Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-09-10
VALENTINES VIEWS.
WHAT A RICHMOND YOUNG MAN OBJ
SERVED WHILE ABROAD.
Vienna Broad, Hollands Quaint Cos
TUNES, Tipping Walters. workingmen,
and Other Subjects Discussed.

Switzerland, Austria. Belgium. and Hol-
land. He visited the "old country" on
business and was accompanied by his
brother, Mr.. Edward p. Valentine. They
returned upon the steamship Umbria and
had a pleasant voyage, as there were over
1000 people aboard.
Knowing Mr. Valentine to be a young
| man of close observation. and of culture
| aud aesthetic tastes. Dispatch reporter
called upon him yesterday in order to OBJ
tain his views of Europe and Great Britain
Arriving at Mr.. Valentines Office the re-
porter was very pleasantly greeted and was
| given An exceedingly interesting account
of bis travels.
ARCHITECTURE IN VIENNA.
| "Of all the cities saw" said he. Vienna
struck me most forclbly on account or IT'S
architecture. There is great deal OF
! variety about IL, and it has large element
of the Oriental in it. Even the business
| houses are built with an eye TO Ornamental
tion. and this of course scnders the city
very beautiful"
"How about the Vienna bread?" queried
| the reporter.
We'll" said Blr. Valentine, "they GER
| tainly make good bread, and have got
reputation for it oil over Europe; but |
| like the old Virginia bread best. The bread
over in Europe isn't like 1t is here anyhow.
| Ours is much winter and better. Some OF
| the English and French bread isn't ut to be
used for anything except a club, and III
| Paris that's Just the shape they make 1t IN.
| In some Of the CATS in France you can see
it standing up IN the corners made IN mar
row rolls nearly yard long"
HOTEL CoSvENIENcEs.
"vienna," continued Mr.. Valentine, "is
the finest place in the world to live IN. lt
is q great city for social pleasures. and you
can spend more money there than almost
anywhere else. Most of the people speak
both French and German. but even II you
can't speak these languages there. IS nc
trouble getting along. All the hotels have
clerks and waters who speak several Ian
guages. BY the way, one of the most con-
venient things they have at the hotels ls
the PORTER, sort of head clerk, VINO
speaks several languages and makes him
self generally useful to you. When you
get out OF the carriage at the hotel he re-
ceives you with the most profound cour-
tesy and gives you all the Information you
want. His manners are elegant. and his
store of information quite large. but ne
don't hesitate to receive little contribu-
tions in the way of money which you
may offer him."
TIPPING TIE WATERS.
"The system of tipping walters in Eu-
rope is very common, isn't it 7" asked the
HIt is indeed" said Mr.. Valentine;
"eyerybodv expects it. Sometimes you have
to pay four of these little fees before you get
from the depot to the hotel. In some. OF
the leading restaurants In Europe, whlch
are only patronized by the elite, the mana
4 ho
are entirely dependent upon the guests for
their living, and in some cases. even pay
the propretors, so that they may be allow
ed the opportunities of receiving the dona-
tIons from visitors.
THEY ALL SPEAK FRENCH.
1.-THE hardest place to get along in. said
Mr. Valentine. lis Paris. As general
thing the masses of the people don't know
but one language, and you can't find one
in fifty that speaks anything except French,
while nearly every German knows some
English. If man wants TO get stuck
Just let him 60 in place which bears the
sign English Spoken here" Ihey all
ways charge the highest prices. and VIII
cheat you in q minute. while the English
they profess to speak is of the worst sort.
PARIS impressed me as being sort OF
volcano. ANYHOW, and liable to 60 off at
any minute. The people are of very ex-
citable nature, and last year when was
over there was told that they were only
waiting for the Paris Exposition TO be over
to get up another row."
DIFFERENCE IN DRESS.
lis there any remarkable difference IN
the dress of people on the continent from
what it is in this country?" queried the
aNo. they dress just as they do in this
country, except in Holland" replied Mr..
Valentine. "There the costumes or the
peasantry are sometimes very striking ana
pretty. They are composed OF all
colors. though generally the dress
of tho people of each district
has something characteristic about IT. ana
you can tell 10y the colors to what section
the wearer belongs Nearly all of the pea
santrv wear wooden shoes. In travelling
through Holland, which is q beautiful
grassy country, one IL struck with the
great number of canals which traverse the
country. and with the wind-mills which
fan the air and appear almost everywhere.
was told by friend at Antwerp, who has
travelled considerably In that country.
that the sea is from six to eight feet ABOVE
the level of the land which has been re-
claimed. They are continuously pumping
the water back into the sea.
FEMALE FARMERS.
"One thing that impressed me partlcn-
larry is the hard work the women do In
Holland" continued MIR. Valentine.
NEARLY all the farming is done by them,
no the men have to 90 IN the army. IL Is q
common thing to see them with heavy
vokes on their shoulders carrying water,
and / have even seen them pulling little
carts. r.
Dogs are also much used as beasts OF
| burden and they are generally SO hitcneu
up that they come. under the wagon, the
| load resting on their shoulders ana the
vehicle being propelled by their motion.
The rare spectacle of women carrying
bricks has also met my gaze"
THE ExPATRIATED JEWS.
"Did YOU hear much talk in Europe OF
| the expatriation Of the Jews from Russia Z"
"No. very little" replied Mr. Valentine.
"although in Pragne, which is one OF the
onaintest cities in Europe. saw thou
sands of them. These, however, had peen
living there all their lives. and had
a regular Jewish section of the city. some
were extremely rich, while others were IN
| the dregs of poverty. The streets, wnich
are only about twelve feet wide IN these
| ouarters. present one of the most Gu
rions sights ever saw. This section, has
| nearly 20 900 inhabitants and they nave
over twenty sypagogues.
sHAKspEARE's BIRTHPLACE.
AZ did not make a very extended tour
in Great Britain" continued Mr.,
Valentine, "but one place visited
while there was Stradford. the place
where Shakespeare was born. ihey
have commenced fixing up the church
IN which he was buried, and have scraped
the paint off some of the walls. In dong
this they found under the layer OF paint
some exquisite frescoeing. which must
have been executed hundred years ago.
THE IMMORTAL BARD oP AVON
"wbst do the poorer classes in that sec,
ton of England think of Shakspearer do
they appreciate his genius?" asked the re-
porter. ,, w.,
Indeed. they do replied Mr.. valen-
tine. If anything the lower classes con-
slider him greater than some OF the better
educated people. Although Stradford IS
quite o small place. they, have magnih-
cent theatre there. and the shakspearean
drama is played two thirds OF the time.
"The working classes are nsuch more more
cultivated in some respects tnall
our people anyhow. ! think Is
a mistake in supposinR that Euro
pean mechanics have more hardsmps
to encounter and are so ignorant ana I'M.