Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-01-12
American Professions.
New York NOV. O. Special Correspondence OF the
l.nndou 1imea

New York Nov. O. Special Correspondence OF the
London Times.
l shall venture to mention another point
IN which We might learn Il valuable lesson
from our Arnsrican. cousins, l never ven-
tured out to witness u London deInUnstIa-
tion without leaving my watch and purse at
home, and even-if l meant to 30 into the
thick of the substituting u wide
awake for my chimney-pot hat, which would
seem TO be as irritating to II certain class OF
London roughs M n red rag TO Il bull. | we'll
recollect congratulating myself having
taken these precautions when. on the second
meeting after the Hyde Park rot, saw in
Trafalgar square respectable people bonneted
and violently robbed in full view of the po-
lice Here l wandered through the crowd
along the whole line of the procession with
perfect sense of security. do not mean TO
say that there were not plenty OF thieves
against whom 1t was advisable to keep ono
coat well buttoned New York has her full
share OF them. But | nowhere ran the
slightest risk-not, at least, that could de-
tect-of being violently robbed. The be-
hayior of the crowd was everywhere adniira-
ble. 1t seemed to me almost as If the whole
population had turned out, everybody, down
to school-boys, and even schoolgirls. having
caught the election fever. A gentleman told
lllo llltlc uu
had boasted to him that there were only 1.-TWO
Democrats in her class"
At some points along the route the crowd.
consisting impartially OF men. women and
children, lined the pavement tour or i've feet
deep yet saw no jOstling or scuffling for
places. or any uuseemly horseplay, none of
those dangerous charges" by which the
London rough creates u panic, endangerng
limb and even life. The respect with which
each party treated the others procession was
also very remarkable. all the more 80 consid-
ering that they were on the eve of most e1
citing election but on this feature of Ameri-
can politics have already commented i'll my
letters from Indianapolis. am always glad
to learn how America impresses Americans
who have just returned to it from q long resi-
dence Ill Europe. for they bring to old famil-
lar scenes II fresh and active eye. One OF
these gentlemen told me that nothing had 50
much impressed him Us the way In which un
American, rs distinguished from European,
crowd WIS left to take care of itself, and its
success in doing so. The same thing has Of
ten struck me, and it was very noticeable on
Thursday and Friday nights. The police
had. lar as saw, almost Il sinecure, and
when, now and then, they did interfere with
that overbearing air and manner Tor which
the police OF this free country are, to say the
least, us remarkable those of despotic Eu-
rope, they were instantly obeyed without
murmur.
Another American, who had recently re-
turned from France, told me lie had amused
himself by mixing with the crowd to learn
what were their topics of conversation. He
found that where they were not discussing
the election or the procession naturally the
pieces dc resistnnce-they were almost Inya-
rably talking business. He heard none Of
that personal gosslpy chat about friends
dinners, theatres, love affairs, which Is al
ways 30 fiie III u French crowd. This may
account for what. next to the good behavior
OF the crowd struck me most, Its amazin.
gravity. Its general aspect was US solemn
II every man + 1t that the fate OF his party
depended on his refraining that evening from
II smile. 1t had quite odd effect 10 come
rs once did, upon quite u merry group chat
ting aud making fun together, but rs | got
near to it found 1t was French. ami that one
of the party, lady, was quizzing II body oi
colored men whom she spoke of .s the
"brunettes." The average American hns TOO
earneAt laith in professions To feel disposed
to make fun OF them. however tempting the
opportunity. 1t hls been said that, il Lon
don were destroyed by M earthquake, the
survivors would Mt cnce meet together AMI
arrange to commemorate the event by din
uor. In America they would commemorate
1t by pluning little printed ribbons on TO
their coat fronts and then marching i'll pro-
ce.slon round tine RUNS and making speeches
1t would be, ut least, proposed 10 form
earthquake society, probably secret, but not,
therefore. any the less harmless.