The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-09
SOME LONDON IMPRESSIONS.
How the City Seems to the Young Ne
gro Poet, Paul Dunbar.
Letter in Chicago Record.

| Letter in Chicago Record.
1t is strange how easily one becomes i'm
pressed-for literary or journalistic pur-
poses. But a Frenchman stays three weeks
in America, and then writes a critical anal
ysis of the moral, social and intellectual
condition of our people. An EngliShman
knows his America well from seeing Buffalo
Bills Wild West; and we've have had
The West from a Car Window SO Why
should not one who for more than a month
has roamed the streets of this fog-laden
metropolis record a few Impressions? 1t is
not that everybody else mas not been SINH
larry affected by conditions here, general
and personal, but that there is a certain
pleasure in comparing notes.
In the first place, does not every one,
when he rises, a few mornings after his ar
rival here, and finds that he cannot see a
roof a few yards from his window, think
Does he not go about congratulating him
self that he has so soon stumbled on so
striking a characteristic of the city? And
does he not make an. ass OF h1mSelf going
about telling people how pleased he is? l
did. And this was the answer L got: Fog
oh, that wasn't a fog, you know; that was
just a little mist. You haven't seen a real
London fog. Why, my dear sir, you can't
see your hand a foot from your face. The
fog gets into your nose and you sneeze. 1t
gets into your eyes and you weep. 1t gets
into your mouth and you swear. oh, you
haven't seen a London fog! Why, we have
to cut it out in layers and pile it on the
pavement, so that traffic can get through
the streets"
We'll. | thought that that was. about as
near to a bit of American hyperbole as had
ever heard from any one save an American,
and l looked at that Englishman in OPEN
mouthed admiration until / learned hat he
was associated with that humorous Anglo
American, Jerome K. Jerome, on the 1dler.
But speaking of American experiences and
things American, how one does long here
for the sight of one of our own newspapers.
The English newspaper is 81 nightmare.
1t is more-it is a snare and a delusion.
The form is excellent, the paper and print
ing good, and one picks it up with great ex-
pectations. After a while one lays it down
with an empty feeling. The chief things
in English papers at present are Cretan
war news, market reports and reviews of
Mr., LIE Galliene's Quest of the Golden
Girl" / consider Mr.. LIE Galliene a very
imprudent young man, his ideal face to the
contrary Notwithstanding. There are things
Such s. al a our one nV IS his MniS eo2 S e IF If be he h hadn't
told it it never would have got out. 1t is
altogether too bad. He reminds one of the
takes his chum out behind the woOdshed
and with great show of secrecy, but pride
withal. says; "Golly. Jimmy, L played mar
Mr.. La Galliene's book is the striving
after the deliciously bad. AS the Methodists
would say he has "backslidden' from the
Some of the English papers have been
disposed to poke quiet fun at certain Amer
Quest" But it is obvious that no insignl-
ficant number of reading people think that
MT La &c Ga HE ed has not %9td improved his his repu-
youth of good family who was caught by
his mother kissing a pretty serving maid,
and sharply reproved therefor.
"Ah, mother" he replied, you're way be-
quest Of the Golden Girl" The story, true
or not, serves to point a moral.
l had expected to find about London a
greater air of cosmopolitan that l have yet
perceived. Perhaps | do not make myself
quite clear. / thought that in this gather
ing place of all the nations of the world
a foreigner would attract little or no at
tention. Perhaps such an attitude is di-
reCtlV trACea bile TO nv SCh0OinR AT Chi
cago during the worlds fair, where one
was liable to turn, a corner and come face
to face with anything from a Parsee to a
Patagonian. But in London a dark face is
1.-The observed of all observers" 1t is gaZed
at not only with curiosity but with amuse-
ment. The small boys look unconscious as
"Blackie!' and %scuttle away. Men, APP
parently intelligent and at least of the mid
die classes, are no better. They do not cry
out, but they take pains to let one know
that they are greatly amused. They pro-
coed upon the principle contained in boy
philosophy: What's the use of latin at
a fellow if he don't know you're latin at
him?
But there is compensation in all things.
If they laugh at me openly, their very
laughter fills me with secret amusement,
which / sell at so much a line. What self
centered, self-satisfied children they are. l
was complacently asked the other day by
an interviewer who did me the honor of
making a very pretty interview out of the
things | didn't say. if | wasn't a good deal
dazzled by the rush and hustle of London.
l MAD to gaze at MIN sadly, as L said. Il
haven't seen anybody here yet breaking his
neck to catch "a cable car with another one
thirty seconds behind it,"
There was a young woman in the room.
She is an actress and an American. Some
times she is irreVerent. She was then, for
she laughed. / didn't 1t was altogether
too serious a matter. But she told the re-
porter about New York and then, being
a Western. girl, she went to her climax
and told him about Chicago, and he said
"Oh." The "oh" meant volumes.
One cannot be provoked with these people.
They are so civil and frank, straighttor-
nate, but once win them and they are as
stubborn in your behalf as they ever could
have been against you.
I have said they were civil. They are.
But there is a class Of them whose civility
1 despise. 1t is those who are polite for
revenue only. Walters, cabmen, porters
and sweepers who grin and nod and touch
their caps in hope of winning from ones
purpose of guiding those who are contem-
plating a first visit here to give a seals of
the prices at which civility comes. II is
about as follows-of course, it may be
found TO vary in individual cases: For one
smile, l half-penny; for smiling and touc.A-
smiling, half-penny; for laying hands on =
box and grunting while the porter carries
it in, l penny; for making a stroke with the
the stroke is made with one hand and cap
is touched with the other it costs a half
penny extra, IN recognition of superior
skill; for directions from policemen, tup-
pence. This is about the maximum for
minor civilities. There are others of great
er Importance. but rare happening, which
for lack of space cannot be herein specified.
l had the pleasure not long since of be-
ing a guest at a club dinner given by the
Savage Club, where / saw and met a num-
Der of prominent workers of London. There
were painters and sculptors, actors, musi-
clans, authors and scientists. 1 do not re-
member about the dinner. 1t was the post
prandial feast that was the all in all. From
the time the chairman, Mr.. Thomas Mason.
struck his war club on the resounding table
and said. Brother savages. you may
smoke, there was a continuous stream Of
good things to be listened TO and seen.
The informal programme began at $50 and
ended at 1880. II would be impossible to
name the participants. There was Nichol,
the Scotch tenor, who sung like a bird in
his native heather, and there were pipe
playing and a sword dance by two members
of the Scottish Grays, great. bronzed.
brawny fellows. but as bashful as girls.
There was the drawing of Morrow. an ex-
ceilent artist. who made a portrait of Nan
sen, the last guest of the club. and a
picture of the girl of the century" which
is in my possession There were recitations
from two Of the best old actors Of the Lon