North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1870-07-06

OV~SVA SAW O~M EA OUCAOVVs %~N
DR.. B. Ellis Martin, , vivacious writgf,
living in San Francisco, takes occasion to
speak as follows concerning the relations
Of the San Franciscans and the eastern
visitors who condescend to look in upon
them. The extract is from the News Let
ter, publication whose sprightly char
acter is entirely in keeping with the ad-
mirable literature Of the Pacific coast:
"To the philosophic mind-such as is
possessed by us-no occurrence Of late has
been so suggestive of thought as the meet
ing of Boston and San Francisco. To the
humorous mind no scene was ever pre-
sented so full Of the elements Of the alb
surd. It is Leigh Hunt, we think--it
may be DE- Quincy, and we are open to
correction-who describes the meeting Of
Chinaman and a chimney-sweep in the
streets of London, as the most exquisitely
comical scene to be imagined. John Chi
naman, albeit it fresh to western barbsr-
ism, has preserved bis wonted stolidity Of
countenance, in the face of all its strange
sights the sweep, sooty and saucy, famil.
lar with every scene of London streets,
is callcus to all sensation. These two
me face to face in the Strand, and each
gaze aghast-the sweep at the Chinsman,
prim and pe-que-liar, clad in all his ORR
entail toggery; John at the sweep, smutch-
ed and steaked, armed with the queer
implements of his calling. To each twas
a sight that his widest nightmare had
never brought before his perturbed visisn.
So they stand moment, all eyes; then
bursting into wild laughter, they roll, re-
gardless of the crowd, over and over, in
convulsions of merriment!
"It is one of the funniest Of scenes, but
fun fades before the rollicking comicality
Of this meeting Of Bostonian and San
Franciscan. The sharpest antagonism of
thought and habit to be foundl The two
most conceited men on the face of tbe
globe! Each so hide-bound in his belief
Of the immeasurable superiority Of his
own home and the inhabitants thereof; he,
pinched and shrunken, not so much by
east winds as by the constant contempla-
ton of his own inward excellence; we,
bloated with bloat and bluster, puffed up
with our own importance. But 50 provin-
cial-ho, 10 his narrowness and with that
VERY fine wire edge which, as Sam.
Weller warned the boy may be took of
yet; we in our soi-disant breadth of
thought and selfasserted liberality of
spirit. And both of US as thin skinned
as new born baby.
"Now, to see these two meet, to see
them clasp hands and hug, and 'gush :
isn't it sight to make the dry bones of
cid Rabelas himself stir and kick in glee?
All is mutual admiration and sweetness,
externally; but, as to their in'rds.' Can.
not the pathological eye detect signs of an
internal collie and of disgust; squirming
Of contempt, each for the others preten.
sions? Isn't it fun to see how, even in
their estacy Of embrace, they dodge and
wriggle that they may net tread on each
others toes? Yet, spite of their pains
they're all the time deing it, and how
cherrily they grin and bear it. Touching
sight!
sour San Franciscan spread himself
under the delusion that he is astonishing
this visitor, on whom we gaze complacent-
ly, and withal pityingly, as from super
ior height. Meantime Boston chuckles
inwardly over the vulgar display and the
insolent ostentation. He has TO listen to
the same old story about the astounding
growth of our city, sir; our inexhaustable
resources, our unparalleled climate; and we
rather guess that, just now he praises his
God that it is unparalleled j! We go the
same old round, and unshamed, show him
all our newness and nake6ness, and he
gazes with grave twinkle in his Yankee
eye, wondering, meanwhile, why in tbun-
der these people never give any FIVE cent
pieces in change, and thinking of that last
bit swindle San Francisco gets Boston
in corner, tells the old, old story, and
shouts: Dash my dashed hide, sir, did
you ever see anything like all thisr To
whom the victim,in weary way: 'Ya.a .a-as.'
(Among the curiosities of Boston is its i'm
itation of an Englishman; in cut of clothes
and whiskers, in general style, in manners
of drawl, and all that, young Bostonian
is simply English or u half-shell. Did you
ever notice it? So, with his best society
drawl:) 'Ya.a-as, it's all very fine as far
it goes, you know the Pacific is pretty
big And then he contrasts it al; with
the Hub and its history, and how he once
made teapot Of his harbor, and with
Fanuell hall and that organ and thanks
God he is not as a San franciscan ~
SrslPPING The WIDow.-Some years
ago, in the New Hampshire Legislature,
q new member, somewhat noted for
pumping thunder" made speech-it
was upon bill for taxing bank dividends
in which he attempted to be very pathetic
in favor of widows who owned bank stock.
"Yes, Mr.. Speaker" he exclaimed, with
indignant energy, ''the gentleman from
Dover who introduced this bill, deaf to the
cries of her orphan children, would strip
the widow -" But before he could
conclude the sentence hs was interrupted
BY laugh. Astonished, but undaunted
he exclaimed with profound feeling !.
gentlemen, it is not the subject ofderision.