The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1896-01-09
A BRITON'S LUGGAGE.
ATTEMPTS OF AMERICAN IMlTAToRs
TO INTRODUCE 1T HERE.
Ponderous British Hat Boxes, Portman-
teaus and Hold Ais The baggage on "A
Steamship Wharf Is "A Study The Trav-
eler and His Bathtub.

AS the travelling Briton If known in
this country by his luggage, 50 the
American woman was once hated in
Europe because of her saratoga trunk
The world aas escaped the general
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
i'll their frequent journeyings between
the old world and the new More curl
Gus 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
teral for heavy but have taken on the
full burden of ponderous British hat
boxes, portmanteaus, rugs, bags, hold
alls and even bathtubs. 1t was a travel
ing American who gave to the world an
account of a refreshing scene on board
a 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 meek, coffee colored Moham-
medan, who accepted the Briton S curses
without sign of reproach, but when
i'll 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 i'll 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
Ndg ittNO aNSNltNb NNNh Atit bul htll VI
the bathtub.
a study of baggage at steamship
wharf or even at "a large railway station
i'll 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
enc journey within the limits of the
United States and sometimes gets no
farther inland than the New York hotel
at which the traveller makes his first
stop. This article Is tho little trunk or
box of japanned tin much used by tray
elers in Great Britain. The flimsy trihe
hardly survives the first encounter with
the American baggage handler, and
after the first journey of 600 miles i'll
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 at
the railway stations that are doorWays
TO the West is the immigrant : luggage.
Sometimes il is ii mattress from the
steoraSe wrapped about the few belong
ings of The ueW made American. Again
II - llt tth NtI IN'A III illO IIlS1l, 1.DG1lSil
! or Scotch Immigrant 1t viii he recalled
how important IA preliminary to Char
lottc Brunlc' 5 ioumeymgs ont into the
great world from her Yorkshire home
was tie curding of her box. The corded
box is as rare among the luggage Of an
American traveller as the old hair trunk,
though both are occasionally seen. The
seaman : locker, rcctilinear for "a stable
stowage and strong against accidents,
figures III the luggage at steamship
wharyes. One knows instinctiyely its
contents of old clothes, Photographs,
curios, tobacco and long treasured let
tiers from home and the array of pic.
lures from tho illustrated papers pasted
on the inside of the lid.
The elaborate dressing cases that
some Americans and all we'll to do
Englishmen used to travel with are go
ing out of fashion. 1t is almost neces
sity that the traveller with this pretty
piece of luggage take along valet for
tho thing weighs like SO much lead and
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 open
so as to form desks. The luncheon
hamper that used to accompany every
traveller across this continent in the
days before dining cars came into use
has almost entirely disappeared. The
California millionaires-of early trans
continental travel carried enormous and
richly laden hampers and dispensed Of
ten princo!y hospitality to their fellow
travellers The dinner hour on board "a
transcontiHc aal train was II picturesque
incident Of ruyel in those days Tho
travelling y ION in Europe still some
times carrie, his luncheon hamper, and
it is often one Of the nuisances of Euro
pean travel.
Some of tie English theatrical com
panies have become so used to travelling
in America yat they have adopted our
methods WITH baggage They accept
with grace The great American trunk,
dispense with the hathox, the bathtub,
the rugs sl,&l straps and the rest and
calmly SEE lLeir belongings carried Off
Icy strang,. Who leaves behind as eY:
dence only . at of brass bearing few
letters and uhers New York Sun