New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-11-19
ANGLO-AMERICAN TOPICS.
OBSERVATIONS OF A TOURIST.


FRAUD BY A LONDON TRADEsaAN-A GREAT
BICYCLE PEAT.
Irsos THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRlBuHE.l
Iospov Nov. PA letter has been shown me
from an Englishman of distinction who has lately
visited the United States containing one or two in
teresting remarks which have leave 10 quote. He
had been about month in the country when he
writes
Ifyou we're 10 ask me what haze struck most since
came should say:
Trs That down to the present date we have not IN
second That we have not yet seen soldier
lard The total absence of book advertisements In
many American papers Of lorge circulation
Pourfh The very inferior literary character OF many
newspapers OF good standing and rcpute
The last is very painful and one wonders where
h. can have been travelling. But since he does not
include al newspapers i'll his censure, particular
paner is bound TO suppose itself marked ont for con-
demnation. passage from the same letter about
the CunaIdeTs lie instructive.
whatever may he the merit Of the Cupsrd line me
drum Fl % % Heaven 70 Ens some other line
which does something for the comfort OF passengers
tish steamers have sailed in during the last twelve
months all better found respects the comfort of
Win some 500 souls on board the Abyssina zone Of
their newer shipsl neither hot nor cold pa'h was
ohtansble.
Remarks of this kind are getting yearly more fire.
onent and every year more people are finding ont
that the Cunard ships the least comfortable of
those which cross the Atlantic. There is reason to
believe that the heavy subsidy now paid them by
the British Government will be discontinued at the
expiration OF the existing contract. They may then
fnd it worth while 10 popularize their line by some
slight attention 10 the wants of passengers, OF even
BY occasional civility.
The partial success of the Castalia, and the pos
sble success of the Channel Tunnel-t2O years
homeland the discomfort of the public, and the
~ ACCOMPLISHED
incredible result of diminishing the time between
Iondon and Paris nearly 80 minutes-nomnally.
IL il on what is called the tidal route by way OF
Folkcstone and Boulogne, that this has been at
tempted. | happened TO cross by that route on the
first day when this great feat was 10 be DONE We
left London at o a. and were timed TO reach Paris
az ESQ p. m.-nne hours and half can certify
that we actually arrived at 7:45-ten hours and
three-qusrters instead Of nine and half. There
was no particular reason for the delay except that
we dawdlcd all the way AZ FolkestOne the Com
many appears to exc out its dividends by making
its passenger steamers do duty tugs We waited
,oine time in port after everything was on board,
aud presently discovered We were waiting to get a
hawser from a brig astern. When we got 1t, the
towing process delayed us ten minutes more.
Al the entrance 70 Boulogne, after a slow
passage We spent 20 minutes skirmish-
ing with q fleet Of fishing boats Just
We waited half an hour for lunch the restaurant
keeper at the station having no doubt contract
with the Company that lunch shall not be hurried. At
Ttaples the engine broke down. AT Amiens another
90 minutes for another lunch al the most extOrtiOn
Ate railway buffet in all France From Bouogne to
Paris moderate speed all the way, and no effort 10
make mp lost time. The rule is that if yen are late
al one end you viii be later at the other Nobody Is
IN harry excep: the passengers, and they are oil no
consequence il is certain that with reasonable ex-
pediton and with stern suppression OF unreasonable
delays tl.J journey from London to Parls could be
done in eight hours Some generations hence, il Will
be. Meantime, one improvement TO he grateful for
borrowed need hardly say from America The
baggage is now loaded in crates al London, and the
crates are transhipped bodily at FOkestOne TO the
ttcamer-which is bad for the trunkmakers. i
don't know how long il may be since this reform
effected, but saw it for the first time this week.
A singular variety Of fraud in commercial life has
been disclosed by the failure of Mr. Augustus Ali
born London dry goods dealer. Many Americans
will remember his shop in Rcgent-str with IFS gor-
reously re ssed dummies in the windows and its pre-
,eptious air. He advertised largely in the London
papers. and was supposed to be doing large bust
ness The other day he failed. A meeting of his
creditors was held yesterday, at which statement
was preeented. showing his debts to be over NIL
lion dollars with nominal assets something less than
half that snm There is nothing very remarkable
in that bnt there is something behind it, 1t appears
that this enteiprisng tIadesman kept two sets of
bools-one genuine and one purely fictitious. in
the latter set appear book debts due to him 10 the
amount Of about $l,34O,000 not one OF which IL
neal They represent goods which either never ex-
istod at all not sold 70 the persons TO whom
they are charged. They seem, IL rs stated TO have
been parted with in the most questionable way to
the most questionable characters, and then entered
in the books to persons Of credit and position in the
highest classes Of society," who never bought them
On the strength of these debts, and of the business
they were supposed TO represent it is conjectured
that Ahlborn built mp his credit and bought largely,
end none OF the Wholesale people with whom he
dealt had any suspicion of fraud. Yet number OF
persons must have been parties TO it, for large set
Of books cannot be kept without somebody to Keep
them IL is not stated what has become OF AhIborn
Possibly he viii try New-York next.
The swimmers are not TO have oil the glory 10
themselves. Capt. Webbs success reused host OF
imita,ors at most respectful distance and athletic
sports in general profit by the excitement The last
considerable feat done is on a bicycle-not IN the
water, Of course. man named Stanton undertook
20 cover $50 miles on a bicycle in days, and
he has done it. with an hour to spare at the end.
This seems rather close work, and don't know
whether Mr.. Lowe, who ia q distinguished amateur,
would OF wonld not consider the performance ex-
traordinary But il has attracted some attention IN
what is called the bicycling world and Mr. Stanton
Is its hero for the hour for want OF better. The
new machines huge Affairs Ia size yet very bght,
and the speed attained Is from IL to 10 miles an
hour But at present, most people prefer horses OF
even 10 go afOOt.
Mr. Joseph Jefferson appeared in London OF the
L.. IL ton