New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-05
AT LAST.
MR.. MONEY TELLS 1.-THE TRUTHr

Altar an ernv untold wrong, at the hands of SOW
eral generations of English tourists. our country
men will 10 proud and happy ut the news that The
Truth About America has been told at last. Mr.
Moneys book is rather small to hold so much and
cautions persons NAV object that his opportunities
of ex aiming or somewhat extensive domain were
scanty even for travelling Briton. He spent five
months in the JJnitei States: and he saw nothing
Int a cattle ranch in Colorado. with mnch of the
| resources scenery aud society Of the Republic as
can be observed from the car-windows during
ride across the contnontor from Earles Hotel dur
ing few midsummer DAYS In New-York. Never
thelsss, Mr.. Money geuerazes boldly. He is not
afraid TO pronounce tho most sweeping judgments
upon our manners, morals, language, architecture,
climate Soils standards OF living and policy Of rail-
road management; ana perhaps since Martin
Cbuzzlewit." whose social pictures he declares to
he am oug the hes, and trnest written. ne have
not passed under the review of critic so uncorn-
promising That his scramble across the country
was hurried our author frankly admits. Bit he
adds: q III have talent for anything it is the
power Of absorbing facts and describing them
later" There Is much virtue in an IT, Mr.. Money
has talent for absorbing. we will not say facts.
but Impressions. Tho trouble 10 that he absorbed
a multitude OF impressions about America before he
left home anil that when hs wrote them down he
really believed that he had received them over
here. The Same thing happens with great many
tourists The conventional Yankee Of British ic-
ton has become real to them, after lifetime OF
unquestloning acceptance. that they quite fail to
distinguish him from the actual American. lmag-
iuation too strong for memory ana observ alton.
and the customary journa! In the States" becomes
a record of homemade delusions rather than of
transatlantic experiences. That is why the Eng
lsh trave Ter. after versatiOn with educat
ed and well-brcd American. is so often ready to de-
clare that his companion has addressed him as
" Britsher" and interlarjel tho dialogue with
slick" and tarnation." None of these words
have been used bUt traveller has taken
them for granted We have no doubt Of Mr.
Moneys honesty; but he is continually re-
porting remarks which he heard. and
describing things which he never They are
what he ted to hear and the dcusive i'm
pressions ght with him. and stamped 80 deeply
on his mind that he never noticed that they were
false. He imagnes. for example, that he was com
monty called " Britisher" in this country and we
| WAGER that hs never heard the word out of Eng
| land. except from his mouth He ia ready to
| take oath that favorIte form" of inquiry with
Americans is. " How do you like our glorious
country The question put to him many,
many times in those exact words ami "our
glorious intrv" seems to have greeete him e' cry
where as familiar ocution. Prob ibly ne never
| heart the phrase at all he remembered it from
Martin Chuzlle Wit" Here Is a remark which he
gives "a a sample OF American speech Britishers
| are preu Iced with long u right away in favor
| of that little insignificant island" lie certainly
heard nothing notey like it. He complained
about his caoin to the stewarless of California
stoaner and imagines that he received the follow
| ing reply: Cabin! guess you're a Brtisher. |
presume you mean your stateroom. A. for the
berth. guess again it whips what you're accus-
| l. VIA .faVy-
arde,s said nothing of the sort; neither did the
Intelligent American" whom Mr.. Money met on
tho cars 10 California assure him that unite
| few English settlers in q certain valley were in
a tarnation Tx" These are instances in which the
author has been trcket by his i'm sgination The
| examples Of unloading general conclusions from
| exceptional or isolated instances are stu more
| nnmerous Wa have no servants in America they
| $50 all helps" Civiiity is almost unknown
| Interiors never say sir" " The word station is
not used ia the states depot. pronounced as
| written does duty for it," Instead of deficiency
we say shortage; instead of put in prison we say
jailed; instead of haI Messing we nitch: instead OF
| doing we nix; VIC havs no cergvmen. only minis
| ters; and for many we substitute quite few. IL
| is the rule in America that all cities shali be laid
the rectangular plan the streets running one
| wav being named. and those running tire other wsv
| numbered. The names and numbers on the corners,
however, are lndistlnct ana luSutncicOL AS Il rulo
Amercsns are not COOL drivers. In few
| towns there is no delivery OF letters bv oar
rer. Sowing to the scarcity of labor" Each
resident has nunber assigned. and CORE
spending pgeon-hole at the pos.oiiice" If you ask
| the way to a street, Americans direct You in a man
| ner which is practically nninteIlgible. 4" Houses
supposed to bs numbered. but unfortunately
| only in some Instances the numbers marked on
them. aud If you ask for number, no one knows
| it. You have to explain to one you inquire of
what kind of shop Is is. aud tho name of the
| shOpkeeper; or if private house the name OF tho
dweller" Tea and coffee cups have no handles. and
in tho West this delormty is uni versal the
probably IS that the crocKery Is made in England,
| and handles would get broken in transportation.
Hotel clerks expectorate in dangerous proximity to
| Your feet while entering your NAME statement
| which rouses the curions inquiry whether Mr..
| Money at such times sits on the counter with his
feet inside if not, does the accomplished clerk
| lean over the desk to get the range of the Brit
| ishers boots
II would be unfair not to mention, after these
valuable remarks in what Mr.. Moneys experience
| Of American cities consisted; he took NewYork in
| transit; he spent i've weeks in San Francisco; and
| he waited for railway connections half a day in
| New-Orleans and six bOnrs in Chicago. lie passed
| both WAYS across the continent by unbroken
| JOURNEYS; but he pronounces Judgment, neverthe-
less. upon the States and Territories which he thus
| trav ersed, and asks us TO trust him because no
speaks from personal observation or tho State of
Dabo." however, he coufosses that he knows only
| by hearsay: and Indiana he refralcs from descrIb
ing because be crossed it in his sleep This is
punctilio California has been over-praised there
| is not mach ia it, and amazing proportion Of
the great West is hopeless desert about which the
| Americans characteristically Keep Quot. Soro day
| tho truth will come out Then tho world will be
| thuuierstruck but not Edward Money! Tho
climate Of Sau Francisco 10 the most perfect In the
world. aud Is especially notable for its dryIoss
| The winter temperature OF New-York is as low as
, go below zerv Ii s unnecessary to say that Mr.
| "a Erunrixc for Or q