MelbourneHeadquarters of the New Commonwealth
AA
A
(Copyright, 1901, by Frank a. Carpenter.)
ELIIOUKNE, AiiBtrnlln, April
K. For tlio next year at
li'HHt Melbourne 1h to liu the
capital of Aus
triilla. The Par
liament of tlie new commonwealth will
meet hero In May and here the
premier ami IiIh cabinet havu al
ready estiibllshod their oIUcch. They
are to organize a new government
ami (o aid In the Heleutlon of a permnnent
national capital for AitHtralla. Melhourno
Is making ureal preparations for thu open
ing of Parliament and It in collecting all
norlH of HlatUtlfH showing that It In the
biggest ally on earth.
And, Indeed, It In magnificent. Tlieru Ih
no country In Europe nor mate In thu
union hut would he proud to own It. It lias
about 500,000 people, 100.000 hoimes, r,,000
streets and an line public buildings riH any
place of Uh sl.u on thu globe. It IIch at
the bottom of eiiHturu AtiHlralla, near
whero the river Ynrra empties Into thu
Hay of Port Phillip, having an excellent
.ationa and clubs for outdoor ainuaoment.
The Melbourne Cricket club, which was
founded about thu time thu city was begun,
now numbers more than 3,000 members.
It keeps twenty men busy to care for its
property, paying out salaries for such pur
poses of about $350 per week. Already
rnoro Minn $500,000 hnvo been spent on the
present cricket ground and It Is said to be
thu (Incst of Its kind In thu world. It com
prises nine acres, of which four and a half
acres nro used for playing.
At tin .Melbourne Itucen.
I wish I could tnko you out to one of the
grand meetings at thu Melbourne race
course. Thu city claims to havu thu finest
racing park In the world, ft Is known ns
thu Floinltigton racecourse. It has an area
of about 300 acres and thu track Is a mile
and a half In length. Thu whole 300
acres, except the grandstands, stables and
track, Is covered with n lawn of a thlik
vulvcty green Thu tracks nro two, onu run
ning Insldu the nthijr, one fitted up for
steeplechases and thu other for running
and hurdle races. Thu grounds are equipped
a Melbourne man onu afternoon as vk weru
going by ono of the finest structures of this
inugnlllccnt city.
"No," was the reply, "I don't think It's
an hotel, and still I heard the other day
that Us owners had bought out the right
to sell liquors and bo it may bo an hotel
ufter all."
"Hut what is It?" I asked.
"It Is a big coffee palace."
"And what Is a coffco palaco?"
"Oh, you know," said tho man, "you
can't sell liquors in n coffee palace. A cof
fco palacu is where they keep everything
that belongs to a proper hotel except the
bar. An hotel Is place where liquors are
sold, without thu IUjuois It can't bo an
hotel."
"What do you mean by thu ownets buy
lug out the right of some poor hotel?"
"That Is a part of our liquor option law.
Only mi many places are licensed, and If a
new place wants to start up It has to buy
out one of tho old licenses or watt until
there Is n vacancy. Our laws will not per
mit saloons. Liquors can be sold only at
public houses or hotels, but many of the
hotels havu only ono or two bedrooms to
rent and their chief business Is In running
thu bar. Thu charge is from $75 to $250
pur annum, although some places are even
less than theso amounts,"
Drilllkl'IIIM'NM III A DNt I'll I lit.
Notwithstanding this 1 llnd that bars nro
moro frequent note than In America. The
man who vnnts a drink can get It in any
block, and If ho Is an Australian tho
chances are, nine out of ten, that he wants
It. I huvu novel seen a placu where drink
ing Is moro common and whero so many
people keep theuiBolves well soaked. The
chief drink Is Scotch whisky, and tho cus
tomaiy way of drinking it Is to mix It with
water nnd sip It. A great many drink
whisky with their meals, nnd treating, or,
as they call It here, "shouting," is common
Thu man Is thought to bu mean who drinks
alone, and In tho smoking rooms of tho ho
tela you may see men sipping and drink
ing together from dinner until bedtime.
