Bonynge is so pleased with all the surround- ings in Essex that she expressed a hope she could make it her permanent home. ————— FINDS WOMEN IN CLUB ENJOYING A SMOKE Military Man Reaches London From India and Is Shocked at What He Beholds. LONDON, Dec. 10.—An amusing in- cident and one illustrative of the ra- pidity with which modern manners and customs are changing occurred at the new Lyceum Club for women in Picca- dilly on a recent Sunday. A military man, with sun-tanned face and fierce gray mustache, stalked into the main saloon and seated himself near a “mix- ed” tea party. From behind his paper he glared for a few moments at the women, who were smoking. Then he called a waliter and stormed under his breath. The waiter fled and sent an official of the club to him. After some mutual explanations the old wet- eran strode haughtily out of the room, bestowing a parting frown on its oc- cupants. He had landed that morning from India, and, unaware that the rising feminine tide had engulfed the Im- perial Service Club, had hastened to what had been his favorite hanging- out place in the old days. But his sur- prise on discovering it no longer exist- ed was slight to the shock he experi- enced on learning that during his ab- sence smoking had become a fashion- able feminine accomplishment. —— SAVED ALL: HIS MONEY FOR HANDSOME COFFIN When He Died, However, Relatives Got a Plain One and Divided His Wealth. MOSCOW, Dec. 10.—In a plain deal coffin carried on a tradesman’s cart the body of Dmitri Ragoskin, aged 104 years, was to-day borne to its last rest at Kharkoff. Very different was the funeral planned by Ragoskin for him- self. For the last seventy years every penny he saved went into a fund, which was to remain intact until the day of his death in order to provide him with the most magnificent funeral possible. When Ragoskin died his rela- tives sold the gorgeous coffin and silk- en shrouds and divided among them- selves the $15,000 accumulated for the funeral. g % THY QUEEN OF THE COSTERMONGERS OF THE ENGLISH METROPOLIS, WHO HOLDS | WEALAHONC?LTHEK BECAUSE OF HER KEEN BUSINESS ABILITY AND THE KINDNESS SHE SHOWS AT ALL TIMES L TO THE GREAT NUMBER WHO PATRONIZE HER. ALHAMBRATIAY SOON FALL. i i Structure Near Ruin e GRANADA, Dcc. 10.—It was no mere alarmist report, which was sent out from this country a few days ago, re- garding the condition of the world-fam- ous Alhambra.. The cracks which have appeared in its walls are serious. and it would not be surprising if the historic building be overtaken by the same fate which befell the Campanile at Venice. It might easily be saved by prompt action on the part of the Span- ish Government, but there is little hove that such action will be taken. Official- dom; for years, has neglected the Al- hambra in a fashion which would have outraged Washington Irving. and the present condition of the wonderful monument of Moorish elegance and grandeur is merely the natural resuit. A curious feature of the Alhambra is a memento of the assistance rendered by the English in driving the French out of Spain. A park of English elms covers the approach. This was a pres- ent from the Duke of Wellington. who sent the trees over from England to Ferdinand VII after the grateful mon- arch had made over a Spanish estate to the English general. In 1821 the ancient pile was shattered by an earthquake. That so much of it has survived so many vicissitudes is striking evidence of the consummate mastery of the old Moorish builders. Enough of its original lavish splendor is still to be seen to make it easily understood whence arose the popular bellef that its great founder, Ibn-el- Ahmar, dealt in magic. P —— . Leopold Buys Riviera Estate. NICE, Dec. 10.—King Leopold of Bel- glum has bought from its proprietor the Hotel du Cap d’'Antibes, a charm- ing Riviera estate of twenty-four acres, extending from the Cap d'Antibes road on the morth to the sea on the south. The estate comprises a large but unfin- ished villa, which was begun’ thirty years Only the first floor is built, but the probably will complete it. WOMAN OF WEALTH HER HIGH PLACB MRS. LANGTRY IS NO LONGER A FAVORITE Once Popular Actress Sailing Upon Sea of Trouble. LONDON, Dec. 10.—The fact that Sir Henry de Bathe, whose eldest son mar- ried Mrs. Langtry, will soon have an- other handsome daughter-in-law, has set soclety to asking how this develop- ment will affect the Jersey Lily, whose lot, just at present, is far from being an enviable one. Hugo de Bathe's younger brother has become engaged to the beautiful Violet Wood, who is almost as well known to American as to English society women. Notwithstanding the extent to which she once had the world at her feet, Mrs. Langtry is now sorrowfully watching the sea of admiration and worship.recede from her. And the bit- terness of her disappointment is leav- ing its mark upon her. Her beautitul home in Chelsea has been given up, all the treasures with which it was crowded have been sold off and she has taken apartments at the Savoy Hotel to remain in the cen- ter of things. As if to supplement these privata troubles, Mrs. Langtry has been re- turning from race meetings with sto- ries of continued losses. It was the opening night of her last fortnight’s tour that brought to Mrs. Langtry what seemed to her to be tha last straw. Used as she always has been when “opening” in the provinces or in London to be overwhelmed with letters and telegrams from old friends, she waited in vain for word from them. — e Sang at His Own Funeral. VIENNA, Dec. 10.—Herr Paul Turon of Teschen, in Austrian Silesia, sang a hymn at his own burial yesterday. He had intoned the hymn into a phon- ograph shortly before his death and di- rected that it should be reproduced at his funeral service. “CARMEN" WITH A LIVE BULL —_— OPERARGIVEN WITH KEAL FIGHT. — PARIS, Dec. 10.—Spain s usually re- garded as a slow sort of country, and one does not expect that anything startling in the dramatic line should first see the light of day there; but it must be acknowledged that a theatrical manager of Valencia has succeeded in beating the record in the way of stage realism. Taking advantage of the blow struck at the national sport by the “Sunday rest” lJaw, and the popular demonstra- tions against it, he conceived the bril- lant idéa of performing Bizet's “Car- men” in the great bull-ring at Valen- cia with a genuine bull-fight in the last act. A fine beast was procured, torea~ dors and matadors and all the rest of the necessary outfit were engaged, and the bull was slaughtered in the usual fashion. Never before was a produc- tion of “Carmen” received with so much enthusiasm. Here and In America we have had racing scenes with live horses and Jockeys, and fires with real fire engines, but they all pale into insignificance compared with the staging of a real bull-fight. Enterprising Iimpresarios state that legal obstacles will prevent them from following the astute Span- jard’s example and’coining money out of the idea. —_——e———————— FRENCH SCIENTISTS TURN A RADISH INTO A POTATO Remarkable Feat Accomplished by the Use of a Solution of Glucose. PARIS, Dec. 10.—Experts of the Pas- teur institute have just accomplished the seeming miracle of transmuting a radish into a potato. Their report, which has just been made to the Acad- emy of Sciences, says this was done by cultivating the humble radish In a special solution of glucose.