The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-20
MILLIONS TO BE SPENT.
Americans Leave Vast Amount of
Money in Europe.

Money in Europe.
The rush of American tourists to
Europe this year Is the greatest of any
In the history of steamship travel. It
Will be greater than the rush last year,
which, in turn, exceeded the phenom-
email year of 1892 Although it is diff
cult to obtain acurate figures, compar-
Ing the season to date with the similar
period of last, from the information I
have been able to obtain it is probable
that the increase for the entire year
will not be far from rs per cent over
last year, writes New York Herald
man.
For the sake of convervatism, shall,
however, compute the increase at only
70 per cent. This is sufficiently large.
1t means that not less than SIS O0O, GOO
more OF fertilizing American gold will
pc dumped on Europe's thristing plain.
Many estimates have been named az
TO the amount of money which Amer
lean tourists spend in Europe Some
OF them are very far from the mark
some absurdly low, some wildly high.
1t was at the custom house that T
obtained the figures here used Through
the courtesy of the statistical depart
ment learned that for the fiscal wear
ending June 80, 1895, SO, 6O4 persons or
american residence arrived at the port
OF New York In first or second cabins.
Ihe custom house keeps no record of
the cabin passengers of American res
ldence on the outgoing vessels, but the
total number of cabin passengers out
going for the year 1895 was 90, 157.
1 take it that the former figure If
slightly reduced, to make allowances for
the buyers for importing houses and
otners who go purely for business, rep
resentS very closely the number of
tourists Tor the year. That is to saw.
the number was very close to so 900
AS these figures represent practically
the return travel for the year 1894
small aod 10 per cent for 1895, the per
centase OF increase given me by Gus
laV SchWab of the North German
Lloyds line. That makes s.. 900 for last
year and, computing only 20 per cent
increase FOR this year. we have a total
OF more than $1,000. This estimate. sub
infoteu TO number of gentlemen :
whose business would give them more
OF less information upon the subject,
was regarded as probably as close an
approximation to the fact as could he
made 10
Now, what on the average will zach
OF these $1,000 tourists for the year Of
grace and bad collections 1896 suend
from the time they book for the steam
snip until they again set foot on the
uncoutn shores of their native land
= again, any numDer OF eSti--
mates have been made, or rather
guesses. Probably my estimate is onIv
guess also. But from inquiries made
at some of the larger banking houses
winch give letters of credit, and from
the tourist agencies. / am led to think
tnat this average is not far from 81 $50
person A thousand dollars would
be too low, $4,000 much too high.
Well, $1,000 tourists spending on
average of 1850 each will get away
with rather more than $81 900 QUO
rather handy sum. But from this
must De taken the amount which Is ex-
pended In America, in the shape OF
steamship suppllse, coal, salaries, ad-
Vertlsements, expenses of tourist agen-
cies and in countless other ways
PROBABLY this sum is in excess Of So
100000. This will leave a net s1n of
more than $70,000,000 which goes into
the pockets Of the steamship lines. the
lnnkeepers, railways and other classes
of tradesmen of Europe who grow rich
or the American tourists
This Is good deal Of money. You
get a better idea Of what it really
means when you get In perspective
with some other things
For years the total gold product OF
this country has been less than half
OF $io,OOO,OOO, and last year was only
$1O.OOO,O 600 more than half. At its high
est the silver product Of the United
States was only $4,000, 900, and is now
not half that
A year and a half of tourist expen-
ditures applied to the gold reserve
would wipe it out completely. And not
to weary you with comparisons, per-
haps you will remember that 1t was
over what to do with surplus of $7O,-
100000 In the national treasury that
the Blaine-Cleveland presidential cam
paign was fought.
This is a big country and a rich coun-
try-bigness and richness only con-
sidered, the greatest on earth But
sometimes its business and trade get
into the doldrums, and then those who
are pinched do not think or feel quite
SO wildly just how big and rich and
great we are.