Evening star., 1901-09-14
NO VTHIIIO OIL %
How America Looks to an English
/. Traveller.
FIRST BLUSH IMPRESSIONS
80
Finds Layishness in Every Direc-
tion.1ee e
FOOD, DRINK AND WAYS
Finds lavishness in Every Direc-
FOOD, DRINK AND WAYS
Copyright. 1901

their journals usually taking at first the
shape of a palpable absurdity in represent
ing the newspaper man as asking the
just-arrived guest, while yet on board
of the steamer that has brought him
over. well, Mr.. Blank and how do you
like American Personally do not believe
that any reporter ever asked such ques-
ton at such time. After the visitor has
been in town twenty-four hours, yes, per-
haps: and in that l see nothing at all 10
wonder at. The American reporter, belng
usually a man whose mind has the sensl-
tiveness of a Photographic plate, is accus-
toned to gather his impressions with llgnt-
ning-lke rapidity, and it is the most nat
ural thing in the world that ne shouio
credit other people with proportion OF the
same quality. Journalists know well that
first impressions of a. place, If recorded
promptly, are most valuable, because they
are liable to be much nearer the truth tnan
when a few days later the mind has pc
come something Of a palimpsest, "nlch i.
may take months Of quiet to interpret.
As far as / am concerned, l nave not
been asked what is considered the stereo-
typed question at all, and am rather glad,
because now, being invited to say some
thing on this subject, what desire TO say
is not likely to be anything but what
really feel, not refracted through the prism
Of another mans mind
The Strenuous Pace.
The first impression 1 have received is
that of lavishness in every direction; the
next Is that Of high-toned courtesy shin
ing through abruptness Of speech and crud-
tiles of manner, as If upon a rough British
stock had been grated the punctilio OF the
Spanish grandee, bereft of its insincerity
Next I would place strenuousness OF h1e IN
all departments. have been told severai
times that Boston Is quiet compared win
New York. and quietness itself compared
with Chicago. That May in some measure
be false modesty, but I am inclined 70
think that there must be considerable
ground for it. If 1t is so, all can say Is
that to me. who know most OF our Brltlsn
cities extremely well, the philosophic CAIN
Of Boston looks very much like fury OF
existence. and that even In this weather.
But cheerfully admit, wonderingly, TOO,
that the folks who are engaged In this. 10
midst Of their apparently desperate haste
nothing Of furry about them. They give
me the impression that it would be no easy
thing to get them "rattled." And that Is
great thing To keep ones mead perIecly
clear in the midst of such complex mass
Of urgently pressing activities; to catch the
feeting moment for doing this that or the
other with graceful ease and calm brow,
as If the worker did not knoW that 10 miss
it would mean disaster, this must surely
indicate the possession OF great qualities;
Qualities which / believe exist nowhere in
such universally as they do In the United
States of America. IN spite OF this feeling
I also have a dim aad inchoate idea that
for this intensity Of life and this majestic
serenity of demeanor. reminding one Of the
outside Of a high-pressure4 cylinder IN
acknowledgements engine, price must
be paid And I feel that this price is high
Yet occasionally meet man who is GER
tainly In the immediate vicinity OF three
score and ten, but whose eye is undimmed,
who bears himself as alertly and holds
himself as erect as any yOungster of them
ALL And 1 feel strangely moved at this
wonderful spectacle-that Of a man who
for more than half century. has held his
honorable place in the American race for
the supremacy Of the world In all It's details
of life and now at eventide is still to be
found in the foremost files keeping rhyth-
mic step with the youngest. The thought
cannot be repressed that when such an one
receives the inevitable summons to fresh
activities in another sphere he will feel
glad that he has not retired to the rear,
and in cozy, slippered ease from some snug
retreat has watched the great forward
march. 1t is often said, and with truth,
that this is the day Of young men. With
out any controversial intent / would point
to your old men, and ask where In the his
tory of the world can there be found such
an array of old men bearing themselves so
gallantly as they do In the sight OF all to-
day among you.
High-Pressure Tasks.
Now. In view Of this astounding thing Ito
mel the price to be paid is apt to dwindle.
Still. there must be In such race as this
great residuum Of failures. At so early
date I cannot speak of the statistics Of
suicide or Of lunacy, but cannot help feel
ing that there must be a very large number
of such cases. However, this being an I'M
pressionist sketch, I do not propose going
into details, especially OF SO somber char
acter.
be noted before proceed. 1t is that II this
people upon whom 1 gaze with unstinted
admiration as they pursue their hfgh-pres-
sure avocations in SO calm and gracious
fashion ever do become excited, what will
their excitation mean? II they do what
they do being quiet and unmoved, what
would they do in a hurry? And thinking
thus look back at home and contrast the
foul speech and frantic anger Of my own
people when hindered or thwarted in any
way during their deliberate performance Of
certain duties with the fact that as yet
throughout all the truly amazing activity
1 have witnessed these last few days have
not yet heard one angry word the use Of
an oath on the street. But perhaps the
hereditary influence has something to do
with that. This generation may be bearing
the fruit of the politeness which was bred
of a knowledge Of very present penalty
to be paid for the use of insult or foul Ian
guage to another in loss of life or limb by
the prompt actlOn Oh the lIlSulIeO one.
Gigantic Plans.
The note of layishness: This is perhaps
the strongest impression made upon a Eu-
ropean stranger arriving in such city as
Boston, for instance. He sees with ever
growing amazement gigantic piles of build
ings built In most costly fashion, as II their
builders knew not hpwi to spend enough
upon them. He goes into a vast depart
ment store on any ordinary day and finds it
crammed through all its dozen or SO Of
stories Its acres of floor spaces, with goods
of utmost value piled In mountainous heaps
which are rapidly melting away under the
steady stress of purchase by the huge
crowds that come and go, J, In fancy he sees
a steady cataract Of Wealth descending into
the golfers of the firm and again flowing
forth in no less lavish expenditure to an
other set Of seekers after wealth. Nothing
at all like it is to be Flir Felsir anywhere else in
the world. s,c-s y
colossal scale, especially. the prices. unless
he find his way downtown to less desirable
stopping places. FWK. every shilling or
franc or mark he has been accustomed to
spend at home he must he prepared to SUBJ
stitute a dollar here in his hotel il 1t be a
high-class one But then everything that
he will receive for his dollars will certainly
be correspondingly higher in quality and
quantity Yet, strangely enough, once out
side the hotel doors and wandering among
the stores this idea of the comparative pur-