The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-09-28
Living in the Two Great Cities.


Living in the Two Great Cities.
We reproduce In another column from the
Times OF London the letter OF correspon-
dent of that journal in New York upon the
subject Of American life. With painstaking
conscientiousness and self-condemnatory I'm
Partially, the author strives to warn all
Britons against harboring golden illusions as
to this side Of the Atlantic. He 10 not pre-
pared to deny entirely the justice Of the con-
clusion that. to the average well-to-dO
American, ostentation ia dearer than posses
sion and that solid fortunes are rarer even
than solid intellectual attachments; but he
decisively negatives the possibility OF Eng
lishmen fairly judging o people who afford
such hospitality as our countrymen often Of
fer. Dazzled and bowlldercd, gratitude will
blind them to those flaws which 1t is the cor
respondents honest mission to reveal; and
so he reveals them.
Such DISTINGUISHED candor should evoke cor
responding frankness. Americans should no
more be permitted to consider England the
home OF cheap plenty, Of facile luxury, Of
easy comfort. than Engllshmen will. after
reading the Times, be justified In crossing
over to America in the belief that huge sal
aries, great hits. and enormous profits are to
be found here ut every turn.
The writer from whom wo are quoting
openly coniesses that he "knows nothing
Of st. Petersburg" which is evidently
true, or he would have no hesitation In
affirming that life In London is every
whit as expensive rs in the Russian
capital. To begin with house ront: In
New York, we are told, q modest house In
o respectable locality for small family can
not be had for less than G4O0 or G6O0 year."
In Mayfair, nest Of small streets and n0r-
row buildings, but very central. houses the
size OF q compact trunk, In which no one apart
ment would afford tho oscillatory exercise
supposed to be 80 acceptable to the feline race.
with no back stairs or second entrance, about
four available bedrooms, a drawing room
Of the usual grand piano shape, dark din
ing room. q poky den or smoking room. q
flve-feet-square obscure conservatory on the
half landing. and straight passage yclept
q hall. lets for 9s5O q year. exclusive OF o
quarter OF the total rent for taxes, and one
third at least for necessary and compulsory
repairs. besides gas and water rates, and In
most cases heavy premium on the lease.
Larger houses, with comparatively little
bedchamber accommodation, but finer recep-
ton rooms, In fashionable localities OF the
West End fetch GsOO or 1900 yearly, with the
same scale Of outlying expenses and an in
commensurately heavy premium. Flats. I"
now naturalized in London, are generally
calculated to cost about G10O per room, ex-
elusive OF all additional expenditure. Lath
and plaster villas in the suburbs. OF which
the name Is legion, and which the cor
respondent credits with the power to
cheaper life," may be had for the GlO0 he
mentions; and they are emphatically most
moderate In their pretensions," In fact,
it requires constant and careful repairs to
keep them together at all. and to exclude
wind and rain. 1t Is but fair to add that from
those semi-rural dwellings, OF the shabby
genteel class. cab. train, and omnibus fares
to and from the city-the nucleus Of all busi-
ness-sometimes six or seven miles distant,
form q not unimportant drain on the slender
budget OF the tenants. The thriitiness OF
the correspondent holds up as warning the
fact Of his paying eos month for fiat Of
seven moderate rooms In Brooklyn, across
the East River" We are not awestruck,
and we feel 1t Is our duty regretfully to tell
our American readers that small house OF
twelve or fourteen rooms, sketchlly fur
nished, will let in the summer months read
lily for fifteen to twenty guineas geek
II situated within an hour OF London by
rail. near a station, airording every facility
for daily transit to and from town.
Travellers In England and on the Continent
undoubtedly find Service" on their hotel
bills, and against It o strongly remunerative
figure; but let not the American be deceived
When that item is paid In full-no attention
being ever vouchsafed to statement that
no attendance has been asked for or given
the chambermaid, waiter, boots. and porter
will still expect, and show that they expect
gratuity; and II "a true American will
never consent tn be contemplate. even In the
eye Of a waiter" he will soon find that shil
ling docs not evoke any outward token OF
exuborant gratitude, and that he cannot be
called "my lord for anything under half {
crown. Fippence-a dime-would bc sncered
at. albeit pOcketed, evon by a bootblack.
The same fifty years Of experience which
entitle the correspondent to so much con.
fldonce In his statements, must In a fas hlon
have dulled his palate to tho plainness OF tn,
fare given for two and sixpence at London
restaurants. Cider Is an unknown nectar
there, and coffee, good, bad, or Indifferent
Is nevero concomitant Of lunch. even at "
well-known commercial restaurant" Ii
fact. save In those obscure. shame.facet
italian eating houses dotted about the bus,
streets Of that metropolis. cheap meals
are execrable. A ponderous slice OF thick
coarse. red beef surrounded by halo of fat
two waxy potatoes and o handful OF hare
green beans served In pewter soap dishes
unlimited pickles and mustard; chunks O
farinaceous bread Of uncertain baking;
crumbling rainbow-hued cheese pinned In
dusky napkin and handed on an antl-macas
sar in coarse crochet work; foaming stou