FEDERAL COFFEE PALACE, MELIIOl'U N'E.
ON COLLINS ST It HUT. M ELIIOMItNE.
harbor. You can walk for six miles along
Its wharves and count forty bridges cioss
lug thu Yarru and other streams In thu
city and suburbs. Thu arra Is bo deep
that stemnorH of 8,000 tons, drawing
twenty-three feet, can come right Into thu
town, while ships of 10,000 tons and up
ward anchor at the mouth of tho river, a
llltle below thu city.
Strictly l)i-U-lulc Timvii.
It would surprise many Americans who
think they havu tho only big things on
carlh to come down to Australia. Take the
city of Melbourne. It Is not as old as (Mil
cage; It Is younger than any town of Its
hIo In tho United States. It contained live
wooden shacks and eight turf huts in 1S37,
when Chicago was Incorporated as a city.
It lias now TiflO.OOO people and Is one of thu
richest towns of Its til.o on the globe. It
has 1:0,000 busluuHS buildings, f00 schools,
3(H) churches ami more than 1,100 hotels or
saloons, it lias 1,000 acres of racecourses,
about a dozon foot ball and cricket grounds
and 110 parks, public gardens and reserva
tions. It has 100 miles of streets paved
with wooden blocks. Its tramway system
has cost about $8,000,000; Its harbor im
provements $10,000,000, and its sewerage
system nnd water works nbout $15,000,
000 each. In tho greatur Melbourne thoro
nro Boventy postolllces, sixty telegraph of
IIccb and eighty public and private libra
ries. Ono of tho public libraries has 300.
000 volumes nnd another has -10,000.
Melhourno tins tho Uncut public buildings
of Austrnlla. As tho capital of Victoria It
has tho great colonial olllces nnd in addi
tion tho city buildings nnd town hnll. Theso
structures cost, nil told, nbout $20,000,000.
Tho town hall nlouu cost $1,000,000, Unlit
of white freestone, with n foundation of
hluostono, It stnuds on tho corner of Collins
and Swanston streets, In tho very heart of
tho city. It is Mm home of thu mnyor and
city olllelals, Including the council, but It
has also a great amusement hnll, which will
sent 2,500 people, whero nubile entortnln
ments can bo given at cost. Anyone can
rent the hall from $50 to $125 per night, and
concerts hnvo the advantage of the great
organ, tho largest south of tho equator, and
until recently tho largest of the world. This
orgnn cost $35,000. It has 1,300 pipes and
soventy-nlno stops. Tho city keeps nn or
gnnlBt on n salnry to play It twice n week
for tho amusement of the peoplo, and nny
Thursday or Snturdny you can drop In nnd
listen to tho music for nn hour or so free
of chnrgo.
Town Itnn for (lie Cltlmrim.
The Australians believe that their towns
should ho run for tho citizens, rather than
for tho corporations. The tramways nre
owned by the government. There H one
section of tho rncecourso to which nil nre
admitted freo of chnrgo nnd thousnnds of
lnborlng men nre to bo seen there with
their families on Saturday afternoons
There nro nil sorts of public Institutions
audi ns museums, plcturo gnllerlos, bnths
nnd teehnlcnl schools. Thoro Is n working
man's collego which hns sevornl thousand
students nnd there nro numerous night
schools. Tho city keeps up nn nqunrlum
nnd n good zoological gnrden. It hns nbout
0,000 ncres set nslde for pnrks nnd pleasure
grounds nnd Its citizens hnvo ninny organl-
wlth tho latest improvements. Tho horses
start at thu rising of u wire moved by
electricity, and there are all sorts of patent
Improvements ns to timing, etc.
