Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-06-19
rouRls1s.
Some of the Peculiarities of Dur Aus
tralian Cousins.

AlN lFOOEAN ISO0JS9l u
Some of the Peculiarities of Our Aus
tralian Cousins.
The British tourist is in many ways
an extraordinary creature and his Aus
tralian cousin is no whit less so. In
fact in many particulars the gentleman
from the South Pacific island-continent
is more remarkable than the gentleman
from the ''right little, tight little island"
with the German Ocean and it's German
sovereigns. just as the loyalty Of the
colonist is more ELUSIVE and pronounced
in the details of show so does it happen
that the Australian is found to retain
certain peculiarities of dress and adj
dress which have long been attached to
the Britisher as part and parcel of his
insularity. More British than the Brit
Usher, he clings more pertinaciously to
his briar-root pipe, his little hat fits less
than his home cousins does, his clothes
have creases in them which nothing but
a long sea voyage in q tightly packed
trunk could impart, while his panta-
looms are marvels Of ungainliness-
tight where they should be loose, and
very, very baggy where they should be
the Suggest. Coming from Melbourne
or Sydney, San Francisco is the first
American port which they strike and
here it is that the attrition with another
people begins. One of their great
troubles is that of mastering the bag
gage-check system. They are accus-
toned to having a railroad card pasted
on their luggage" with the point of
destination printed thereon and to look
ing out for the safety of each piece
whenever the journeys end is reached
or a change OF cars made. They can
not understand that the numbered and
initiated metal tag affords them security
and frees them from anxiety concern
ing the whereabouts of their goods and
they may be seen staring at ''the
brawsses" as though they formed part
of a gigantic swindle.
An Australian steamer arrived re-
Gently and for several days thereafter it
was ''as good as a play" to take up
ones stand in the corner of tho Ralace
Hotel courtyard where the baggage is
weighed and checked. 1t was a sight
to watch the hopeless way in which
these exiles deliver themselves into the
hands Of the colored porters, their hor-
rificd expression with which they saw
their ''boNes" whacked down on the
weighing machine, and their protests,
''you know" against the eNorbitant
rates for overweight. They could not
seem to understand that their personal
attention was not required to superin-
tend every move and everything, and
for two hours before the departure of
any train on which they might take
passage they lowered around the bag
gage-men like bees around crushed
balm. A large contingent from the
Australia's passenger list departed for
the Yosemite, and though the hotel
''bus" did not roll out of the courtyard
until after three o'clock, the swarm of
Australians buzzed about the corner
from a little after one O'Clock. Now
they would skurry out to the agents to
inquire for the fiftieth time if their
tickets were all right; then they would
trot upstairs to see what had become
of ''that ~portmanteau, you know:''
again they would rush into the Office to
consult with the clerk on the railway
time schedule; and so on, backward
and forward, tuning, fretting, smoking
and worrying generally. in marked
contradiction to their demeanor was
that of an American who was going
overland. He came out of the office at
2:3O o'clock, dressed as if he was 60
ing to an afternoon tea-dark-gray
pantaloons and blue frock-coat, both
fitting to perfection, a silk hat on his
head, natty shoes on his feet, and an
overcoat on his arm. He gave his
ticket to the transfer delivery man, say
ing:
"When the things come down from
009, check EN- all 'cept the little alli-
gay-tor bag Then, turning to a por-
ter, he added: Charley, I'm a-go1ng
into the barber shop; get a kerrige, will
you?"
"All right" said Charley, and all
right it was. The things came down
from O09, all were checked, and five
minutes after the yellow omnibus drove
away, the American, neatly shaved, was
handed into a hack by Charley, who
passed him his ticket, checks and the
'alligay-tor bag"
Another popularity of these antipo-
dean globe-trotters is the religious use
which they make Of the ''free COACH"
The party referred to, some ten or
twelve in number, clambered up into
the outside seats at the cry Of CAN
aboard!' and crowded in one on the
other, jostling each other like a lot OF
school-boys, and all vigorously sucking
ShOrA mines Tho short nine is the IN.
failing Indication Of the Australian
tourist, and 9 a clerical-looking gen
tleman held one as black as his coat be-
tween his teeth. Next to the pipe (and
the pantaloons) is the bludgeon-like stick
which he always carries. The English
mar never stirs without his umbrella;
the Australian never m to this coun-
try without his stick. 1t is to him as
the maqusNa Of the Basque--at nee a
support and a protector. Peculiar as
are these young colonials in their man
ners and appearance, conversation with
| fbon, will ro for. fcu,o,1 ropoovinr tbo