The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-02-24
ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
The English Journalist and Lecturer
Chats About This, That and the Other.

The English Journalist and Lecturer
Chats About This, That and the Other.
Inter ocean,
George Augustus Sala is taking a short
run through the states, five-weeks' trip.
He is something of a surprise and a good
deal of an entertainment. When he had un-
locked the door of his spacious hotel apart
ment the other evening and hidden his visitor
enter, he took up a hand magnifying glass
Of generous size and read half-dozen
cards awaiting his arrival Beneath this
same glass put this original English man,
whose reputation is more than British, ani
see what you make of him. He is about five
feet ten, shows reasonable suspicion of
politeness, wears a gray mustache that re-
proachos his slick, black hair for not show
ing age faster, has hazel eyes that sometimes
get pursed up in the fat wrinkles that daShes
Of hum0r or concentration of thought call
into existence, has a complexion that is
highly ford, and seemingly characterizes a
thoroughly healthy man; has "A head that
speaks of vigor and British will aui
obStinacy; has a nose that is sui generis, and
speaks for itself
he says clever things without DESTROYING
their effect by self-applau5e. He is dry,
something like Mark Twain in this respect,
AMI can talk right ON until no has said
enough, and then he stops. He converses
with animation. That he is courteous goes
without saying. 1t wasn't exactly categori-
cal iuquisition that Mr. Sala was made the
subject of the other evening. He rambled
III pleasant fashion and with expressed pur-
pose avoided all declaration of his views
about the late dynamite explosions
In the course Of conversation the question
was asked:
BY the way, Mr. Sala, it may be legiti-
mate to ask how you pronounce your
Nance
We'll" said the gentleman, pleasantly,
"a| long as you cont call it Cnee- kay go or
CmcInn-ay-tl, suppose | may call it Sah-la
You know when | met the editor of The
New York Sun didn't know whether to call
him Mr.. Day-na or Dah-na. Though I'm
| English in every respect, haven't drop Of
Au-l Saxon blood in my veins, for my
| N th-r came from Demarrara, a corner of
| the South American continent, and my
| father was Italian"
| So the distinguished Englishman's name is
| Gale Sah-la, and when he writes his sigma
! ture he produces it slowly. precisely, and AS
y
though the autograph were the work of
all engravar's tool It's a very neat
| name when, after the concentrated
| effort that its production seems to cost,
wrought with many q frown and funny
| grimace, it stands forth, George Augustus
'5ala, with an angular scrawl Of fourishes
| attached that might stand for the autograph
| Of the sultan himself
| Mr.. Sala is bound for San Francisco and
wants to take the speediest route, SO he says
| be thinks he'll follow the United States mail
| tie thinks well OF our postal service Says
| he:
DO you know your postal deliveries here
are wonderful Why, l had letter follow
me from New York to Philadelphia, to Bal
tiinore, to Washington and finally to Gin
cinnati But suppose it was a taiior's bill
that was after you-why, it would pursue
| you to Key West and the Dry Tortugas."