Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-11-16
THE YANKEE IN ENGLAND.
what the BInrsIeO BVttiAhara Think
of American Visitors.

OF American Visitors.
London Cor. Chicago Times.l
In undertaking to ascertain why
Americans are unpopular in Eng
land | have already dwelt upon
some of the peculiarities of my
countrymen. Allusion has been
made to the character Of the letter
of introduction-or many of them
with which Americans are armed
upon their arrival on British soil.
Gan American" and 'an Ameri.
can letter of introduction" have
become to be synonymous with ex-
pressions of contempt and worth
lessness. This fact is shown in one
or two events that have been a
party to. There is not a more
punctilious people in existence than
the English. A letter to the Queen
from the humblest of her subjects,
if properly worded, and having
reference to business, would be GER
tain to be answered by the private
secretary Of her majesty. This state
Of things prevails everywhere. Con-
sequently, when an Englishman
does not answer a letter, it is be-
cause he holds it in contempt. l
forwarded with my card and address
a letter of introduction from an
eminent banker in New York to a
well known lord and member of
parliament on this side the water /;
and Of which there was never taken
the slightest notice.
Such breach of manners can
only be accounted for on the ground
that an American letter of intro
duction is a document of so small
value that it is not worth attention.
Other similar cases have occurred,
which go to prove that the action
of the lord just referred to is not
singular in its character, but rather
the outgrowth Of a very widespread
feeling.
AMERICAN SwINDLERS.
London is overrun with Ameri-
can swindlers of both sexes, but
more especially women. An ac.
euaintance of mine lately went to a
fashionable house to have about
ten dollars worth of repairs put
on a dress. The shop mistress
as soon as the order was given,
asked for either a deposit ol
a first-class reference, saying SHE
chad been SO badly swindled by
Americans that she would never
trust another one for a single
hour" In one dressmaking estab
| lishment in Pail Mall there are un-
paid bills against an American wo
man for some $2500--bills which my
profane eyes have been permitted
to gaze upon. The woman in
question hasn't a dollar in thu
world, and yet she is one of Tho
best dressed and best lodged womer
In London.
She keeps a carriage for whicl
she owes a small fortune. She owes
grocers, wine merchants, and lodg'
ing-house keepers without limit
She has every possible luxury sh(
could desire, and yet is simply an(
purely q penniless dead.beat OF the
worst kind. She has a fine per
sonal appearance, a lofty, com
manding manner, and exquisite
taste in dress. These constitute
her capital, and upon them sh'
realizes a substantial income.
The case of this adventures i
not 0 single one. | happen indi
vidually to know four such women
who are living here in lavish style
and who do not pay opt peF Gnppn
in cash as many pounds as theFy
are months in . year 1t is they
and their kind, who have discredit
cd the financial standing Of al
Americans. / have before alluded
to conspicuous sign in a windoy
on Bond street, and which reads
"No Orders Taken from American
Without a Deposit" Of course thi
is q flagrant, inexeusable atfRont
but nevertheless it is simply th
case of one dealer who has beel
bold enough to express in publi