The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-09-17
WHAT THEY MISS ABROAD.
Americans Sigh for BeefsteaI<. Green
Corn, and NatermeIOns.

come home. more are on the way, and the
rest viii come soon The NEST are bring
ing with them certain startling discover
les. and some of these are made and
! brought home afresh each year. even by
/ those who cross the Atlantic often One
of these IS that America is a great. good
place, and another is that little old New
| York Is good enough for almost any
body.
These convictions do not imply any lack
of appreciation Of Europe. The majority
of American travellers fully recognize the
advantages Of Europe. such as they are.
its beauties Of nature and treasures Of
art, its classic institutions and its ruins.
but these things are not the subject Of
this sketch. This is about the advantages
OF America ana the manner in which the
conviction Of them steals upon the travel
CT through the very force of separation
IT is an altogether healthy sensation, and
il shows that the one VII" feels II IS I'M
spoiled by European Indulgence Neither
is this intended 10 be profound article
II merely concerns the sentiments and the
talk Of the most ordinary travellers who
have been in Europe for few weeks or
months.
The reader who has never spent a week
on board a westward bound Atlantic
steamer may be surprised, and perhaps
panied, TO learn that the subject Of dis
cussion which transcends all others
among those who have been gathering a
summers experience and culture is food
Americans who travel meet other Ameri-
cans everywhere they go; but when they
get on board the ship which is to bring
them home they find that at least nine
teuths of their companions are their couu-
tTymeu- At once their thoughts and as
pirauous are let loose. with a conviction.
now felt for the first time I'm a long while.
that they VIII reach sympathetic ears
Experiences are first related and com
pared, and these quickly give place to the
expression of IOUEiugs. The beauties OF
lake. mountain, picture gallery. AMI ruins
are mentioned, but are dwelt on lightly;
then comes the absorbing topic Of the de-
sire for food After one has learned the
trick, il is amusing 20 start a group OK
three Of four h0meward bound Americans
on The subject of food, and then 70 sit
stu and listen and see how they get on
One would suppose that they had passed
their summer in dungeons on bread and
water instead Of baJtening on the tat Of
many lands
There are i've things which VIII perhaps
gradually, but certainly. rise 10 the sur
green corn. watermelon, coffee. and ice.
Green corn. watermelon. and ice are not
much expected in Europe. though they
are sadly missed. but The inexperienced
traveller feels surprised and grieved and
hurt at the discovery that he cannot get
beefsteak and coffee
England is the land Of beef. and 10 the
American beef means, first OF all, beef
steak He does not realize till he sees IL
how thoroughly the beef consuming habit
Of England is given over % roast beef
Beefsteaks are somewhat used. Of course
and there are even beefsteak clubs, but
the rumo is the usual cut, and the aver
age Englishmaa would probably think
any other portion wasted on steak, when
1t might be roasted
In Germany the rump steak. o. inferior
quality usually, can be had, but the sir
lOin and the porterhouse are again IN
known. In France the hIlet is prepared
IN many messy styles. but the very word
"bifteck' implies how foreign a thing is
the true beeisJlak- On the bin Of fare
Of certain New York restaurant thirty
. three different styles OF be-Tsteaks are
enumerated Other restaurants may Of
fer more. but figures are not at hand.
SIch a list as this would be as great "a
surprise 10 the average European hotel
keeper as the printed menu itself re-
vised and dated anew every day.
Green corn is purely American prod
Uct. and IL would be too muca to expect
to see it adopted in Europe after So few
centuries as Europe has had TO iuvssti-
gate and consider its advantages. To-
bacc0 found its way into r0pid favor in
Europe, but that had the suspicion Of a
vice about it 10 give il prestige The
potato also rD no q To- .-l.
the determination OF Queen EIizaH.tb In
IS salo. % favor its importer. who was
HeT iaFoTlte- And 50 green corn may
A4a ms way al last
II the ship took a few watermeI0ns on
AeE outward voyage. SO as 90 rejoice the
. -Ai-t'i llr-A passengers with them ON the
return. II VIII be found pleasant 20 watch
tLe LOOKS OF anlazeIneut on the faces OF
The Europeans at the quantity of this
-tAlt which an American eats.
Inc liuculLy OF getting good coffee in
Europe IS perhaps the most surprising
, trouble or all On the Continent The de-
c|csloH which bears the name is an eSps-
claLly cireIul mess Travelling Amrrica rs
nave 'aIlouS theories among ID eUscIyFas
as 10 what German coffee IS made %
7 hat IL contains chicoTy there is no doubt
but whether Il is al or nearly all chicory
---7- '..'-,-L-- - lAt SUBJECT or many Animal
. 90 discussions Some say that IL is large
Z - composed Of dried and ground figs.
while set others assert that there is some
real coffee in L.. This last statement has
never been proved Everybody has heard
the story OF Bismarck going 10 an inn
ana insisting on having all the ChicOry
III lLt mouse. ana then calling for cup
OF coffee What throws doubt on this
story IS the question why Bismarck. be-
lnE himself "a German. should want real
coffee, since the Germans think that their
coffee Is the proper mIEturs. and drink al
m lst as much 0f DC as they do Of beer
one OF the real and great services which
travelling Americans have done for E,u-
rope Is the Introduction OF ice. The sub
jecL has been so much discussed that
about all that is needed at the close of
each summer when the travellers return
the adoption Of new ways. but the in
crease IN the use Of ice in the last ten
years Is noticeable and gratifying IL has
been slower in England than In the more
southern countries. for two reasons Eng
land is usually slower at making changes
than the Continent. and. as IL is more
noTthcTIy. ice is less needed there. Still
the consumption has grown, although one
American at home often us-S about IS
much ice in the course OF q dinner as an
English h1telEeeUsr expects TO suffice for
his whole di1ing-ToUu-
n Italy. ON The other hand. though the
country is supposed TO Dee SO badly behind
the age You can have practically an the
ice YOU want. although IL is not used 50
laEIslly 1s here II is noticeable too,
that in Italy the people OF che country use
il Co great extent while in England 10 is
aEOWeLIE kept for American visitors Be
, tween these two France occupies about
the same mi IDLE ground that she does
gyDgra phieaIIy- Ice IN summer. If rightly
used. Is the means OF alIaying or prevent
ing vast amount of needless -II ring
and disease and If its increased use in
Europe Is II all due TO Am .riCans then
Europe should Dee grateful
The smoke OF EDsuvius drifts over fields
DID, 4 9 pa. So