Richmond daily palladium., 1900-04-25
ITALIANS
As Seen in Their Own Country-Com.
parisons and Suggestions
Letter Number H..
Richmond Palladium:
HEIDELBERG, Germany.

- pTll y, lSbb-
The Italian as seen on a visit to
his native home is quite different
from the one seen as a foreigner in
America We see no more OF the
type seen there while passing through
Italy than in America In every in
stance where we have had personal
contact with them we have had the
most courteous and polite treatment.
The cab drivers themselves seem to
be perfect gentlemen, as do all the
hotel employees, and not in any case
have we seen a suspicious action. /
am the more anxious to say this be
cause only a few hours ago | heard
an American blowing in braggart
style that he wouldn't allow an
Italian TO pass through his yard.
This fellow will 90 to America and
blow off words too rapidly for a
stenographer to take Che Is called
Vesuvius by some in description Of
his style against the Italian, and
will get many who haven't t had a
chance to see for themselves to be
lieve that not a nice. honest Italian
can be found. | protest against it,
and say there are as good people in
Italy as anywhere, and | am inclined
strongly to believe their proportion
To the whole population is as great
as anywhere. | do not deny that in
certain portions of southern Italy
even Italians themselves advised Us
against bicycle riding through the
country because of the certainty
Of attack by bandits and rob
taru pnt I ,ap,apo bar tbat thara q 20
some places even in America where
life and property are not secure. |
remember, also, that on this very
Journey we have had occasion more
than once to be ashamed of the con
duct Of Americans and ! should pro
test against any one here claiming
that America is as represented by
their misconduct.
OF course things seem strange to
US, but why shouldn't they? Their
customs vary from ours but when
viewed from the standpoint of mo-
tive or intention, they bear the light.
mention one example worthy OF
imitation by Americans. When we
land at station in either Italy
Switzerland or Germany, for we have
now visited all these, we are met by
hotel porters as in America. From
either incorrect Information, or my
own preconceived ideas, | had ex-
pected the greatest confusion. To
the contrary, the hotel porters stand
in a row outside the station, each
wearing on his cap in plain letters,
the name of the hotel he represents.
We pass along before them, they re
main quiet, not even speaking the
names of their hotels unless in very
modest way to assist one in read
ing the name on the cap. We Sc
lect the one for which we are looking
and in the most quiet orderly way he
assists US with our hand baggage
and conveys us by the bus to the ho-
tel We have found it best always to
have hotel selected before arrival
| know of more than one place in
America where passengers are greet
ed on arrival by such a competitive
bowling of hotel porterS as to dis
tract and confuse. And to foreign
er, how confusing must it be to hear
this loud clamor, uot one word of
which can he understand.
The way some Americans come to
very interesting incident once wit
messed in connection with the w,l
known humorist, Bill Nye. Mr.. Nye
had been engaged, together with j.
Riley to entertain the citi-
zens of a certain Hoosier town. One
of the audience had imbibed freely of
the Intoxicating bowl, and by the
time Mr. Nye began to speak, had
his imagination wrought up to eX-
pectancy of the most side-splitting
humor When the first mirth and
laughter had been provoked,
this interested listener broke
forth into explosive and
long continued peals of laughter
that, for the moment, caused him to
vie with Nye as the center of attrac-
tion He subsidized at length and
Nye proceeded till the next period of
mirth set the volcano loose as before.
1t now became interesting to observe
how Nye would eXtricate himself
from this dilemma Half dozen
times of repetition made it begin to
grow tireSome Nye waited patient
IL each time for the commissions of
laughter from the man to cease, but
appeared not to notice it. His face
was serious and grave. At last. after
another repetition, he drew himself
up TO fun length, smile stretched
across his face from ear to ear, and
with his characteristic deliberation
be said: Il want you to understand
that | have made no arrangement
with that fellow Roars of laughter
followed, and the drunken fellow was
hustled from the hall by the officers.
Many come, expecting to see GER
tain things. How they came TO eX-
pect them is difficult to explain.
They have probably heard something.
or read something. to which imagina-
ton has added no one knows how
much, aud they come, and they see
what they expected to see, in spite
of the evidence to the contrary that
pourS in through eyes and ears.
None are SO blind as they that
won see. 1t is well to be informed
in advance, but it is Indispensable TO
q reception of truth that one be
sufficiently unbiased and unpreju-
diced to receive the teSti-
mony of his senses as to the
truth. 1t applies as forcibly TO Wis
iting foreign countries as elsewhere.
ELLwooD Q. ELLIS