The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-14
Some american
characteristics
from the Chicago 1nter-ocean.

From the Chicago Inter-Ocean.
n n ENRY Norman, the distinguished
III correspondent OF the London
It'll Chronicle, contributes TO Nc
III Clure's magazine for July an in
teresting article entitled America
Revisited in War Times" lie says that
during the seventeen years which have
elapsed since he graduated from Har-
ward university and returned to his
native island American AFFAIRS have In"
terested him in "a degree second only to
those OF his own country. FROM time
to time ! have come back" he says,
and corrected my impressions. On each
occasion, however, curious thing mas
happened. I have gone home profoundly
impressed with the energy. the intelli-
gcncc, the courage, the resources, and
the prospects of the American people;
and bit by bit this impression has oozed
away, like water from leaky tub until
l found myself doubling whether the
United States is on the up grade at ALL"
This has been due to the fact this his
impressions of America on his return
home have been perverted or corrupted
by such information as the British news
papers see flt to publish with regard
to affairs In this country. The English
man in England reads very little that is
reliable of American politics or Ameri-
can methods. and 1t is only when these
visit to the United States that men like
Henry Norman are set right.
o
lie confesses frankly that everything
surprises him, and most of all the re-
markabe developement among us OF
what may be called applied intelligence.
Not only" he remarks. "is there an ex-
, traordinary fertility of invention, hut
also what Is perhaps more striking STILL
there Is apparently an instant readiness
on everyhody's part to make use or the
things invented" He refers to the con-
stant Improvement in the telephone,
which he has noticed from visit to visit
THE instrument" he adds, has grown
smaller. neater. more graceful simple.
and easier to use. AS 1t stands on an
American desk today II might be a
flower holder. In some of the best and
most expensive parts OF London today
YOU cannot have a telephone put in your
homo at ALI When you do. II is the ugly
box arrangement of ten years ago. l call
| upon journalist friend in New York.
Upon his desk stands an elegant little
apparatus through which he converses
every afternoon with Washington and
| Chicago. In a London newspaper office
| you might as well look for a machine
for making liquid air."
o.
Mr.. Norman noints out a number OF
instances in which we have distanced
! England, and In fact all other countries
| on the globe. and this one of the many
| may. perhaps. be worthy Of particular
| attention: THE street cars are another
/ example. When | was here a short time
| ago, the system of traction was by un-
| derground cable. This is already appar-
| emily becoming extinct The cars them
| selves, too, are marvels of comfort and
| light. In London there is not. so far rs
| know, single street car propelled by any
| mechanical means, and those in use are
the dim and dirty vehicles of a quarter OF
a century ago. 1t is impossible to i'm
agine a better system Of street transport
| than prevails, for instance. in Washing.
ton. Even the travelling postoffice runs
by electricity along the tracks"
| o
| The system of street railways which is
| operated in Washington Is but minia
ture of the systems operated in Chicago
| Philadelphia, St. Louis, and other great
| American cities. There is nothing quite
! so marvellous to the European visitor OF
intelligence as the progress that has beer
made in metropolitan traction within the
past decade. and next to the fact itself
that is, the advantage taken of all man
ner of inventions and devices, the mex
most marvellous thing is that American
| street-railway corporations are not con
| tent to let well enough alone" Tht
street railways Of the British metropoli:
and of other European capitals toda,
| are practically what the street railway:
of Chicago were twenty years ago. 1
is hardly conceivable that a Chicago
street railway could have ever been quite
so bad as some of the lines now operated
| i'm London, Manchester, Bradford, Liver
pool. Leeds. Edinburgh. Glasgow, Belfast
or Dublin, but is appears from the evi
| dence of travellers and old settlers tina
this is the case. 1t Is difficult to remem
her what we had to contend with IL
| Chicago even five years ago.