, 1885-01-15
THE QUAKER CITY.
The Most Anglican OF An Our Csfaes
"A Notion OF oaste-Conserva-
tfveness and Thrift
The Girls

minneapolis Cor. ChicAEo IriDuno.l
@Ah, l do lie your Philadslphians very
much, you know, because, ali, because you
are so English, don't you know"
For this compliment /, on behalf OF the as
piring Quakers Of this town, was blushingiy.
grateful The speaker indeed was no less n
agure than Earl Rose, not only q British
peer, but also the son of bis father and the
owner OF the largest telescope in the world.
He Is Mr.. George William Childs' latest star
guest
What was meant as a compliment TO Phila-
ielphia by Earl Rose followed a bantering
discussion as TO the qualities Of the Quaker
sity's society. Everything, to Lord Rosse's
mind, was summed up In the two words 80
English" And, after all, they express the
thought and the condition about rs well as
any other words could. Philadelphia Is
probably the most Anglican of all the cities
In the United S~tates-Anglican in the
temperament, the mode of thought, the
preJudices. the steadfastnesz, and the pre-
tensions OF it's people. There Is no American
society in which that august being, a grand
father, Is 50 dsvoutly w~orshiped- l have In
mind at this instant a gentleman who is
rourted by the most exclusive people outside
Of Philadelphia, and is q welcome guest In
the best houses In London and Paris, and yet
In this. his own town, you next to never meet
him out except at stag parties. And l hold
that one who Is asked to gatherings Of gem
tlemen and overlooked when general enter
tainments are arranged for Is treated with
cortempt.
Why is this gentleman, a member Of a
noble profession, a witty, cultured and hon
orahle gentleman, mind you, treated sol Tho
answer is simple enough. His father Is
known to have kept a little shop in the long
ago Londo and Paris see no reason In that
=. af..4 f1.nf~ 1Ar~. .-.t-.f -. ~...h H~.-ls
ness and cultivation, but Philadelphia, with
It's essentially English notion of caste with
out the English leaven of sound common
sense, insists for that reason that its ladies
shall not publicly receive one Of its most
distinguished and most honorable citizens.
But i is the ladies, / suppose, who want it
30, though 1t is 30 narrow and provincial.
There is another quality that Philadelphia
has that is also provincial, but it Is n good
quality. 1t is the double quality, so to speak,
OF conservativenexs and thrift Philadelphia
men grow wealthy slowly, but once rich
they remain rich Apropos OF that, here Is a
little story: A clerk ut n fashionable hotel
at Long Branch was telling, one night last
summer, of a number OF New York
men who were at the hotel the sea
son before, and lived in their day
like princes, but did not return. "They all
busted up last winter, y the clerk added, "and
IN stake my reputation as a prophet thai
just as many who are here this summer will
bust up this coming winter, and other mon
will be doing the grand in their places hero
next summer
Perhaps that crowd over there will go un-
DER said one of his listeners, pointing TO a
group Of well-dressed and slesk-looking old
boys quietly smoking and chatting on the
piazza
aOI no." replied the clerk, athey are Phila-
delphia men. They have been coming here
for years, and will continue TO come until
they die. Philadelphians never burst up
That was a little strong, perhaps, but 1t
contained the right idea. These old codgers
make little noise, but o my, the barrels OF
dollars they get and freeze tight tol This
noiseless sharp sense and far-seeing prudence
are just MS clearly shown in the direction Of
households as in the management Of business
Affairs. The hedge that surrounds an at
tractive and young Philadelphia girl is a
caution to makes. It Is so dense and SO full
Of thorns that the most agile gallant despair
Of getting over or through 1t.
The result Is apparent. While society all
around US is stirred up and scandalized by
Opponents and mesalliances, life In this dear
old Quaker town flow on as placidly as a
streamlet in summertime. Pretty girls fall
in love and marry, but, like the well-trained
and sensible creatures that they are, they
give their hearts and hands to men in their
own sets, everybody Is satisfied, and love Is
supported by a big dover. The danger Of
having handsome coaohmen hanging
round was not sneezed at Prudent mammas
know that things OF that sort are like
the cholera-they come rarely; but when
they get a start they spread rapidly, and are
generally fatal The peril was met in house
holds whore there are young and giddy girls
by finding some excuse for Diminishing ths
youthful and good-looking ssrvan and
planting on the boxes aged and homeiy white
men or stalwart negroes. It was never be-
fore considered just tum here to have a ne
gro wear ones livery. From the Immense
number Of shiny black faces that affect to
look sedate behind splendid horses just now
It might DO imagined hat 1t would be q
solecism to have anything but a black coach
man