At the great races, such as the Melbourne
cup, huudieds of thousands of peoplo aie
present and the sight Is one worth coming
to Australia to see. The Inside of the
ring Is given up to thu peoplo who pay
nothing whatever. The grandstand, built
011 a bill at one sldu of ttiu course, has
llrst-class scats, which cost $2. 50 each, and
directly behind it on the hill Itself are
equally good places, which you can have
for C! cents each. In either of theso situ
ations thu spectator has rull view of thu
horses for the whole distance, lie need not
lose sight of thu race for the tenth of n
second, and is Just where hu can see the
horses ceme In at the Mulsh.
I have frequently attended these races.
Vhey are held every Saturday afternoon
during the season, when you may seu thoti
Minds of well-dressed men and women In
thu grandstand and on thu hill at the
back. I was surprised at thu dressing both
of tho women and men. Thu girls wear as
good clothes as iholr American sisters, ami
thu men are far better dressed than their
brothers of England. Nearly every onu
bets, thu girls putting up their money ns
well ns thu boys Thu crowd includes tho
public olllelals, the Judges nnd even tho
preachers, though I will not say that I
saw tho latter mnko extravagant bets.
"Is that big building n hotel?" I asked
Onu of tho surprising things Is thu Utile und lots of them. There nro 1,100 gro- In the country, 'ihcy are sold set and uuset
account that Is taken of drunkenness or ceries, 1,000 fruit stores, C00 butchers, 400 and are cheaper than with us, but the but-
drinking. No ono seems ashamed of hav- tobacco shops, 300 laundries and moro than tor stones bring good prices. An opal thu
lug contracted tho hnblt, nnd 1 hnvo henid 3110 bakeries. Thero aru T00 lawyers, 300 size of a small pea costs $3, while for $1.")
ninny men refer ns nonchalantly to their doctors, 300 preachers and COO confectioners you can get onu full of lire as big as your
having been drunk as you would to having and pastrycooks. It takes S00 dressmakers sweetheart's thumbnail. As a rule the
taken your dinner. to make clothes for the women of Mel- stones aru sold by weight, at so much per
Not long ago I was riding on tho railroad bourne and thoro nre 400 tailor shops for carat.
In company with threo Australians who tho men. Tho city has a largo number of la walking through thu business streets
wero evidently old friends. Ono of tho men insurance companies, real estate com- you scu many cuiluus signs. There Is onu
sr.ld: "You see how much fatter 1 look, panics nnd 140 banking Institutions. Its "John Jones Fellmonger." That Is a fur
That fat comes from temperance. 1 ha 0 chief banks have branches in the slate of store, as ou can see from the 'possum,
taken on llesh s.nco I stopped boozing I Victoria nnd In nil parts of Australia, and platypus and other skins in the window,
used to drink live bottles of it Is to a largo extent the money center Tho shop next door has tho word "Draper"
gin uvory week right along and of the countty. above It. That is a diy goods store, whllu
often much more. About six months Sumo of the stores are lsrgn. Souio nro tho sign "Ironmonger" on the building over
ngo I tapered off and at once began to fat- cnlled universal providers, taking tho place tho way shows that It Is a plicu for selling
ten, nnd since then I have gained two of our department stores. All have good hardware. Thu druggists in Australia are
stone in a month." Tho other gentlemen displays In their windows nnd nil navcrtlsu called chemists, and a drug store is
Joined In llko stories of themselves and 111 the sprmdoagle American way. Ono chemist shop. Lumber dealers aru "timboi
friends. They kept up tho conversation bookman boasts of having 1,00(1,000 books merchants" and tho lumberman is called a
until the train stopped nt a station, when In his shop nnd nils the newspapers with "timber getter."
they all went out for a glass of whisky and his poetic effusions ns to his goods. This is Yankee City ol AiinI rnllii.
