The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-09-20
See Ourselves as Others See Us

See Ourselves as Others See Us.
The somewhat rambling treatment adopted
by Mr.. Joseph Hatton, an Englishman, in bis
ssTo-day in America" admits of giving few
Of his bricks as specimens of his structure. He
has kept his eyes open, intends to be fair, and
will help us TO 'see ourselves as others see u.s.
Just look at The following mrrored outlines:
Boston is more like an English city than any
other town in America. Yet, even in Boston
and Philsds phia, you win fail TO discover any
thing like the caste of an English cathedral
city.
Our hanson cab is as much superior to the
public convey ance of the United States as an
American hotel clerk is superior to London
hotel porter. There is hardly street III Chi
cago and New York as well paved ana watered
as the commonrst thoroughfare in London
American houses in the cities are, in many
cases, better built and more convenient than
our own. There is singular uniformity ID
the suruishing of them. Throughout America
one notices an absence of individual taste.
Dining rooms and parlors are all arranged &C
cording TO one pattern, and the pattern is far
more French than English.
The rule in America is restessDeSs. The
opposite obtains in England. The old country
is, therefore, peculiarly attractive to many
persons who have lived their lives in America
and want rest. The intensity of life in the
cities is especially apparent in Chicago. All
There is a drawbridge that crosses one of the
chief thoroughfares. The traffic is detained
while IL opens and shut. Scores OF men leap
from the cars and try to get over while il is
moving Not that they really facilitate their
progress, for they have eventually TO walt for
the cars TO cross; but they must "get on" Ii
is as If some demon of motion was behind
everybody in Chicago, there Is such a general
onward stampede in the prairie city.
New York is the most cosmopolitan OF the
~ ole inns tn h0 fhI
Athens OF the United States. Washington,
the seat OF government, is stately and diplo-
matte. Philadelphia is the Manchester and
Liverpool OF America. Chicago pas given 1T
self several romantic and fattering titles, ins
GLIDING "the Garden City" 'the Prairie
City," and "the Phoenix City, San Fran
cisco is the commercial metropolis OF Cali
fornia; il is the Golden Gate of Wonderland
New York is something like Paris, with a
touch of the backwoods, the latter represented
by gaunt untrmmed telegraph poles, the
former By Madison Square, Union Square and
Fifth Avenue. Philadelphia suggests the
Quaker element of Sunderland and Darling
ton under the pressure of a great industrial
destiny. Washington is Washington. Ii you
want to study the curious ways and manners of
the oficeseeker and the depth of ignominy in
which he is content to wallow to live, go and
spend few months in 'the city of magnih-
cent distances" At the same time you Will
find Washington lively city, especially dur
ing the sitting of the national parliament.
Unchecked by the coEventionalisms of the
Old World you Fill be delighted or disap
pointed, according to the nature of your moral
constitution, by the freedom of Washington
society.
AS town the Empire City has many de-
lightful features. The site upon which 1t Isl
built is unique. Surrounded by water it has.
sanitary advantages which cannot be over-I
estimated. II has splendid river that goes
out TO the sea in flood that breaks off intol
picturesque lakes and it has the Hodson,s
which as far as Albany is a second Rnine.|
There is an arm of this magnificent r1verI
which they rechristen Harlem, at the New
York suburb of that name. In the autumnl
the world has not fairer show of wood and
water, of hill and dale, than is to be found onI
Hudson trip. either by boat or rail. fe~)
years hence the banks of the river will bel
studded with the villas of city traders and res
idents. A new riverside road is in course OIL
construction, which will literally bring the res;
licences about Sunnyside and Tarrytown toi
Harlem in one long connected line OF pleasant
homes. When this shall come to pass, and thel
Brooklyn bridge is finished, New York Indeed
will be wonderful city. l liked 1t better, 1;
confess, before the advent of the elevated rail-
road. That may be my bad taste. 1t hasi
greatly advanced, nevertheless, during thep
past few years in many ways. Houses whlchs
on my first visit were consdered to be 'upl
town" are now gradually going down town
NOT on rollers. but in the estimation of socle-
ty-taking refuge nearer and nearer Central
Para, one day to go far beyond it. L see moreE
vases and flowers and pictures and antlqdeI
furniture in shops and stores; and still think
Broadway, when you look at it from point!
where there is a long vista before you, thes
most picturesque long street in the world
Even tue telegraph posts and wires are not Oh
jectionable under the condition of distancel
lending enchantment to the view