The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-09-03
From the Cincinnati CommercialI
a ROId BrttOn az Saratoga.

lie Of the interior OF genuine American
homes as the petroleum American sees OF
English homes when he makes the Euro
pean Journey in q party OF lightning tour
lists. But the EDglisbman goes home and
| writes a book about the Americans. The
American tourist does not write one about
the English as often as he did. Probably
be can't, usually. But whatever Is the rea-
son we are duly thankful for the fact. We
are spared that much.
The English tourist always finds some.
thing in us to prove bis side. whichever it
is, of the tory or liberal question. We serve
to point moral, this way or that. Like the
American eagle in Ike Partington's compo-
sition, the bold Briton 4" scars on bis opin-
ions" when he comes TO the United States.
one OF our British brothers has recently
visited Saratoga, sad summed The place up
in newspaper letter. He probably holds
wicked Republican theories, since bis de-
scription OF us is in the main more flattering
than we deserve.
He is particularly impressed with the
beauty OF the Hudson river and its sur
roundings. He declares that the much
Wanted Rhine scenery does not begin TO
compare with that OF the Hudson, and that
no European river at all is imbedded in
mountains and bills possessed OF such natu-
raj charms. Nowhere else than in North
America are the hilisides covered with such
glorious verdure. The English Thames is
the only river in the world, too, that is
ploughed by such an immense number OF
boats as the Hudson is.
He had heard Saratoga called the Baden
Baden OF America. The people OF the
United States beltted their own summer
resort when they called it that. Saratoga is
superior 10 any watering-place in Europe,
as far as natural advantages are concerned.
Woodawn is the worthy rival OF the great
royal parks in Europe, and Saratoga is a
little jewel, such as no other waterlng-place
possesses. TIE world over, "ladies could
find no more suitable field for displaying
their natural and artificial charms"
Our foreigner is surprised at the tremen-
dous vim with which Americans do every
thing. IL is true that, as watering place,
Baden Baden is more refined shan Saratoga,
but then it Is mere drop in the bucket
compared 10 the American place. at Ba-
den-Baden the season is regarded as very
brilliant one when 1000 people have visited
it, and that, too, from all the 300,0O0,0O0
inhabitants OF Europe. In America, out OF
a nation Of fOrty-fiye milllons-be should
have put il forty-nine millions-200, 600
people visit Saratoga every year. That Is
how Americans do things, even when 1t
comes to patronizing watering~places. Sup
pose, says our Briton, that a convention had
been called at Paris Of all the bankers in
Europe. Fifty at most would have attend
ed it. But here in America 800 members
were present at the Bankers Ass ociation in
Saratoga, men representing many thousand
millions OF dollars.
The amount of wealth in this country APP
pears 10 strike our foreigner with absolute
anlazement. "The wealth Of a European
nobleman becomes Insignificant when con-
trasted with that OF an American dry.gO0ds
merchant or stockbrOker." As TO that, 1t
might he remarked for the information OF
the Engii,hmau that in this country the
wealth is more diffused among the common
people than it is IN the Old World. This is
why he sees such general display OF It,
There are no such riches concentrated IN the
bands Of few as there are IN Europe. Ii Is
to be hoped the day Is far distant, too, in
this country when one man who never dij
a lick OF work in his life will draw round
million dollars year OF rents from pro-
perry inherited from his ancestors. Several
gentlemen and ladies do that in Great
Britain.
a
dren TO spend money like water while he
makes il, says our writer. Money-making
is an amusement, by Jove! In the same
connection the gentleman remarks, perhaps
BY way of an illustration, that he never
paid such extortionate prices for cigars in
his life as be did at Saratoga, and he never
smoked worse ones, either.
As q nation, he finds us the reverse Of
oil nit In on
through their enjoyment mechanically, take
il in Slices, Just as il is cut out for them,
without smile. They dance solemnly,
devour their food without giving the
least sign that it tastes good, and talk
without any animation; that is so to say,
when they talk at all. Nothing more i'm
presses him than the taciturnity OF the
Americans, even the women. Nobody looks
happy at Saratoga except Few young la-
dies. In Europe, now, Countess would
be Just as apt TO talk to gr0cer's wife as
not, II she was thrown with her in travel
ling. Nay, more, il the grocer woman
wasn't altogether unbearable, the aristO-
cratic dame would even recognize her with
bow during the whole watering-piace sea-
son. But Americans Two women who
perhaps knew each others names might sit
elbow TO elbow for hours, and unless they
were introduced they would never open
their mouths TO each other. "Thus /. hap
pens that the piazzas OF the hotels some
times present tedious appearance" sa-
plenty remarks the learned writer.
Men are worse yet. Their reserve is as
frozen as their own favorite ices. Often
and often he has seen gentlemen sit at the
same table two or three times day for sew
era days, and not one OF them spoke to the
other. 1t reminded him OF reiectory OF
Carmelite monks. Perhaps our fellow
countrymen and women don't talk because
they are tired. Nearly everybody Is tired
in this country. But it Is a change, at
least, when fresh foreigner talks about
our national silence and reserve. Up TO
this time II has been one OF our worst faults
that we were vuigariy communicative and
familiar. Our critic seems hard to please,
somehow.
II Is painful, really painful, 10 this Euro
pean 10 see so many people sitting around
and not making any talk. Even wine, which
maketh glad the heart OF man In general,
only causes the American TO be morose.
With a solemnity BETTING the occasion, the
writer remarks that he is unable TO decide
whether the American men are witty or not.
No wonder He belongs TO race who were
hardly able TO laugh even at Artemus Ward.
A nation that takes Mark Twain's stories
literally
He never saw, either, this Brit0n didn't,
a place where polished manners were not
considered requisite Of gentleman. The
elderly men at Saratoga. the old dodgers
with the long purses, were such "bony. an
guIar, curved, and distorted specimens"
that II was mystery TO him bow they could
be the fathers OF the fascinating girls and