soon, called tho Uook Arcade. It Is a sort of a
One of tho worst features of the liquor department store, In which books are most
tralllc In Melbourne and other Australian prominent It sells also stationery, candy
cities Is that the drinks nre dispensed by and picture, and you can get a tooth most cnloril.lBlllB uuu venturesome of all
women. One of the chief professions for pulled or your photograph taken while you 80Uth of Ulu L.,.uator Thu AlueriCttUB
.... . . a . u .,.., auu m ,r. wau. Uockinl hero during the gold excitement of
Me bourne girls are especially beautiful, running from one principal street to an- and bought 1)ropertv. B'ome of lho ,1
and the town has the reputation of having other. In the Bummer tho sun U very hot. bU8ne88 blocUs are owned by Americans;
thu prettiest barmaids of Australia. They and theso arcades protect tho shoppers. ,, .,.. , .,. ' ..,,,.,.. , ,,'
aro paid llxed wages and they have their ,,.,, ..,...,...' , " "" "t""""'"
. ?-. ... tp"i Are l nrnii. Insurance company of Now York Is the
Among the most Interesting stores aro best office building hero. The people pride
thoso selling Jewelry, for they give you an themflelves on being llko lho Yankees. 1
Idea of tho wealth and luxury-loving ten- have been frequently asked if the town
duncles of the people. Thero are quarts of did not remind me of home, or whether we
dlnmonds and pearls exposed In tho cases havu nnvthtnir butter of tho samo kind In
Molhourno Is ono of tho best business and the windows aro decorated with rings, the United States,
cities of Austrnlla. It has a number of brooches nnd precious stones. Among tho A Kreat nmuy Iortune8 have been made In
rich men and Its people are great spenders, most common of Jewels are opals, which Meinour ot
They are fully ns well dressed ns the New como from Austrnlla. They may be seen " specumtlons of this to
Yorkers, nnd tho most of them live up to everywhere I verily b-dhve I have ban- hat oNew York Ld Ch
their incomes. The town has good stores, died a half bushel of them during my stay o ManEan Jas bought "oi t Jo Indians
for about a peck of beads, buttons and trln
Melhourno makes me think of an Amer
can city. It is called the Yankee city ot
Australia and Its peoplo are considered tho
regular hours. Some of them are very
bright, and nearly all charming, so that it
is no wonder that the men llko to come In
for a chat and a drink.
HllNlliexN III A UN I I'll I III.
BBHBBBBHHBIMl,
SCENE AT THE MELBOURNE It ACECOUItSE.
kotB; Chicago could have been onco pur
chased for a pair of old boots. Tho slto of
Melbourne, Including 000,000 acres about it,
was originally bought of tho Australian
aborigines by John Hatman for forty pairs
of blankets, forty-two tomahawks and a few
knives, scissors, looking glasses and shirts.
Tho snmo ground Is worth moro than $100,
000,000 today. Tho man who bought it,
howuver, was not allowed to rotain it. Ills
claim was disputed by others, and a fow
months later tho governor of Australia camo
down from Sydney and Intel out tho town,
selling tho lots nt miction.
Auction Which Miule Illililcrn Itlcli.
That auction made tho fortunes of Its
highest bidders, Thero woro only 200 men
present, nnd nearly all bought city lots.
Each lot was half an ncro. Tho first sold
for $150, nnd nnothor for twico that. Ono
block of ton ncres notted $2,500,
That block is now worth nt Ienst $15,000,
000, nnd tho other lots Increased in about
tho samo ratio. Tho net proceeds of tho
day's salo wero less than $20,000, and tho
samo land today Is worth at least $10,000,
000; that Is, It has increased Just nbout
2,000 fold, which Is certainly a fair profit In
theso days of 2, 3 and 4 per cent por nnnum.
Tho nuctloneor was n man nnmed Hoddlo,
who worked on commission. His fees for
tho salo wero nbout $285, nnd ho took them
out in land. Ho was awarded two lots in
Elizabeth street, which ho lived to see
worth $1,250,000. That was certainly ono of
tho times when money tnlked, for Hoddlo
must havo received in tho ond nt least
$1,000 for each Jerk of his diaphragm In
crying tho bids,
FRANK O. CARPENTER."""
1
i