The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-16
AN AMERICANS IMPRESSION
OF BOHEMIA.
To he Editor Of Tie Pilot.

{ may not be amiss to write you LITTLE
, in detail few Of my varied impression,
{ of he in this gay, little Bohemian King
dom
Permit me TO add however that a. my
abilities as "a writer or would-be CORE
spondent, are not very extensive. the
: general tone of this article may be, con
sequently. rather confusing, if not, quite
tedious, or even droll. / sincerely trust
that my efforts in this direction. viii be
none The lees acceptable, that my expa-
triation will not be likely TO follow my
rashness and that any errors or failure
to please will be graciously overlooked
and pardoned.
Granted THAT such will be the case,
nothing, indeed will afford me greater
delight and satisfaction, than when, I'M
like Oliver Twist you will eventually
ask for more of these impressions y
To begin with life as a whole, in this
country, strikes one as singularly lethar-
gic and easy going, compared to the pro-
verbal hustle, bustle and eternal rush
OF our American people. That energy
and push, which characterizes them as
the most progressive and inventive ma
ton on earth, is sadly lacking here. APP
parently, life, labor and progress are not
regarded seriously enough by this happy
-1,,r l-xr,, inh ~,
different to aught else, gives itself up to
present enjoyments, without a care or
thought Of the morrow. True physical
activity, labor in any of its various
phases, is never entered into with that
earnest vim, spirit or energy, which has
been the true foundation and secret of
the success and rapid progress of the
American nation.
The country, too, is over populated and
the poor, undergrad working classes seem
to have had little title. if any ambition
for more than keeping body and soul to-
gether, while with the better or weather
classes il seems next to impossible to
awaken active interest and aspirations,
beyond such as would relate to bodily
comfort and enjoyment The only re-
spouse obtainable regarding this pecu-
liar inactivity of the people, is usually,
we have not the freedom to do and
act us you Americans.
Besides this, more poverty and abiect
wretchedness, more cripples and beggars |
are to be met with on the streets of |
Prague, than perhaps, in any one state
in the Union They come from all coun- |
tries, to subsist on the charity of the |
citizens and as the state itself does not |
provide enough charitable institutions
or warehouses, there is no hope of ex-
tirpating this begging nuisance
Caste reigns to a surprising extent in
this country of countless counts, barons
and other superfiuous aristocracy and
everywhere is there monstrous evi, ence
of eXclusiveness; never at any time, is
conventionality dispensed with The
same conditions exist in classes of the
middle stratum For instance, the man
who has attained the dignity, which be-
slows upon him an official uniform with
brass buttons and entities
him to dangling sword and six stars,
fairly bristles with Importance and hard
~ deigns to recognize an old acquaint-
ance striding past him with to,a' stars
and who. in turn. cocks up has nose at
the officer with but t,cO stars marking
his official degree Again, the man up
ON whom Dame Fortune has smiled, who
through inheritance or marriage, is the
possessor of a private fortune, greater or
smaller, looks with plying contempt
upon the one less fortunate and snubs
him accordingly The man, who owns
Il battered bicycle probably one of the
earliest models of that important invep-
tom seems to think himself immeasu-
ably above the unhappy individual who
owns no other means OF locomotion save
his own legs. While children of pluto
cratic parents are strictly denied the
privilege of playing by the side of chill
dren of parents of limited means. Fan
cy, then, whgt dreadful breach an in
iudicious American would be guilty of,
We're he to forget for a moment his sta
ton and superiority and conduct him
self III the free unrestrained and open
hearted way,-typical of the glorious
democracy of his native country.
How strikingly impractical and behind
the times they are i'll many simple ways
aud respects may be best demonstrated |
by few examples The sprinkling of |
the streets III certain parts of the city is
done by short hose expressly for the
purpose but the method mostly in use.
are huge wooden sprinkling cans or jugs,
which are deity whirled around the
head Instead of a dredge, men armed |
with long handled spades scoop ont the
sand from the bed of the river Moldau.
The streets are swept by squads of men,