Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-22
MR.. WARMER HOME AGAIN.
Valuable Suggestions About Railroad
Supervision, Management of Cities, &c.


A STAR reporter found Mr. B. II. Warner at
the Columbia National Bank this morning,
busily engaged in disposing of a large pile of
letters and looking very brown and rugged
from his summers tour through Europe.
Mr.. Warner, in reply to question as to what
interested him most, answered substantially as
follows:
One hardly knows how to give a succinct de-
scriptiOn of q two months object lesson
through the most thickly settled portion of
Europe. We travelled through France. Ger
many, Belgium, Holland and the British Isles.
The old world is the storehouse of history
Il is always most interesting TO me to 60 into
churches, cathedrals, museums. art galleries.
cemeteries and other places which came
into existence before Columbus discovered
America and our new continent started
on its great march OF progress: to observe the
customs and habits of people who have been
the principal actors in the great drama of life
for centuries before the United States was
known upon the map OF tho world.
These people were thoughtful and progress
siye IN every department OF art and science.
Their experience has been great teacher, by
which We can all profit. and while Americans
are quite ready to come home and criticise
many things they see abroad they should not
be too hasty in reaching conclusions. which are
too often founded upon very partial and one
sided experience and limited observation.
One cannot carefully pick out either the best
or worst features of European life during
a summers tour. However, l think all trav-
elers are impressed with the great liberality of
the governments Of Europe in the erection
and maintenance OF buildings. museums, art
galleries, parks and places of amusement for the
benefit of the people. Paris sets an example
IN this respect. 1t is, perhaps, the most at
tractive city on earth for the visitor. 1t is the
pride of France and all La;in-speaking ma
lions. One can be entertained and instructed
tor months in visiting its places OF historical in
terest.
The central government seems to realize its
great duty and responsibility in providing
places OF resort for the common people. can
say the same for Germany, Austria, Belgium
and Holland as well as the British Isles.
1t would be good thing If some Of our
members of Congress could go over and visit
the large cities of the world and examine into
their systems of water supply, payements, sew
eraSe, &c. and also inspect the steam railroads
and street railways. In many instances the
cities themselves have an interest i'll the profits
Of corporations authorized by them and in not
Q few are they the owners of the enterprises
Many of our railroad companies make great
reInonstrance against the expenditure of
money in large cities for the purpose of pro-
tecting life i'll providing grade crossings and
securing their line OF approach, both as a
means of public s:fety and to secure greater
rate of speed.
In England and the British Isles these COM
panies are supervised by a board Of public
works. who seem 10 look carefully into the de-
saIls of construction with particular reference
to solidity, permanence and safety. and while
their cars do not present as fine an
Portable as ours their methods are
really safer. so far as human lie is concerned.
Even at the smallest stations grade crossings
are done away with and overhead bridges are
provided to enable passengers to pass from one
track TO another.
We were particularly impressed with the
solidity of their tunnels and bridges and the
convenience OF even their small stations.
There are the strongest reasons why, in q
country developing rapidly ours, corpora
tious should be required to cater in every way
TO public comfort and security. for with every
advancing year their patronage and profits will
become larger. In America We are too hasty
about immediate results and do not look
enough TO the fltus.. Tbs cores from our
Bhor: life and very .apiG growth.
As nation We are the marvel OF the earth.
One is reminded of this after wandering through
he ruins OF tn old country for several mouths
shere-thoes1 tEero are many fine old build
inEs-ln compa.ls "a with our own land, SO
few new ones are being erected. We are
Understanding all other nations and We
have the territory. resources and people
to DO It. Think OF it, France. with all her
beauty and power, required l6O years to grow
Britain took sixty years 10 double her
population. The United STATES has re-
peatediy doubled its inhabitants in twenty-five
years In 1881 Great Britain and Ireland con-
tained "A 100000 people. ana fifty years later,
In 1881. 34.0000O0. France ran up in numbers
from thirty-two and a half to thirty-seyen and
n half millions during the same period. while
our republic jumped from thirty to nifty mil
Lions. While we have not the historical relics
of the past we have boundless history in the
future.
was interested in meeting a number of
people of means and standing who had large
Investments in America and were talking of
moving here to live. one gentleman, a banker
IN London, OF ample means, wished to locate
his son in New York for the reason that he
could get hold of the enterprises OF our coun-
try and use English capital to great advantage
Notwithstanding the large number of Amer
lean speculations and schemes which have been
unfortunate, foreign capital seems not only
ready but anxious to come here for invest
ment Where mans treasure is there will
his heart be also" is as true now as when il was
written IN Scripture, and the fact that people
on the other side have put their dollars into
American property binds them to us by ties of
attachment that give them great material
interest IN our future.
They are reading our books. studying our
biographies and cuitivating our people. and to-
day we have far better footing abroad than
over before. After all we are delighted to get
home, and as we came up New York harbor
thought had seen no sheet OF water SO beauti-
full, no grass SO green. no such accumulation of
great SHIPS no such mass OF magnificent build
lngs as lay before US. Think OF it, No other
great city IN the world has the same harbor
facilities as New York. Great London has its
Thames, beautiful Paris its Seine courtly
vienna Its Danube. commercial Antwerp its
scheldt, but none are so easily approached by
great ocean steamers from all parts OF the world
a. the commercial gateway of our own coun-
Try AZ whose docks the great ships of the world
can lie and unload their treasures In no
city OF the world are the buildings so
magnificent as in New lork-the enter
prise so marvellous. There is no street
Ike Broadway and no coming CONNER
cial avenue so great as 9th avenue will
be IN twenty years. Thread Needle and Lon,-
bard streets may hold the purse Of the world
today, but IN quarter OF n century the ex-
change counter OF the globe will be transferred
from London to New York. because We are
nearer the great resources Oftb globo and have
an enterprise az boundless and vigorous as il is
magnificent
could fill abook with ideas ard impressions.
but have not the time TO do so. The condition
OF the common people Is as restless and danger
Gus rs 10 Is In America. We saw in brussels n
procession Of $1,000 laboring men and women
from all parts of the country
within radius of fifty miles
They wanted 10 secure five days work and eight
hours day; moro pleasure, mota money aud
less work The question of capital and labor
VIII require the careful consideration of every
country OF the globe as well us our own. am
glad TO be NJ work once more. Washington
has really glorious future.