The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-03-31
CHAPTER XXI.

handsome. but all are intelligent looking and
full Of life The next thing that strikes him
is the Woll grown look of the people Few or
no defornltloS lie does not 100 one halt or
hunchbackei person out OF the ten thoosand
be mas meet With the exception OF the old
people, few have defective sight Apart
from the complexion. which is pale. every
thing seems TO indicate an active strong,
healthy people The constant crossing OF
races must daily tend to the improving of
the Americans. physically and intellectually.
You scc 80 many thin men and so many
stout women that YOU almost Immediately
conclude that the former live IN furnace OF
activity and the latter in cotton wool This
impression grows upon you, and soon takes
the form Of q conviction
Tho Americans do MOI walk much IT Is
not that they are INDECENT Far from IT, IL
Is because their logs will not carry them fast
eao1glL
ITO faces Of the men you NEE: look alb
sorbed In thought Thd- bats are well down
on their heads This agair ia IA sign OF intel
lrcnce DO not smile The fool perches bis
hat on his head. the man with well filed
brain puts his head into Its covering.
These same faces are pale. and you see
many prcnlaturely gray heads The want Of
open cir exercise. the dryness Of the atmos
phere the suiTocating heat of the rooms, the
Initiated cir in the houses. which seem TO have
windows only for the purpose Of letting In
little light. easily explain this double pine
uomenon-
Tho women of every country are unaDi
nous In pronouneing the American men
handsome. and as there are few men who do
not think the American women lovely, there
can be but ono opinion on tho subject: the
American race is good looking race But
that Which makes the charm of the mems
faces l. not regularity OF feature. It Is. as ]
have already said the intelligence written on
them. tho wonderful activity which aniInates
them
This activity YOU End in all stations Of life
in the financial world. the literary world, the
world Of politics. everywhere It is a fever
with which the whole nation Is sinitien.
In tn. eyes Of the worthy. peaceful French.
man who has not travelled, an American is
lunatic, Who does nothing like other people.
After all. eccentFicity is but an exaggerated
form Of activity. but for certain people with
marrow ideas. eccontricity and madness are
but one and the same thing
Let US take little look at Americans at
home, and sac If ! WAS wrong in calling
American life pure phsntasinagoria.
We will begin by the private houses
In well appointed house you will find In a
little room on the ground floor brass plate
fitted with several buttons You touch the
fifs, and Immediately u cab drives up to your
door II you press it twice it is two horse
cab that comes You touch the second and
in minute or two there appears a messenger
from the telegraph Office 10 take sour tele-
gram or carry a parcel or message for you TO
any part Of the city You touch the third
and policeman presents himself, "a If by en-
chautment. 10 know If you suspect the pres
ence OF burglars You touch the fourth, and
hey, preStol up clashes the fire brigade with
engine. fire escape and the rest Of their life
saving apparatus. and this in about tho time
that it took Cinderellas godmother 10 turn
the pumpkin into n coach.
Jonathan Will not stop here. Before long
we shall SEQ the architects Of all first class
houses laying on not only gas, water, the tele-
phone and the electric light. but the opera
and church service A landlord will aiver
tise a house to let "The opera and church
service laid on the premises"
Already the ladies of Chicago are able to
do their marketing at home.
The housekceper goes to her telephone and
rings
"Ho1om responds the central office,
"put NE in communication with 2, 1857 (her
butchers NUMBER.
In another instant the bell rings
"Helo~
"Hello"
is II the butcher
ayes"
"send me two pounds Of fillet Of beef and
leg Of mutton by II o'clock"
"very good! Is that ALI"
yes"
IAN right"
Upon this the lady rings again
"Heiloi" from the central Office where this
kind Of thing goes on all day long.
''send me /. 2o1" the fruiterer this time)
Again the bell rings
"Hello"
"Uelloln
as this the fruitererr
"Yesr
And the scene Is repeated--and 30 on With
the baker, tho grocer, and all the Ldy's
tradespeople.
There Is grca; effort being made now In
New York. Chicago and other towns TO find
cut plan to accelersIe the service In restau-
rants and do awaywith walters II is very
simple, and the Americans will not be bafllod
for such a small matter.
This Is how the thing Is 10 DO done;
The restaurant is provided with small
numbered tables Each table is In direct
communication with the kitchen by means Of
rails Close al hand are a certain number OF
eicctrir buttons upon which the customer secs
written 'bref.r mutton" chop" "vegeta-
bles. tart" etc lie touches three, four,
five buttons according to his appetite, and the
COOK receives bis order
STEAK and potatoes. tomato, salad, choco-
late cream for No i3-Al right. readyw
In an instant tray b.aring the meal up
pears upon the table. placed there without
hands When the customer has disposed of
his fool he touches the button marked bill"
In twinSling the bin appears on his Plate,
and the aSsusged American settles II at the
desk ~ he soe- out Tue whole thing is as
simple a. poSSibie
The American complains that II is impoSsi-
BILE 10 lunch Or dine IN les than ten minutes
This evil viii Oe remeiied shortly.
II you want really striking sight, so to
one u the great restaurants Of Chicago or
New York at lunch time Those Americans
using their knife ana FORK viii mako your
head swim Al little distance they look AS
q.