The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-10
A MODERN RIP VAN wINKLE.
Young New Yorker All Mt Sea After
Short Trip Abroad.

n Short Trip Abroad.
One Of the passengers on the Etru-
ria on her last trip from Liverpool was
a young New Yorker who is justly
proud of his acquaintance with the
show places of the metropolis. On the
voyage he made the acquaintance of
two English travellers visiting America
for the first time. They were very
pleasant companions, and the three
were soon upon excellent terms.
Just put yourself in my hands,"
said the New Yorker to his new
friends. You'll not need any guide
books; I'll show you around. BY all
means take in Fifth avenue on your
first day"
He had overlooked the fact that du-
ring his absence from New York Com
missioner Coils had made the beauti-
full avenue a hideous collection of holes,
Of mounds of dirt, of piles of pipe and
of various offensive odors. When the
New Yorker stepped briskly into the
hotel the afternoon Of his arrival his
English friends begged him to take
them somewhere far from these beast
ly smells and heaps of dirt, donche1-
know"
Yes, yes, certainly" he replied.
Come right along to the Waldorf. I
want you to see the finest hotel cafe
lean gin rickey there. and feel that
you are on free soil. Come along"
But Proprietor Boldt had taken adj
vantage of the summer dullneSs. He
had closed his swell barroom. Car
penters and decorators were at work
on it and forbidding sign greeted
the New Yorker and his companions.
1t read: CLOSED for repairs. Drinks
served in gentleman's restaurant"
Oh, Of
claimed the self-elected guide. Did T
say Waldorf? 1 meant the Imperial
OF course. Why, everybody drops in
there at least once a day. Grand place
to round up everyone worth knowing.
Fine place to lounge, the cafe is Com
Portable, roomy chairs. electric fans,
expert bartenders. and a typical Amer
lean bar. Well go there"
Arrived at the Imperial, the English
men got a view of large and unshav-
en- collection of fine boards arranged as
a scaffold. There was a decided odOr
OF fresh paint, and the Britons and
their New York friend beat a hasty re-
treat from the typical American bar.
well, well. this is funny" said the
New Yorker. Better luck at DePs."
So to Dels they went. There they
lating and mystifying beverage discov-
cred by the st. Louis congressman.
Filled with rickeys and civic pride. the
New Yorker guided the tourists to
cable car. and they whirled toward
Union square.
'Wait till we strike Dead Mans
curve" said he. Nothing like it on
either continent. Cars go around so
fast they kill ten or a dozen persons
every day. Hold fast! Hold FAST
Were almost there. Grip the seat
tightly and jam your hats down. Here
we are. Now We'll simply ny. This is
Dead Mans curve"
The New Yorker had not heard that
the railroad company had adopted d
new grip, and that the speed and dan
ger of Dead Mans curve were things
of the past. The cable car went
around the curve smoothly, unostenta-
tiously and slowly enough to satisfy
a Philadelphia. The tourists gazed at
their New York friend with consider
able amazement. but made no com
ment. He simply said: "Well, I'm jig
gered Can it be the last rickey?'
When the young man regained his
compOsure it dawned upon him more
forciby than it had ever done before
that the changes of q few weeks are
many and great in New York, and that
1t would have been better for his flu
ture peace of mind If, while abroad
he had taken a few moments from his
days of sightseeing to read the New
York papers and find out what was
going on at home.-New York Sun.