Weekly Trinity journal., 1878-11-30
INSULAR INSOLENCE FAIRLY
CHECKNATED.

The following incident Of social life in
San Francisco has mover before we be-
ieve, been told in print: The party
were English-yery swell; they were
dukes and lords, and members Of Parlia-
ment, men Of unbounded wealth, the
very snobs Of Albion. The gentlemen
wore round hats with white linen bands,
as though Of India. Their clothes were
cbeckored tweeds, their coats were short
below the waist, their pantaloous small
in the legs they wore eye glasses and
hob nailed shoes, and the women wore
dresses like dairy maids ont on a walking
expedition, and they all had umbrellas !;
but they were all Duchescs, ladies, and
right honorables, and all were littlo
frecklcd, little red in the face. little
coarse in mOuuer; wore number nine
brogans and number ten bucllsNin gauut
lets, in fact tho very creme dc Ia creme OF
Engl aud's best society, They were en-
t,rtained at Belmont, sent down by spe-
cial train, driven through San Mateo four
in hand dined, wned, toted, battered by
the gentlemen OF the country,
After the return Of the party from the
Geysers, ssemite and the Big Trees, a
ceremonial dinner was given them by one
OF our Mob hillity-cards issued. At the
given hour the guests began to como
Oar American gentIemen IN dinner cos
tune, claw hammer, kid gloves, and
white necktie ; the ladies' in richest Of
dinner toilets, blazing in diamonds. The
English party camein, having walked up
the hin, because they preferred "to walk,
yeu know" dressed in chcckared twecds
short coats, plntoloons small in the legs
colorcd shirts, blue necktios, hob nailed
shoes, walking dresses and umbrellas As
the introduciious were being mada the
American guests exchanged elances, and
thcn ono lady, then another, then the
gentlemen one after another quietly
withdrew. Tho gentleman of the house
at the conventional hour led his guests to
the dining room, seated them, and then
begged to bo excused by reason of a very
pressing and sudden engagement, and
onjouing his servants to entertain hi,
guests right royalty, himself withdrew,
The English party found itself at a
sumptuous board, adorned with every
thing that wealth and tasio could pro-
vide. Servants in white waistcoals, ties
and gloves, assiduous'y serving the soup,
English audacity and insolonco found
itself checkmated, The inciyility of bus
mess suits and dirty travelling dresses haJ
been appreciated and resented by th,
Amaricsn barbauans, and the John Bu0
party had been left to feed. One OF the
younger gentlemen Of the party having
/ placed his cye.gass beneath his corruga-
/ ted brow, in that slammering utterancc
so particularly indicative Of the pol-he,
manners Of the higher English class
/ inquired if they did not think "this wa
a boastly Yankee trick? Is this Il res
tauraut whore They give fellow Ge.
soup ?" All parties agreed that thel
were never served IN such "nasty" way
in all their lives. The position was en-
barra.sing, and tho party struggled be
tween the uljsnity OF their treatment
and the appetizing ollurcmeut Of Dime
and wine: when one Of the Indies Of Thu
puty, the yYuuge-t and laireat, saiJ
III enjoy this. We have been ju.t.
served. oar American friends, VIII
have been generous and so hospi.aby
who have entertained us everywhere
broke down under this final insult q
responding to dinner invitation in th
costume Of shop keepers and greer
grocers. Had the cord ilions been re
vorscd, and an American presented him
self at an English dinner party tAus dros.
cd, the servants would have refused chen
admi,tanco at the door, feel that W
are properly treated, and propose that W
take our umbrellas and walk away as W
came" No more entertainments follow
ed, and the chcckcrod short coats, no
nailed shoes, and umbrellas were left {
do their California explorations their ow
way IS. y. Arg0n0ui