Evening journal., 1900-08-08
VISITORS VIEW
Oh WILMINGTON
Only From Philadelphia But
Has Opinions Galore
What lie Has to Say About The City
It's Inhabitants and It's
Industries


to make his pile-he came to have some
mn But a Journalist" fell foul of him
and asked him what he thought about
the town, and this is the reply he got
to what he sought:
well don't know but it's a fair
question after all II the British globe
trotter is justified in giving his LIN
pressions of American and Things
American" after four consecutive days
spent In looking out across Madison
Square from the windows Of the Fifth
Avenue. hotel, surely a pilgrim from
wide-awake. rip-roaring Philadelphia
ought to size up Wilmington in that
length of time.
II recollect reading, some months
ago, in one Of the Wilmington morn
ing papers, the statement that this
town was wickeder than New York. 1T
struck me that was somewhat vain
glorious, but, still having it in mind
on my arrival, l for that reason (if for
no other) began to look around for the
police. Strange though it seem, they
were easily discOverable. This looked |
suspicious. If street fights and like dis
turbances are prevalent we are taught
to believe that the police are not TO
hood. Encouraged by the seemingly |
mild disposition Of the specimens on
view with yet a little trepidation-I
yentured an inoffensive question in al
tentative way. Wonderful wonderful |
and most wonderful wonderful" l got
a perfectly civil answer Unwilling tOl
give up my cherished beliefs, l tried
again and again, and at last was forced
30 acknowledge that / had met a police
force which was uniformly courteous,
and seemed really to desire to give the
passing stranger the benefit of any in-l
formation obtainable.
yet after all this. there seemed tol
be something wrong with the force
They were all young men, well set up
an-ah. ! have it, They do not seem
natural to a Philadelphia because they
lack what the French call embonpoint
perhaps we may call it foreground. 4"
In other words, though the force is not
slim, the members are.
"Of course, you must not expect al
stranger to fail to notice your street
market II the good people OF the town
find time to eat all that is exposed in
that market, how do they find time toI
work and sleep? honestly tried to-
find the end-either end--of the row OF
wagons. with avail Still on they
stretched;
Files on files for hazy miles,
Nebulously dim"
And back and forth. and to and fro,
and in and out, surged the never end
ing procession OF buyers and markell
basketsl Sayl Is there a basket factory
here? II not, there should be One-if
not four. If it is desirable to patron
ize home industry surely your people
should not send abroad for baskets. II
seems to me that the first thing young
married couple would buy wheh start
/ ing out in life here would be market
basket.
Seriously. I wonder If burghers Of
this hundred" realize how the basket
habit has struck in. We in Philadel-
phia would be rather startled to see
sober citizens carrying books to and
from the public library in baskets
young men carrying their linen to the
/ laundry in baskets a 'colored lady
carrying offspring down the street in
a basket like Pharoah's daughter on the
home trip with Moses. Whether or not
the worthy church-goers carry their
prayer and hymn books to the sacred
edihce in the same Misunderstanding an
unoccupied corner for the children's
Sabbath school books is yet a mooted
, point with me.
Having incidentally mentioned your
! library. allow me to add that l was
1 more than pleased with It. The selec-
ton has been made with admirable
judgment, evidently. and the manage.
ment is most excellent. In one par.
ticular case. I was able to obtain al
authority I had looked for in vain in
, every Philadelphia library. ! am glat
to see the institution so well supported
4 and appreciated.
"The one opportunity / have had t
: see the workings Of your fire depart
! ment was a revelation of quiet effec
Is tive work. True. the fire itself failel
to show up. but the firemen didn't
And men and machines we're credi
to each other. I am familiar with mos
American cities. and / do not know
C. city of this size so we'll equipped 70
s. ire-hghting as this is
s. Your street car service seems ampl
q and effective. and were all the Summe
he cars built on the pattern of those o
ID the Darby line only one thing woul
sr De lacking. and that is or those are
" tenders. Not one in sight, and som
day car viii kill some one and tn
company Will be mulcted in damages [
a sufficient amount to buy tenders 70
twice the number of cars it owns.
In certain minor things your city
IL unique. Take for instance. those quit
too awfully cute. little galvanized T,
lceptacles for rubbish which are place
h on the street corners in anticipation
I. las / suppose, Of the watermelon sea
"a son. To be sure one citizen says III
D. bottoms should be bored full of holes
s. let the water out; another says the
f. should have 'lift-up-able' covers to kee
I'd IL out: vet another that the aperture
r should be on the sides, presumably s
le the water would flow through. 81
aside from furnishing this basis fy
cheerful argument, they are an add
10 ton to the landscape Of great aesthet
value. and now that they are added
,, the other street corner decoration
y such as telegraph, telephone and tro
=, ley poles. lamp posts. letter boxes, fir
"A alarm boxes and fire-plugs. the corn'
sd loafer is relegated to the back-groun