The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-09-27
THE OLD MAN WAS PIOUS
BUT HE TOOK A COCKTAIL nMMEDI-
ATELY AFTER PRAYER.
Some Amusing and Instructive Kemi-
niscences of Mr.. Sousn's Recent Euro
pean Tour-Workmen Who Are as
Well Paid Abroad as Here

Mr.. John Philip Sousa, leader of the
Marine Band, is full of amusing and instruc-
tive "reminiscences Of his recent trip to Europe.
He has an eye keen alike for the picturesque.
the dramatic, and the comic, and his habit of
close observation yielded him rich store of
knowledge of the Old World which will last
him lifetime. All that he saw and heard
seems to have made singularly vivid impress
sions on his mind. But naturally the event
which impressed him most deeply was the fire
which broke out on the City of Richmond on
the outward passage. 'sIf there is one thing
which more than any other on earth is calcu-
lated to make mans hair stand on end ~
said Mr.. Sousa, 81 think it is the sudden an
nouncement to man at sea that the ship is
on fire. The man who can hear such an an
nouncement without having his heart stand
still Is brave indeed We were in reat dan.
ger until Thursday night, when vessel was
sighted. 1t proved to be one of the Gun
arders, the Servia, and she answered the
signal of distress with assurance that she
would remain by us. After meeting the
Servia, which we regarded as the prettiest
boat on the ocean when she came up, we felt
secure. esN
sOn Friday afternoon fifteen of us got
together and formed ourselves into com
mittee to issue proclamation of thanksgiv-
ing for our deliyerance, and also to get up a
suitable testimonial to present to the officers
and crew for their faithful services There
were among as some of religious turn of
mind and they proposed that prayer be of
fered. There seemed to be some objection to
this, on the ground that it was business
meeting and not prayer meeting, and
vote was taken upon the question.
Three men voted In favor of prayer and three
voted against prayer. About this time an old
gentleman, who was extremely anxious for
prayer, called for division. The chairman,
seeing the easiest way out of the difficulty,
decided the question by calling upon a
minister present to offer prayer, which was
done in very feeling manner Just at the
end OF the prayer one of the walters entered
bearing cocktail. 1t had been ordered by
the extremely pious old gentleman. 1t is
hardly necessary To say that while the pious
Old man smiled his liquid smile the rest of the
crowd smiled dryly.
THE workmen OF France seem to be better
Off than the workmen of America" !" Mr.. Sousa
continued. ''They seem to be happier and
to enjoy themselves more. A peculiarity of
the people is that they can smell an American
as lar as they can see him, and they start out
to bleed him. had my shoes half soled in
Paris and they cost me (and my feet are not
larger than the ayerage) q francs and so
centimes, about $1.30. That is about what it
costs in this country. The cost of living over
there when one lives as well as at home is
just as expensive. My experience in London
and on the Continent satisfied me that YOU
could save considerable trouble In transacting
business with the custom officials by giving
them fee. By inserting franc in their
hands they treat your baggage with a tender
ness that is really touching.
"The stupidity Of the police service in Paris
is quite noticeable. 1t is my conclusion that
the combined ignorance of the world is cen
tered In the brain OF Paris eendarme. l
never met one that knew anything, not even
enough to go In out of the wet.n
Summing up the results of his trip, Mr..
Sousa says that II any American goes over to
Europe and does not come back better citi-
zen, 1t Is because the germ OF patriotism Is not
In his composition. After seeing the profes-
sonal beauties and the ordinary beauties of
Europe one can very we'll understand why the
titled Europeans rush over here for wives
MIR. Sousa occasionally plays himself off for
poet. The autograph gatherers go. after him
on the ship on the return voyage. They were of
the feminine gender, and they were numerous
and not to be refused. Mr.. Sousa, not wishing to
show favoritism, exacted promise from each
OF the maidens that they would not show
to each otSer or anyone what he had written
In their autograph books until after the boat
reached New York. With assurances on their
part that they would not he wrote in each
book the following original verse:
A young lady sat on the deck of a ship
Saying; New York, oh, New York. oh, New
Oh, when will we get to the end of this trip;
On, New York, oh. New York. oh New York"
The hiGh-dashiDg billows, the loud-roaring
gale,
Words, sweet and tender, the sight of whale,
Had never charm for this maiden so pale.
1t was: New York, oh, New York. oh, New
York"
When these girls got together to compare
notes. they discovered the joke the Professor
played upon them, and it is to be feared he
VIII be in disrepute among them for the rest
of his life.