Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-01-02

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 VISITING MIR. ASTOR BY APPOINTMENT. but he does not hanker for mango swamps, jungle fever and the interior of tiger. Stanley, it is true, roamed around in Africa for some time, rescu- ing people, it is said, even leaving line of negro cemeteries behind him in or der to forcibly rescue a man who was perfectly comfortable and seeking se- clusion at the time, but Stanley is not, strictly speaking, an American, except for featuring purposes.
 The Englishman, however, loves to chase elephants for the sport of it and is all the time looking for place where no other white man has ever been be- ] fore. And yet sometimes he believes things that no one else would swallow. On the Paris, for instance, there returned in October a young man who had been told before leaving London by an Amer ican-I think it was Bret Harte-that no one should think of going to Chicago without ample protection, for although Americans had protective policy it did not help foreigners. As 1 understand it, MT. Harte told this young man that he should be well armed, and in addition for running about of evenings he should protect himself still further by using a Siberian sleuth hound that had been dieting for a few years.
 MT. Harte told the young man-whose name was Asscott-Asscott, Esq.-that he should sleep on his arms while at 1 Chicago and never get out of sight of his dog.
 Asscott- t-Asscott bought himself dog that had plain but rather strong fea- lures. Her name was Marie Antoinette. Marie Antoinette was about eight hands high and had a big bloodshot eye. Where the other eye had been there was only a damp slot.
 Asscott-Asscott devoted the months of July and August to gradually getting acquainted with Marie Antoinette and convincing her that his attentions were of an honorable character and not offered simply as a means of killing | time. Before there was an understand 1 ing between them Asscott-Asscott had been three or four times in the surgeon s | hands, and places where he had been futed and pinked by Marie Antoinette were caught back and gathered with surgeons s silk of different shades, so that he has daisies now and black eyed Susans embroidered all over him from designs by Marie Antoinette. He came home disgusted however, for the police would not let him into the fair grounds with Marie Antoinette, and they disarmed him also, so that he would not distract peoples attention from the Ferris wheel. He came back on the Paris, as I said, and if you do not believe what say of him you may ask Nugent Robinson of 142 West Nine iy-fifth street, New York, U. $. A. l do not make nasty statements without proof.
 Literary London is most charming and most generous. The Authors club is situated in the heart of the universe according to the Englishman' idea viz, near Charlng Cross. You leave the station, and passing the Metropole on the left you enter Whitehall court, where you will find the clubrooms convenient for all points of interest about the great city, The club is most kindly to stran- gers and nottoo pernicketty, ' as wesay in North Carolina, or Caroline du Nord, as the French have it. Some pretty lightweight authors are entertained at the Authors club The name of ono of them will be found at tho foot of this letter.
 Its officers are most thoroughly ill earnest in making it a success. Walter Besant is vice president. He met me there.
 Douglas Sladen, the globe trotting poet now with MT. Jerome on The Idler, is the honorable secretary. Both he and Jerome are extremely busy, but never too much so to greet the pilgrim from the States and give him joy.
 Jerome looks young to be famous, but he labors his regular number of hours and then flies home to the place where his heart is, which is in beauti- full part of London. I went there to dine one evening, but did not take Clar- ence along to show mo the way. That is why fetched up at Hammersmith. I alec bad Mir. Jerome's and MT. Sla- den's addresses confused But he for gave me.
 Lost in London; or, One Half Hour With Jack the Ripper, will be the title of a little work by me, which will soon be ready for the printer.
 The Pall Mall Magazine, Mr. Astor's handsome and booming periodical, is a big feather in the caps of the proprietor and it's titled editors. MT. Astor has as sociated with him Lord Frederic Hamil- ton and Sir Douglas Straight as editors, and my fondest dreams about the wealthy and titled leading lives of gaudy indolence in all cases got severe set back when I saw MT. Astor actually producing copy and his noble associates with their coats off, so to speak, mold ing public opinion, and English opinion at that, which I regard as one of the most massive jobs ever undertaken by the press.
 visited Mir. Astor at his office by ap- pointment. Everything is done here by appointment. The man who makes my sausages does so also for the royal fam fly by appointment. Iailow him to do so after he gets mine done. MT. Astor is generally at the office of tho Astor estate, but when The Magazine goes to press up at the office, IS Charing Cross, you will see him mp there locking up the forms after telling Sir Douglas or Lord Frederic to write him paragraph