New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-01
THERE ALI AMERICANS GO.

ENGLISH INDIFFERENCE REGARDING THE
TOWN WHERE SHAKESPEARE WAS BORN
al SUPPOSE said an English woman 10 two
American travellers the deck Of one OF the big
Transatlantic steamers, "that You intend to VISIT
Shakespeare birthplace"
"Oh, yes the answer; ave shall go 70
stra;ford BIZ all means. You have been there, OF
coursel7
No, never have been. Very few English
people go there: but It is great resort for
Americans,
Why is 1t that English people take 50 little
Interest," comparatively In the town which producea
so great genius ~
"Well, | cannot account for It. except possibly
on the theory that one IS likely TO visit
what IS always within ones reach rs are those who
90 10 a strange country with the special object Of
sight seeing Why on this very steamer | have
met an American who told me that although his home
is close to York. he has never visited your
Metropolitan Museum Of Art in Central Park except
once while he has been a number Of time, 10 the
British Museum and repeatedly TO the Louvre
Now. | fame, that IL he lived few hundred miles
from New-YorlS. and occasionally went there 70
see the sights he would have n much more inu-
mate knowledge Of the museum than he has now,
when Il Is within his reach every day. or az least
every week.
Ten days later the two Americans were on their
way statford- upon Avon on pleasant saturday
for the last few miles were two young Engllsllmen
with whom they fell IN conversation, and VINO
afforded singular proof of their fellow passengers
assertion that English people do not visit shak"
speare's birthplace In large numbers. one OF them
left the trnin a the station next TO STAFFORD and
thea tho other informed the Americans that h.
himself had lived In stntford all his life ana hal
never seen the insld" OF the house In which tine
great poet was born until last year. when he had
gone there with friend who CHANGED to b,
visiting him. and who expressed desire 10 see
pot Of such interest and h. further said that his
friend who had just left the tram had always lived
within three four miles Of STAFFORD and had never
visited shakespeare birthplace IN his life.
The small boy OF stra,ford may not have accurate
knowledge Of the personality and work ~ the mighty
dramatist bat he Is much In evidence IN his desire
10 show strangers about the place, In his ability
TO pick ont foreign traveller intent on seeing all
that i worth seeing In STAFFORD. he suggests the
marvellousy acute street boy OF New York and In
persistence he Is fully his equal. But hi, demands
are v,rscd In quiet that does not Jar uron the
ear Ike the rasplng voice Of the average street
urchin in the American metropolis. 1T first hc
asks u sixpence for pointing ont the birthplace.
church. the theatre and other objects Of Interest;
but when told that his services not required he
viii calmly reduce the price thereof to threepence
or IN the last resort To penny. lie does Mt III
cline to anger II his Gnal prefer is repused bio
appears TO be hurt by the fast that his offer Is not
duly appreciated III TINS rtsirtJ-Dut IN NJ otici-
Sratf"rd suggests IN American town, since nowhere
else the main lines of travel In England are 'er
vices of sort another per>istcatly forcee
up)n newcomers
The STAFFORD small boy Is. howsysr an Interesting
specimen OF his kind and the two travellers whose en-
periences are here recorded half regretted afo!wan
That they had not spent few pence In securing the
attention Of the mildeyed y0ungster who walked by
their side for several rods. although informed b. s
more than once that they were t1ly cala9c Oh .tnn3
care OF themselves II would probab Y have proved
well paying investment, and afforded the opposr.
tunty for spme new impressions reenrysins a se,E,n
phase Of English life not els; where on exhD.hon'