Omaha daily bee., 1897-11-29
CANNOT CATCH ON.
America nisms which stump the Aver
TritiShpr


My first experience in England, SAYS Col
oncl T. W. Hlgginson in the December A.
lontic, was, OF course. to ascertain my proper
position as an American ond TO know what
was thought Of us This was easier twenty-five
years ago than now. since the English igno-
rance OF Americans was then even greater
than today, and perhaps even more frankly
expressed. One Of the first houses where 1
speut an evening was the very hospitlble
homo Of a distinguished scholar, then the
president Of the Pathological society, and the
highest authority on the various dialects OF
the English language but l was led to think
that his sweet ond kindly wife had not fully
prohted by his learning. She slid to me,
rs Il not rather strange that you Americans,
who seem such friendly and cordial race,
should Invariably address a newcomer as
stranger while we English, who are
thought to be cold and distant, are more
likely to say my friend?'" She would
sclrcoly credit 1t when | told her that had
hardly ever in my life been greeted by the
word sho thought so universal; and then she
added, II was told that Americans began
every sentence with We'll, stranger, |
the natlcual use of the first and last Of these
two words but still demurred as
to the stranger Then she sought
for moro general information. and
asked If it was really true, as she had been
told, that railway trains in America were
often stopped for the purpose of driving
cattle off the track. | explained to her that
in some regions of the far west. where cattle
abounded and fencing material was scarce,
this might stil be done; and l did not think
1t necessary to say that | had seen it done,
in my youth, within twenty miles Of Boston.
But | explained to her that we Americans.
being a very inventive race, had devised q
little apparatus to be placed in front of the
locomotive in order to turn aside all OBJ
structions; and l told her that this excellent
invention was called a cow-catcher. She
heard with interest and then her kindly face
grew anxious and she said hestatngly, But
isn't it rather dangerous for the boy?' |
said wonderingly, What boy?" end she re-
iteratod For the boy, don't you know-the
cow-catcher" Her motherly fancy had de-
picted an unfortunate youth, balanced on the
new contrivsnce, probably holding on with
one hand, ard dispensing dangerous herds by
a gesture from the other.
Colonel HigginGon's experience was dupl-
Gated by Bishop Whipple during his visit to
England last summer. While attending the
Lambeth conference he preached in West
minister abbey, and a tremendous audience
went to hear him. The bishop is a good
story teller In the latter capacity he has
done effective missionary work in converting
the British mind to an understanding and
appreciation Of American humor.
Before the bishop had succeeded in arous-
ing this understanding, however, he met
with several experiences which would have
been embarrassing had not the narrator been
gifted with irresponsible good humor. The
bishop on one occasion told story the point
of which was overlooked by his stolid En-
glish audience
This is a story" said the bishop "of the
western frontier, and illustrates the brevity
of pioneer speech. Years ago | had a charge
on the extreme western line of civilization
an If ,uil rn
At that time every man carried firearms on
dis person and kept a rifle or pistol within
easy reach of his bed at night One night
one OF the coolest and most courageous men
on the frontier was sleeping, as was his GUS
tom, with his rife lying beside him on the
bed. He had the reputation of being a dead
shot and it was well known that no one
had any chance when Dick once got the
drop on him.
'Will you explain what drop means in
that queer western usage?' asked a sedate
bishop.
Why, it means" said Bishop Whipple
"that one man has another covered by his
gun-p!stol, l mean"
You made use of the word gun mad
vortently, of course, for pistol Is it COM
monty used in-ah-the states?"
Not at ALL" replied the Minncsotan. I'VE
say pistol but the people in the west some
times prefer the terser expression, gun &"
And, excuse me-" said another dignitary
at the end of the table, "but do you mean
by dead shot that the man you get tho
man?"
Precisely" said Bishop Whipple
We'll. as | was about to remark Dick was
awakened that night by noise at his win
dow Slowly turning his face toward the
noise. so as not to give warning to any pos
slbie enemy there, he cav a mans head and
shoulders framed in the open window Dick.
stlll as motionleGs a serpent, reached for
his rifle. He raised it slowly under his own
body until the barrel was in line with the
lntfuder's head. Dick always made sure of
this point, and his adversary was directly III
front of his weapon before using any ralaver
lie hated so to waste ammunition"
"And, pray what is t,aldver?'" asked a
bishco who had not heard the same word as
used by the English themselves in Africa.
"Oh, 'palaver' means talk; Idle words"
AS soon as Dick felt that he had the drop
N his visitor he sung out:
" You gitv
"The robber looked up hastily saw in
stantly that the dead shot had him covered
with his rife and replied coOly:
" You bet" and dropped to the ground and
disappeared"
Not mitred head lost its dignity by ap-
preciating the humor of the story. There
was painful silence for moment. Then
one member of the solemn hierarchy said:
What does git mean, bishCp?"
"Why, git is American for get and
means go away be off,"
"Ah. Sec" replied the Englshman.
Then another Britisher asked:
"And what, Qray, does you bet mean?"
That" said Bishop Whipple, with a smile
'is slang phrase meaning of course or
that the proposition is SO sure that you can
bet on it,"
"Ah, very clevah indeed" said another
Anglican, but what queer words you Ameri-
caus make use Of Do you all talk that way?"
he Consistent.