The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-09-21
LONDON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
LONDON, Sept. LIST, 1873,

LONDON, Ctll' lSt' io'''
From Paris to London is not more than nlh'
or ten hours, 0hey estimate distance ny tlm'
IN Europe) but that gives no idea OF the I'M
mense changes in scenery, life and manners
involved in the transition from one city to The
either Paris is clean, whitcwalled, ever wear
inc an air of holiday and refinement, In farlS
,be classes are cheerful, happy healthy
looking and cheaply but neatly attircd, her
iandils are exquisite and diaboicaI!y gay amt
her ladies, what more need be said OF them
han that they dictate fashion to the female
world and are at the bottom OF hard times
london is immense, labrynthian, unclean,
mephitlc. Her lower classes are numerous,
blcareyed, filthy and mcanly clad-they wear
/. worried, wearried appearance, giving the
impression of Il hard struggling past and doubt
rIl future. Her middle CLASSES have SLOPPY
air homcly features with ungainIy physique
and an elaborate but ungracetul manner Inc
want of taste in dress of the English people
il proyerbial, but am disposed to think that
the defect is less in the eye and aesthetic sense
Of the subject than IN the want Of proper ilg-
ure for the display of good clothes The sar
torial genius has not yet been born that can
make an EHgishman look like gentleman,
The average Englishman is neither an Adonis
nor Antinous Either his arms are too long,
hisshoudcrC too narrow, his stomach too large
his shins too short, or his toes are disposed to
turn in. | know that many who imagine that
they have seen Englishmen will be disposed
10 criticisc my criticism; but let no one sup
pose that he has seen II people until he has
seen them in their own habitat The only
way to compare the English with the French
or Americans is to see them in the mass, as
they may be seen in their respective countries,
and think that those who have remained for
= few weeks III England will bear me out I'M
what | have said Next to the French there
ne perhaps, fewer native English people I'M
the United States than Of any other great ma
sion, and the specimens with u do not furnish
o sufficiently broad premise for general est
nation.
Politically the Englshman j. loyal. I'M
spite of a disconnected element that finds fi,tulI
expression here and there nineteen of every
twenty Englishmcn you meet Will speak with
pride and praise when The Queen, the Prince
of Wales or any of the Royal family are re-
forrcd TO- The tenth one, however, will call
her Brltanic majesty IN old hag, and has aw-
full stories to tell about the stupidity of the
Prince Of Wales, his diseased body and disco
lutte life All Englisbmen praise the superb
onty Of our railway cars, bu' there their con
cessions cease; they think they have the best
government in the world and are ready toI
prove by figures that oul frequent elections, byI
breaking up industrial routine and habits are
indirectly Il greater strain upon the eXchcqucrI
than the enormous amount expended for the
Of the Royal family. No En-
glshman can quarrel without informing bis
he is an Engishman, and he cannot talk long
with an American without denounCing the
protective tariff Of the United States That Isl
where the shoe pinChCs II we would but give
u
eciiunt things they make, they would love liz
more The marvellous chcapncsS and superior
quality Of the thousand and one articles that
are indispensable to civilized life here in Lon
don cannot but astonish Americans who can
not see how they can be made for twice the.
sum asked for them. \ toothbrush that will
cost " cents in the states may be bought IN
London for or 10 cents, and thousands of.
other things lnrroportion ! cannot, of course,
make Il list, but will say in general way that
our tailors and dealers in useful and fancy
articles are perhaps the most OK.
carbonate sinners in the world, and that one
hundred and even two hundred per cent is not
IN unusual profit for them
In England the cooperative system is hay
NJ % very appreciable effect on local trade
The object of this system may be described as
he furnishing Of members of trading asso
citation, formed for the purpose, with genuine
and moderately priced goods on the princlpcI
Of ready-money payments, the chcapness be
Ing secured by economy of management and
BY contcntment with small profits Notwith.
standing the opposition Of retail and even of
dealers, ii has Of late years made AS
onlshingly rapid progress in London, where
there are about thirty cooperative stores, car.
rying on an immense trade The chief com.
pany Is the Civil Service supply Associa.
'ion,' which consists Of share holders of mem