Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1879-09-24

Alo aou kSosA "e
Plum Puddinx-rhs Bus Driver
Upright Hats.
Correspondence OF the Gold Hill Daily Nsws.l
LONDON. August 30. S79.-England
Is par excellence the land Of libsrty-by
which I don't mean political liberty, but
liberty OF movement. In France. under
the regime Of monopoly and the barrier.
ws see functionariss everywhere. The
Frsnohman Is under tutslags; he Is pro.
tsctsd at every step. He Is forbidden
to 20 about for fear lest he should break
his neck, % II he were an idiot. He 10
not supposed to have sufficient insslli.
gsncs OF his own to guard himself
against accidents, to avoid inconvsnisnt
collisions, to save himself from being
plucksd BY sharpsrs. In all public
places. on the railways for example. he
is placed. chsmbersd. made to msneuvrs
between barriers. his way measured out
for him, his footsteps directed. From
the moment you plant your foot In En-
gland you are free. You are not warned
BY placards OF the perils you may run;
1t Is taken for granted that you will not
be such Q fool a. 10 throw yourself IN
der the locomotives. or In sheer light.
~heartsdness offer your watch to the pick.
pockets OF the United Kingdom. A
friend once described the doings Of the
honorable gentlemen who rob you OF
your money In q railway carriage BY
means Of the thres-card trick. This
trick 10 never successfully played on the
Southeastern Railway, the only q by
which the French travel. II 10 too we'll
known that nobody will DO found on 1t
green enough to be taken In. In
short, the Independence Of move.
ment enjoyed is complete, Is indspsnd.
sncs itself. At FIRST sight 1t may have
its inc~onveniences, but these are far
outwsighsd byits numerous advantages.
In London n must observe and learn
before finding out the way to enjoy all
the comfort Of English life. The English.
man 10 astonished at nothing, knows
everything, never makes mistakes, never
questions anybody, avoids being run
over by the public vehicles which 60
about as they like, and never needs to
consult . policeman. England. in fact,
il O country where everyone acts a. his
own policeman, where the police Is 70.
spscted, precisely because 1t never inter.
fsres with you. Every living soul there,
including the animals, IL penetrated by
this grand feeling OF independence and
personality. The very sheep which, In
France, Fly In terror at the approach Of
o railway train, range themselves here
against the palinss to see the screech.
ing engine 60 by, and seem proud Of
this witness OF the nations industry.
One might really imagine them to be all
railway shareholders.
But though n may study and learn,
and see many things that are new in
London, one must not expect to amuse
oneself there. Gloom rsigns there as
much as Queen Victoria herself-sven
more. The food must be the cause OF
this depression; II Is %succulent, II 10
good, II is abundant; but II Is as heavy
and as indigestible as syrup. Salmon
and potatoes, roast beef In enormous
quantities, plum puddingslike fortresses,
the whole washed down with "half.and.
hail." that Is to say, Of ale and stout.
which introduces an u~nquenchable thirst
into your stomach. The English Stake
their thirst with port or sherry, highly
charged with alcohol, which Is as good
throwing oil upon frs. It must be
added In their behalf that they make
only one good meal q day, to which they
give themselves up heartily. In the
morning the working people take tea
and bread and butter; at noon they hur.
ridly 20 to'a bar, where thsy are served,
by young girls who wait ct the counter,
with O sandwich and o glass OF sherry.
which they swallow rapidly. Some Of
them seat themselves In front OF the bar
and silently gaze OF the young ladies
who serve them. This contemplation 10
INDUCED In for ten minutes OF Q stretch;
the loungsr eats half his sandwich then
falls to gazing again. completes his re-
Election, takes q last fond look, then sud.
denly hurries Of without . word Of
lsays-taking. Five minutes later be may
be seen mounted upon an omnibus be-
side the driver--the place Of honor.
A good deal has been said about the
London omnibuses; but too much can
never DO said. The London omnibus
driver is, above all. immense. In Lon.
don there are no uniforms as In Paris.
This arises from the great Independence.
the absence Of all functionaryism, Of
which I have spoken abnve. The drivers
wear black tor. coats, high hats and vel.
low leather gloves. Some wear white
gloves and have flowers In their button
holes. These are gentlemen. When
one omnibus meets another and the
know each other, they lean over
and say. "Good day. sir" very ssri-
The conductor 10 somewhat less
but he also has an upright
hat. Upright hats are universal. The
bsggars sven wear them, the railway
servants, the engine drivers and stoksrs
sometimes. The bricklsyers work in
their shirt sleeves. but wear the high
hat. You will never see o OF them In
+. hlo,.. ;r Toodoo Eou.Iikv IN vaoord /