The morning call., 1892-08-28
NOTES BY The way.
Being a Ramhler'S Observations on Things
in General,
Foreign Pleasure-seeking-F In Clothes
q Clergyman's Mustaehe - The
Althorp Library.
Written for THE MoRSISe CALL

written Tor THE MORNING CALL
An observant American who has been
travelling in the West asks, as thousands OF
| others have asked, why Uncle Sans
| brothers and sisters should insist so much
upon migrating 10 Europe for their holiday.
| Tne wealthy come and go in tiocks by each
! sleamer-and there are dozen in week
! leaving New York, 1t is principally the
wealthy who have formed this habit. Peo-
pie of moderate means may cross once TO
Europe and ramble about for few months
but they can neither afford the time nor the
money for much more. But our fashion,
able set In the great Eastern cities go to
Europe as regularly as summer sets in, and
for every purpose but that of making
money they prefer Europe. They are really
ignorant about the charms Of their own
country and may know no more about the
West than they Go about Africa. France,
! Germany, Switzerland and Italy they know
and they profess TO adore this life abroad.
There is one thing they respect-American
dollars. In America they rake together the
wherewithal which enables them 10 play
the part of snObs and tuft-hunterS abroad.
lew ladies VINO got married abroad 10
noble r0ueS or titled empty-purSes have
generally reason TO regret their ambition to
get into the pedigree book Of the ariStOc-
racy.
But some allowance must be made for
the European tourist The great West is
very attractive TO the naturalist or the
speculator; the rivers are majestic, the
mountains sublime, the plains apparently
! bOundless, the thunderstorm terrific, the
Yellowstone Park phenomenal and Yo-
semitic equally ditto. But the average ci ty-
oil 3 - a
age woman who has been brought up with
taste for fine clothing. the chitchat Of gos-
SIP and a positive inebriaIiOn for novels
actually detests il, aud so all these people
! OF means HE themselves 10 Europe and feel
that they are in their element az table
d'hotes in gay cities, many of which knew
what civilization there was a thousand
years before Columbus sighted Watlings
Island. No great city can be made in lay
1t has TO be saturated with custom and
habit before it can be perpetuated as a
creation interesting TO the roaming intellect.
Hence the allurement Of these cid countries
muSty with history. They are not brand
new, like a fOundry-castirg but are pieced
together with makeshlft adaptation and any
brightness they have is relieved by rust. A
genuine old town is startling to an Ameri-
can.
But there is another inducement TO Ameri-
cans in Europe. They 20 there for bargains
in clothes. Ladies never fail 10 load their
trunks with dresses and laces, and they all
swear reigiously when they return that
every one Of 90 or more robes has been fire.
quently in use, although only made a few
weeks or mouths before. There is not so
much difference in the cost of materials
In many fabrics the cost is not much higher
here than in Europe. But when it comes 10
dressmakers' and modStes' bills the gain is
enormous in Europe, except at very fashion
able houses. SO, many lady pays her eX-
penseS IN Europe by the cheapneSS OF cloth
ing purchases. Even gentlemen are not
superior 70 this temptation. An American
company OF passengers returning from a
European tour is faultlesslY dressed. Hence
1t Is that so many appear = be European
rather than American in their tastes. The
Astors and Mackays who live abroad have
their share in sustaining this foreign taste.
A very sensible thing on the subject of
pedigree was said by Professor Milne Mur-
ray al the Edinburgh meeting Of the British
Association. He gave proper slap in the
face to tile royalties and TO the coteries of
aristOcrats who dominate matters in the
social world. He asked why pedIgrees
should not be made truthful and solid as
pyramid by allowing for two parents, four
grandparents, eight Rreat-grsndparents and
so on IN geometrical ratio, which would
give any man who said his ancestors came
over with William the ConQueroT some
thing like 100000 of parental ramifica-
ton. ROYAL families are just as much
affected by this plebeisn rule as the poorest
There Is little difference between the family
tree Of the hunblest and the n0blest. if all
the leaves are counted. The ''diy yinity that
doth hedge king" is a fiction. 1t hedges
him no more than a beFgar. The pride Of
race is very much watered when all the
facts are studied, and one proof OF ii is that
very few people could count back authentic
ally six complete generations.
San Francisco has undergone a notable
tran sformation in the matter OF clothes
only, however, the clothes that gentlemen
wear. Ladies have always kept themselves
in array with the fashions. which mostly
float to us from Paris or London. They
lose nothing Of the novelties by living six
thousand miles away from the center Of in
ventiODs. But as to the men IL was other
/ wise once. They were not very particular
about hats. but they were very stringent
about coats and vests. and large number
! OF solid citizens wore nothing but black
cloth at $50 or 500 the suit, and they in-
| sisted upon displaying more shirt-fTont than
any other community would care to hsunt.
Those were the days of three-deeker shirts
and vulgar gold studs. The habit OF chew
Ing tobacco was then much more common
than 1t is now, and the "three-decker" was
frequently ornRmeBted with expectoratOn
stains which did not improve its appearance
A suit at $50 or 500 was not considered
outrageously dear.
To-day the tailor Is another mortal. He,
too. has altered his ways. He has little
black broadcloth to handle, but he has
bales of mixed cloths OF every conceivable
pattern and shade. The three-decker has
mostly disappeared, and is generally only
seen at de rigueur swallow-tail parties
Goats and vests are worn in the STYLES
which prevail in Paris or London, and gray
is a fayorite color Formerly gray was re-
garded as too Anglican TO be worn. Even
the policemen felt somewhat shabby in
| their gray suits, and they now do not look
bit more comfortable in blue. The cut Of
clothes is so various that any style is per-
Missile without running the danger of ex-
citing ridieule. San Francisco is to-day
really tolerant IN the matter of male attire,
and there is no very marked difference be-
tween Sunday and any other day. AS To the
wearing OF hats. there is no law. Boots
have sOme semblance of common sense ia
their shape, being broad at the toes and low
at the heels, hut the s0les are generally
much too thin and only suitable for dancing
| dandies.
| A paTson in Indiana takes a proper pride
in his mustache. 1t is deaTer to him than
his congregation. AT all events rather than
| part with it he has consigned his flock to
| the sad condition of being without shep-
I herd. This congregation has the idiocyn-
Grassy Of desiring preacher to assist IN the
/ saving of souls who has no hfrsuta adorp-