Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-08-23
Observations and Comments by
an Augusta Boy.
Conditions Of Laboring Classes as
Compared with Americans.
The English Love of Sports-Ameri-
cans in London.


Oh w. II. Gannett in London. His visit
gave him opportunity for observing
many Of the wrinkles and caprices of
London life, and the conventionalities
of the Britishers. which he interesting
~ contrasts with the more up to-date
and breezy fashion of life so character
lstic of Americans. The Journal read
ers will doubtless be interested in the
experienced it:
How do the wages Of the laborer in
London compare with the wages If the
Americana qucried the scribe.
The English laborer's wages are
smaller thar his American cousins
but the Yankee can consistently expect
more Fay, as he undoubtedly accom-
plishes much more during the course
OF a day than the average Briton.
There are several reasons for the
American eXcelling, the very first Of
which is the climate. Bracing air
braces a mans mind and increases his
ambition and capacity for work.
Therefore the American workman feel
ing snapper than the Englishman has
more interest in his firms business. If
his concern cen put up a building
quicker than a competitor he is cor
respondingly as proud as the head of
the company. The american when he
awakes in the morning is wide awake
al once. But the Englishman. That
smoke laden atmosphere full of uncon-
sumed carbon which he has been
breathing all night hasn't done him The
good that fresh pure air would have
Hnnn q him ln1oaJ n wake
ur and pull himself together. AS &
consequence, he doesn't get to work
until after o'clock in the morning, ana
ne is perhaps = half hour getting right
down to work.
rs there as great an interest in
sports in England as in this country
THE interest in all sorts of sport is
far more general in England than
here every class following the cricket
games, horse races, football matches.
etc. with untirng devotion. Going
into the city on the morning train you
Will see every other man reading
Sporting Times, The Winner, Daily
Sport, or some other exponent of
recreation. An American capitalist
was arranging some business deal, a
short time ago, with a prominent bust
ness man involving a million dollars.
Just as the final arrangements We're
about to be made the gentleman
jumped up, saying, You'll have to eX-
cuse me. | have very important
shooting engagement and l mustn't be
late. Good day Is that like an
American? Oh. no. There are a num-
Der right here in Augusta who would
rather go cunning than do anything
else. but it's business before pleasure
here; pleasure before business. when
you get the other side of the Atlantic.
| remember an incident which amused
me greatly and which illustrates the
inconsistency of some of the Lon
donites. Mr.. c. 4. Yerkes who is put
ting the underground railways in Lon
don was being interviewed by a re-
porter on the invasion of American
capital into England. The interview
lasted until 2 O'Clock which is Lon
don's holiday hour on Saturday, bust
ness practically being suspended from
that time and everybody enjoying the
rest of the day as a holiday. The
Parliament clock Big Ben tolled the
hour of freedom just as Mr.. Yerkes
was saying, THE Americans" but he
got no farther for the reporters hand
was on the door knob and with a
graceful good day he was off before
the echo of the striking clock had died
away. He had Il ticket to a matinee
and he didn't want to be late"
How about the temperature in Lon
dom"
THE temperature is much higher in
L. i
keenly felt owing to the dampness.
The mercury rarely falls below 10
above zero and we had no snow all last
winter. Foreigners who are used to-
warm houses find very little comfort in
the English homes during the cold
weather as the heating apparatus con-
sisting of coal CRATE fireplaces is quite
unable to properly heat a room. The
dampness of the winter penetrates into
the house and certainly more efficient
heaters than these fireplaces are re-
quired to make a house comforta BILE.
Splendid English mansions are built
with no thought of properly heating
them
Il suppose there are many things to
be said in favor of London, are there
not?"
Yes. there are many good things to
be said in favor of it. OF course it
abOunds with historical interest and too
you can get a shave for cents and Il
hair cut for cents. There are numer-
Gus parks throughout the city.
beautifully laid ont, where one can find
a place to breathe and also enjoy band
concerts. A person with a scientific
turn of mind can find months and
months of profitable pleasure in the
ma gniticent museums and exhibitions
such as only London can boast Of The
British Museum. which is probably the
finest in the world, contains enough
of interest to keep q student busy for
months. even years. Then the Natural
History Museum, in which | was par
ticularly interested, is a whole world
in itself. Here you find the animal
world represented from the giraffe,
whale and elephant to the smallest in
sect. not sitting up like clothing store
dummies. but in natural groups with
beautiful backgrounds and surround
ings. For instance one whole wall
represents sea cliff where hundreds
of gulls and other sea birds are nest
ing: some carrying food to their
yn,,no others thinning themselves nr