Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-02-07
A BRII'ON'S LUGGAGE.
ATTEMPTS OF AMERICAN iMITAToRe
TO INTRODUCE IT HERE.


American woman was once hated in
Europe because of her saratoga trunk.
The world has escaped the genefal
adoption Of the saratoga trunk, but
worse thing seems possible, as British
luggage threatens to become interna-
tionaL Even now you may buy in this
town all the impedimenta with which
the travelling Briton cumbers himself
and bedevils the rest of mankind. A
Broadway trunkmaker has for some
years past undertaken to FIX the thral-
dom Of these things upon his fellow
country men and women, and many
travelling Americans, especially the
wealthy and fashionable, are to be rec
ognized by the multiplicity Of British
impedimenta that they carry to and fro
In their frequent journeyings between
the old world and the new. More curl
ous still, those clever and initiative jap
anese have begun to produce British
luggage identical with the original in
the minutest details, even down to hand
sewed straps on leather trunks, port
manteaus and the like; but, drolly
enough, the whole outfit is merely pa
per counterfeit Of the real thing
American imitators of things British,
lacking the fine humor Of the Japanese,
have made no substitution Of light ma
terial for heavy, but have taken ON the
full burden Of ponderous British hat
boxes, portmanteaus, rugs, bags, hold
alls and even bathtubs. It was travel.
ing American who gave to the world an
account Of a refreshing scene on board
O Mediterranean steamer bound to Tan
gier or some such Mohammedan port Of
north Africa. A British passenger with
his bathtub had nearly peStered the life
out of q meek, coffee colored Moham-
mednn, who accepted the Briton S curses
without sign of reproach, but when
in the course of getting the luggage
ashore the precious bathtub fell over
board and sank like lead, the harmless
follower Of the prophet was seen to
pause in his work and dance gleefully
upon the deck, exclaiming in triumph,
"Oh, Mr.. Goddam, Mr.. Goddam !" 1t
is since that incident that Travelled
Americans in their aping Of British
ways have accepted even the burden OF
the bathtub.
A study of baggage at steamship
wharf or even at a large railway station
in New York is an instructive lesson as
to the cosmopolitan character of the
city. There is one article of British
luggage that seldom survives more than
| one journey within the limits of the
United States and sometimes gets nc
farther inland than the New York hotel
at which the traveller makes his first
stop. This article is the little trunk On
box of japanned tin much used by trnv.
elers in Great Britain. The fimsy triflt
hardly survives the first encounter with
the American baggage handler, and
after the first journey Of 600 miles il
this country is battered out Of all re
semblance to its original rectilinear self
1t is an article Of luggage not suitable
to the exigencies of American travel
A pathetic feature Of the baggage Al
the railway stations that are doorway
to the west is the immigrants luggage
| Sometimes it is a mattress from thu
steerage wrapped about the few belong
ings of the new made American. Again
It is the corded box Of the Irish, Englisl
or Scotch immigrant. 1t will be recalled
how important preliminary to Char
lotte Bronte's journeyings out into tn
great world from her Yorkshire hom
was the cording of her box. The corded
box is as rare among the luggage Of ai
American traveller as the old hair trunk
though both are occasionally seen. Th
seaman's locker, rectilinear for a stabl
stowage and strong against accidents
figures in the luggage at steamship
wharVes. One knows instinctively 1t
contents Of old clothes, Photographs
curios, tobacco and long treasured let
ters from nome and the array of pic
lures from the illustrated papers paste,
ON the inside Of the lid.
The elaborate dressing cases tina
some Americans and all we'll to d
Englishmen used to travel with are &c
ing out of fashion. It is almost a necet
sity that the traveller with this prett
piece of luggage take along q valet, fo
the thing weighs like so much lead an
is too precious to be trusted to the ten
der mercies Of the baggage department
The travelling desk also has nearly dis
appeared, though some ingenious trunk
makers now produce trunks that ope
so as to form desks. The luncheo
hamper that used to accomnany ever
traveller across this continent in tn
days before dining cars came into us
has almost entirely disappeared. Th
California millionaires of early tram