The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26
WAY NE rs AN AMERICAN.
Life Here and In England Compared by n
Sea Captain.

sea tnptnln.
He was lunching with a party Of other Amer
lean citizens. A round-headed short, chunky
sea Captain he was. with a smooth face and
determined java good. honest. hearty. sea-
farinR Englishman with pleasant manners
and q charming smile. He had been Cav
tain OF transatlantic vessels for years and
had also been over most OF the world.
II was not home for Christmas" he said.
II never am home for long. any way. In
thirty years | was hardly ever ut any one
place for a month at q time and seldom home
for over two weeks at a stretch In all that time.
Still. | love my home when l can be there. |
have four girls and four boys
Then you we're a valuable acquisition to
the United States when YOU became a citizen.
Why did you Join us?"
There were many reasons. I am very
proud Of being an EnRlishman and of Eng
lands history. and l love the island. One rea-
son is the schooling for the children. l found
the best OF schools. aud every one OF my chill
dren is getting a good education. much better
than | could give them In England. Why, |
am educating all OF my children and eduuat.
Ing them well In the United States. and II costs
me less than It would to educate one of them
in England. | would have great difficulty in
affording TO give one of them there the educa-
ton that every one of.them gets here"
but you nave your ScnOOl taSeSE'
We'll. l bought a nice piece OF ground and
a comfortable house in a little town in New
England for the price l would pay for a field in
England. The taxes are low and all come to-
Rether. so l do not think OF the school part OF
the tax at ALL"
How do other expenses compare?"
The prices are about the same for the
things we eat. but we:get .fresher eRRs. better
butter. better meats and veRetablesriRht in the
country than we could get in a city like Lon
don. where we lived. We live better for the
same cost"
How about the climate?"
THE children thrive. aud It seems strange,
TOO. In England We never had more thai "a
couple of degrees Of frost. but the children de-
light in 2O' below zero over in New Hamp-
shire and are always we'll"
Were you cordially received by the people
when you came?"
They waited q while 10 see what kind Of q
family it was anu then called on us and have
treated US In the best possible way. They
made us one with them and no distinctions
because we were English"
He was silent awhile and then spoke agaiu.
Another reason for coming that Americans
do not as a rule appreciate is the social side
the classes OF England. over there the class dis
t~inctions are strong. Why. II you go along
tHo bllcSt, lhSIo VI ccIldlu pcOpl6 YOU lleeC
that you must tip your hat to-you must do it
and there Is no help for it. My people had a
store in a village there ani were learning an
honest living and were good people. but they
had to tip their caps to every man who had q
little villa and $500 a year and did no work.
We were in trade and we had to do 1t. Every
man who had Just enough to keep the wolf
from the door but who did no work was our
superior. and. II he deigned TO speak to us. he
did 1t with an air OF patronage that hurt. That
Is one thing We do not have in the United
States. and I want my children to grow up
where they are not subjected to this constant
suppression. Another thing. too. Over here
can Gets'a chance for my boys and my girls.
In England | would have to pay for the priv
s ilsps;Sl nsvi Gim my SHs i ia The a t tIade D ssates
he would receive some pay at once and more
later, And 10 England there is nothing:tor
large store. and that is very bad for {. girl
where she Ii expected to dress we'll and re-
chance-here."
Have you ever been back to your homer"
Yes after | lost my father. often went
over to See my mother in the old villa ge. and,
although have been over the world and mixed
with people: the same petty non-workers
the rame condescending way to me. and l had
TO take 1t for the sake OF my mother and of my
MANY there who davote their whole lives to
studying how they can make other people IN
comiOrtaple oy being OrerDearlng ana cOnde-
scending to them. They seldom or never speak
to a tradesman on the street. Yes. | Iemem-
Der once when;liying:in EnPlandthat the gro.
wealth nearly fell down when my wife one day
bowed to him on the street. He had been very
for us. So. when my wife bowed to him. he
grabbed his hat and bowed how and.his face
lighted up: II was SO seryile that we spoke OF
told us that tradespeople were never noticed
out Of their stores.
people over here feel. On one OF my trips
across the Atlantic, one OF the officials, the
seneer and he presented to me d letter Of IN
PRODUCTION from the master mechanic of the
road, a friend Of mine .sayilng:that this master
would not have done that; He would have said
T. was a letter from our master MECHANIC or
friend that was the difference"
They probably started at the. bottom to-
R' S9ss, aP but rev iex. u Ea 5HHii fnisnS soald use the
word friend Mind you. the English gentle
man. the, real gentleman. is the finest man in
towns and villages that act in this way and il
travelled one summer 5000 miles IN n t9e.U nited
states and make the boast that never once IN
oil g.! t inas t tra9 d aay ! receive W an unpleasant aana5c Word
kind and then l went to England and Liver:
was sure to have an unpleasant episode short
ly: 1t came at once. l had to go TO an Office
window to give all account Of who l was and
my business When It came my turn l
glanced behind me anG- saw an elderly man
next to me. 80, | stepped aside and let him 20
before me. to the window. As soon az he had
tini shed his affair started forward and one OF
these would-be gentlemen that England is full
OF elbowed himself in front OF me. / was
dressed in blue serge. Just as YOU will find a
and this man thought he could push me aside
az is the custom but / had, travelled too much
noT to know better and had been an American
citizen for a year. 30 ] told him. I beg your
pardon. but H. is my turn He Rlared at me
and snapped out in a surly way. Well. hurry
up Then had my chance aud took fully five
minutes doing what l could have done In one.
Al the time making remarks TO eXasperate
him. When he left the window his knees were
lettering and his face was liyid. he was in such
2 rage. That shows the difference IN the feel
ing here and In England. The well-dressed
pretended gentleman daily browbeats and
snnbs the worker"
Suppose you should fail TO tip your hat?".
In some way Won would find you had made
a mistake. II In business. all the friends Of
the man would 90 elsewhere 10 trade. II
a clerkship.pressure would BE brought
to bear and you would lore your place"
How s:c the business relations"
The distinction comes there, too. Il n