The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-02
COULDN'T LIVE IN MISSOURI.
Astronomer Proctor Likes America, but Mis-
souri, Weather Was Too Sudden.

souri, weather was 100 Suuucn.
New York Tribune.
Richard A. Proctor, the astronomer, sailed for
England yesterday on the steamship City of
Rome. Before his departure a reporter called
upon him at the Westminster Hotel
"You find me in the most abject misery, said
he. after giving a kindly greeting to his visitor.
Here l am with the accumulation of 2, 900 miles
Of railroad smoke and dust upon me and no
chance for escape; my baggage hasn't arrived
yet" But his unhappiness did not in the least
cloud his charming conversational powers:
"Are you leaving America for goodF asked
the reporter.
''Well, l am leaving Missouri for good" was
the reply. There is a possibility that | may
come back to settle somewhere along the Atlantic
coast, but the fact is the climate of Missouri was
too much for me. | am a sufferer from a chronic
constitutional trouble, which can only be allie
waited by taking a great quantity of liquids into
the system. In the hot, dry climate of Missouri,
however, the liquids are all thrown off in the
form of perspiration. In consequence, | have
suffered terribly for the last few weeks, and long
for the moist climate Of England"
'Leaving the matter of climate out of the
question, do you prefer America to England as a
place of residences"
THAT is still rather a broad question, was the
laughing answer. Il am a wanderer on the face
otthe earth. but / am a sincere republican. and
believe in the future of your country. With my
English training, however, | meet with many
little annoyances here. l find it the same with
Americans who try to settle down in England;
they are continually running up against little
peculiaritles that annoy them. The one thing
that has piqued me most, however, is the impress
sion which | find in so many places that l came
to this country because was played out on the
other side. If l really do settle down in England,
it will be more than anything else to show the
great American public that | am not played out
there"
do you find it possible to do as good work
here as in Englandr
We'll, hardly. l don't know whether it is so
in the East, but at times there is a terrible sod
denness of the atmosphere in Missouri which
renders work almost impossible. Still, l have
accomplished much, as | have four books now in
press and three more in the works, so that they
will appear about January" Then with a depre-
catory smile he added: I'm writing a book on
America, and | think I'm qualified to do it if any
one is. I've been in the country since 1874, seen
all parts. East, West, South and North; married
into an American family-my wife belongs in
st. Joseph, Mo.-and sent my children to Amer
lean schools. detest the way many English
men have of running through America and then
undertaking to tell more about it than they
could about their own home. The way in which
they try to ~analyze and classify the American
girls is. to say the least, unfortunate. Some recent
writer goes so far as to admit two classes. The
idea is simply preposterous. Now my wife has
four lovely sisters, with whom | am dead in love.
In fact, I'm always falling in love with American
women, and I wouldn't undertake to relegate
1SA SSRSSk Wy 49, OeA 1EO WV &AAAG
wiseacre takes the millions of girls in this coun-
try and calmly pins them down to his two mar
row classes"
do you think Matthew Arnold correct in his
opinions of American
well, really, l never could do Mr.. Arnold
justice: he exasperates me so. Carlyle, Ruskin
and Arnold are a trio which l never could
endure. The calmness with which they assume
themselves to be possessed of all the knowledge
there is to be gathered together In this little
universe is trying in the extreme. There never
lived a man who knew as much as Matthew
Arnold thinks he does"
You said YOU we're a sincere Republican-do
you look for a republic in EnglandP
'Oh, no. | am not an anarchist by any means,
and any attempt at the substitution of a repub-
lican government for the monarchy would I'M
doubtedly result in anarchy. The Queen is a
we'll meaning lady, but the institution of royalty
is like a rotten beam in an old hut sound house.
1t is of no use, but it does no harm, and every
thing would have to be ripped up to get it out.
If the present royal family should run out, l
think it would be a great pity to hunt for
another. The worst feature of the matter is the
quartering of these German princelings on the
English nation. The conduct of the Queen in
the Mistletoe affair, some time ago, eXtinguished
what few smouldering sparks of loyalty there
were left in me. / never felt the slightest
inclination to throw up my hat at God Save the
Queen after that; and yet Prince Leinigem, who
ran down the Mistletoe with the royal yacht. was
shortly afterward made an admiral in the British
navvn