Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-06-07
The Raw American.

London at present abounds in Ameri-
cans on their way to the Vienna Exposl'
ton. Many of them are commissioners
from various States. Some have lands
TO sell, or other financial axes to grind.
Of such the Langham Hotel is full. The
Langham is the nearest approach to an
American hotel in London. There,
though not guest, you may pass in and
out without explaining to the hall-porter
who you are, where you come from, or
what you want; you may there enter AID
retire without giving your pedigree, nat.
uralization papers, or certificate OF
COED character. At other English hotels
something analogous to this is commonly
required. =,
We, who have been in England full
year, look down with an air of superior
ity on the raw, the newly-arrived Ameri-
can. We are quite English. We have
worn out our American clothes. We
have on English hats with slightly curled
rims and English stub toed boots. We
know the intricacies of London street
navigation, and Islington, Blackfriars,
Camden Town, Hackney, the Surrey
Side Piceadilly, Regent and Oxford
streets, the Strand and Fleet street, are
all mapped out distinctly in our mind s
eve. We are skilled in English money,
and no longer pass off half crowns for
two shilling pieces. We are real Anglo
Americans.
But the raw American, only arrived
week, is in maze, confusion, hurry.
He is excited and mystifed. He tries
to appear cool and unconcerned, and IS
simply ridiculous. His cards, bearing
his name, title and official status, he
distributes as freely as doth the winter
wind the snowhakes. Inquire at the
Langham office for Mr.. Smith, and you
find he has blossomed into General
Smith.
He is always partaking or about to
partake. of official dinners. He feels
that the eyes of all England are upon
rim. he is dressed la bandbox-hat
i'm ,uaculate in its pristine gloss, white
cravat. umbrella of the slimmest, en-
cased in silken wrapper. A speck OF
mud on his boots would tarnish the ma
tional honor. Commonly he is taken
for a head butler. he drinks much
stout. He eats white-bait dinner be-
fore being forty-eight hours in London,
and tells Of it. All this makes him feel
You meet him. He is overjoyed. de
-ould talk of everything--your mutual
,er;ence in America, his sensations
exp -upressions since arriving in Eng
and l. Te talks intelligibly of nothing,
land is a mere rag-bag, shreddy,
His BRAIN +i-colored. Thus he empties
1T: rf''l. FsssaS" ~ 81, ned with the earl ol
w0ndeFlsl, eTFasterday;" Dine Sith 3 wdr,rin, Sir
to.dsy.s ys'' 'STo the Tow,sri "ess%ln, as sa;a,
stsr st.rH z oNew York grow. ugi % Saihs bs
Paul. s"-going, going, gone asu AS al - !
shakes hands with you, aau 10 49, ~ ~ a
Broadway gait straight towaru VIZ ne iS i;as
End of London for his hotel, WhIon ii''
at the West End. - ,,nbt
In reality the man is not in hia Tigp'
mind. He is undergoing the mental &c
cI;n, otization fever. Should ne stay
in london for three months he nlght
recover. and begin to find out where ne
;s Rut six months hence he will have
returned to America, fancYing ne mas
seen London, Paris, Rome, Geneva,
Vienna, and whatever other place ms I!
body has been hurried through, not ms
mind; for that, in the excitement, anu
rapidity Of his fight, has streamed pc
hind him like the tail of comet, lignt
,ttenuated, vapory, catching nothing
a bsorbing nothing.
: Occasionally this fever ia kes an a6u-
sive, phase. He finds in England nothing
10 Il Ike, nothing to admire. Sometimes
he W ishes Immediately to revolutionize
the q overnment he is incensed at the
cost oi loyalty. He sees on every side
;ndieat ;ons of political upheaval. Or he
become, eulinarily disgusted. Because
tbere are no buckwheat cakes, no codhst
cakes no hot bread, no pork and beans
No MANN 9th oysters, stewed, fried anc
-oastsd he can ind nothing fit to eat.
Tbe FnqlisI 1 cannot cook. Because be
can find no n { isy Gathering dish-smash
Ing restaurant, fuil of acrobatiee walters
raeipr and bs.Innci ug under immense
piles Of plates, and s. Nonnng JaIgon un
translatable, unintelli, voie ana h, enplO' liaO
down into ID lower Hl'eusl ~
he cannot cannot eat -freHt.ef ~. ~
ford, in Lippeneotfs 4 'eg0S'He y''