The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-13

! land in Queenstown, Liverpool, South
| ampton, Bremen or Hamburg; but he
! doesn't. In sight of land (if the fog be
not too thick. at the entrance to harbor,
he goes aboard tug and Is dumped often
damp with perspiration or wet with rain
| and somewhat aroused and excited in his
| animal nature. There Is not. Us rule, an
appeal made to his religious sensibllities.
Once upon time, a year or two ago,
there was a crusade in the most scIntillant
| of our New York newspapers against the
| American hog-the human animal who
infests our country and in public places
| makes display of brutal greed and
selfish vulgarity. The displays most
noticed were those in railway cars.
| The European hogs are as voracious of
space and privileges as those of our own
| continent One of the highest examples
| in our country is that of man occupying
| in a crowded train twice the room he has
| paid for. l have seen pair OF them in
| Europe remove the property of others
| placed to secure seats and take as much
| space as sutficed for four other persons.
| doing it with cold biooded impudence and
| ostentatious indifference to the conven-
fence of ladies; and the pair of hogs had a
lunch basket, from which they stuffed
themselves, using the whole compartment
as if it were their exclusive dining-room.
The European necessity of travelling in
| cars that are not heated has caused the
multiplication of devices for maintaining
| the warmth of the body in an atmosphere
| of low temperature. There is no doubt
| that the cars grow very cold when rush
| ing at high speed through the wintrY air.
| They are lighter than the American cars,
| and, of course, thinner; and a sharp cur
| rent of air penetrating the side doors OF
| each compartment is often as piercing as a
slender shaft of ice. The travelling over
| coats are most formidable-heavy cloth,
| fur-lined, with collars foot high, and
tails that are down to the ankles
The English ladies rejoice in a
| wrap that is at once an ulster and
| rug; and they have wraps and
| rugs beside. The Englishman goes about
| with immense bundles of rugs, tightly
strapped, and bristling with walking
sticks and umbrellas. Why the English
man takes five or six clubs across the con-
tinent do not know, but he does it all
! the same. He seems to consider bundle
| of thwacking sticks indispensable, and he
| clings to them, to use the most familiar of
| the metaphors of our orators, like the
| shipwrecked mariner to the last plank
when storm and darkness close around
| him." Next to his clubs, Shawl-strapped
| to rugs, he has a foot-bag that he rolls up
and secures with two buckles. l beheld a
| British statesman get into his foot-bag. It
was lined with coonsklns and covered his
hips. This, with an overcoat that was
capped and fur-collared. made him proof
against the grim blasts of January. Look
ing upon this gentlemen, felt that my
heavy but unadorned overcoat and shawl
| to cover my legs were inadequate, and
| did not begin TO feel cold until the evil
| dent luxury of my travelling companion
| persuaded me of the insufficiency of my
! equipment. The most comfortable way TO
travel at night in England, l am assured,
| Is to take fOotbag, bundle of rugs, a
| pillow, double overcoat and Scotch cap.
with lunch basket; give the guard 3
| shillings to hold compartment for you,
| and make your own bed. In this way you
| can at least have some assurance that the
| bedclothing is clean.
| Within the last quarter of ce injury the
Americans have invaded Europe with
| many of their notions and there are some
! traces of their conquests. They have not
| done many things more remarkable than
| the triumphant introduction of ice water.
| When, on the way from Vienna to Dres-
| den, saw the Elbe high and full of ice.
| felt an American thrill such as one should
| experience on discovering Tar from home
the flag of our country. There was q
| sense of satisfaction in looking upon such
| torrent of ice water in the heart of
| Europe. Now the American is not re-
| garded as an idiot and treated with de-
| rision when he wants a pitcher of ice
| water to cool his stomach with when he
| lands the American idea that water is
| sometimes good to quench the thirst Of
| men as well as horses makes way.
| As to horses, the American is mistaken
when he holds that his country possesses
| ali the noble steeds upon earth. There are
| splendid creatures in abundance in Italy,
| Austria, Germany, France and England,
| especially the two latter. There has been
| a marked improvement in the breeding of
| horses within the life of the present gen.
Grafton in all civilized lands, and the re-
suit is seen IN the quality OF the animals
harnessed in carts, as well as carriages and
| under the saddle. The streets of Paris and
London afford horse shows worth long
| journeys to see.
Singular as it may seem to the average
| American citizen, the Englishmen gen.
| orally are fairly well satisfied with their
form of government. They are not
| enthusiastists on the subject of the
| complacency that it is a great point not
| to be bothered with presidential elections.
| Still, they do not accept unhesitatingly
| the suggestion that if it is good thing to
be rid of presidential elections, through q
| system of royalty, it might be advantage
| GUS, and certainly logical, to lodge the ex-
| ecutive actually rather than nominally in
| the crown, and have parliaments ap-
| pointed. There is q notion deeply inn
| bedded in the British heart that there is
| less corruption in the monarchical than
the republican form of the administration
| of imperial trusts; and the English travel
| ers are fond of airing their views to this
| effect. l overheard in an English railway
car conversation between an English
! man and an American as follows:
| Englshman-Thisi is the year, is it not,
| of your presidential election; and another
congress is elected also, if l am not in
| error?
American-Yes, we elect president
this year, and he will be inaugurated y
| year from the 4th of March. We do not
| elect congress, but the popular branch
| of 1.-THE House-next fall, and this
| House will be the first congress of the
| next administration.
| Englishman-Exactly, that's it; and
| these elections are terribly expensive and
awfully corrupt also, are they not?
American-We are willing to be at some
expense to keep affairs in our own hands.
| We do not think the monarchial system
| has been found economical, either in
| Russia. England or Turkey. for example
! and if you want to go to the American
! continent for examples of bribery and cor
! ruption, recent official reports show that
| you do not need TO descend TO a lower
! latitude than that of Canada They show
| at least there is no guarantee in being sub
| jects of her majesty against bribery and
| corruption on the largest scale.
| The Englishman seemed to be unable to
| understand what was said and to keenly
| appreciate the application. He WINGED
and worried; said, Yes, it was very dis
| graceful state Of affairs, and he changed
| the subject with abruptness.
AS we were leaving Paris, Thursday,
| January II, the morning papers indicated