Evening star., 1902-08-30
''AS OTHERS SEE US"
Impressions of a Western
Visitor to Town.
SAYS WE ARE POLITE
DELIGHTED WITH THE SOUTH
ERIN ACCENT HEARD so OFTEN.
Local Virtues So Evident That a High
Order of Moral Worth
Must Prevail.
SAYS WE ARE POLITE
Written for The Evening Star.

| Washington and that is certainly true
was the opening remark of a sort of TRADE
indulged In by young western newspaper
man the other day. The young man has
just come to make his home in Washington
and claims the capital to be the biggest
mixture of awe-irspiring and mirth in
spring features in the country. II don't
believe that you people realize" he said
what peculiar impressions you give q
| stranger who has come to make his home
here, especially If he is a westerner.
am from Iowa and out there we regard the
| capital of the nation with considerable awe
Just now, by the way, we think that we
! have pretty good cinch on 1t, but that
| does not lessen our respect. I'll tell you,
| though, that when you really get here and
| settle down as a citizen it's not so awe
| inspiring after all. or course, there are a
| good many such features, but, on the other
hand, there are enough things that make
| fellow want to laugh to balance mat
| terS."
| in the first place" continued the young
! HaWkeyte, u have never been accustomed
| to regarding Washington as southern city
| and L find so many soUtherners here that
| 1t makes me dizzy. They think the town
| Is theirs too, and talk about up north"
| and You northerners' in the most exas-
| pe1ating way. The town seems to over
| flow with people off whose tongues roll
! that pretty southern accent. For it Is it's
| pretty after all, even though-pardon me
we Festerners cannot help thinking how
| much 1t resembles the negro dialect that
| we hear out there more commonly than
| the southern accent. / don't like to admit
| 1t, but 1t Is a fact that out west ANYBODY
| VINO talks with an accent commands a lit
Tie additional secret respect from US. That
| is, OF course, providing 1t comes natural.
| Sometimes people come along who affect
| an accent. either eastern or southern, but
When we discover that we vote them dis
| gustinS and desp able snobs and squelch
| them pretty quick. Nothing makes us
| more angry. Why, l have been almost to
| the fighting point myself several times
since came out here by having some clerk
| IN store throw a lot of that dainty ac-
| cent at me when asking my wants NV
| first idea was that he was putting it on
| and that always arouses a desire to slug
| somebody. l have finally gotten myself to
| realize that when they designate door"
| as do and assure me that certain arti-
| cles are the best in the "haouse" that It
is all right. That they are not trying to
overaWe me with their superiority, but sim
| Virginia or Maryland"
| This, by the way, brings me to one of
| the most delightful features a westerrer
notices in Washington, and that is the
| universal polite and kind treatment that
| you get at the hands of people generally
I'll have to admit that It is a refreshing
| relief from the gruffness and bruskness of
| eiie HuStllnS west. L certainly never saw
such policemen as you have. I have re-
| quired information from several Of them
| and not only had my question fully an
swered very politely and kindly, but was
| aston1shed to have them go on and eX-
| plain things for my benefit further than
| my question had carried them. When one
| or you go west just try the same thing, for
instance In Chicago. One of those seven
| footers along State street will probably
| de1gn to answer your query, but 1t viii be
an answer brief and to the point and he
| may not even look at you when he gives
| it. Why he would no more deign to take
| an interest in you and try to explain mat
| ters any further than you asked than
| President Roosevelt would take me out and
| help me lind good boarding house.
Wants More Dignity.
| speaking of the President reminds me Of
| another subject Your southern Washing
| tonians are polite all right, but, by George
| they are not respectful when 1t comes to
| the head Of the nation. Out in Iowa we
think that Roosevelt is just about the best
| that ever happened, and was nearly para
| lyzed the other night to have one of the
] ladies up at the boarding house-one Of the
incest ones in the place I had thought her
| just start In and pick poor Mr. Roosevelt
! to pieces in the most cold-blooded way
| Why! she said he has not one atom Of
| dignity. The idea Of President Of the
| United States without dignity. Think Of
| his actually inviting q colored person to
| come to the White House and dine with
him Just wait till you see him some day
clattering by this house on horseback after
one Of his dirty, dusty rides Why, 1 saw
! him one day myself come in from a ride
and go right up to the White House lawn
and jump off his horse and mingle with the
| guests at a lawn fete, dirty and griYny as
he was. 1t was shameful Now, for INV
| part l don't see just how such things de-
| tract from Mr.. Roosevelt any. I was as
tonished to hear anybody talk so right here
1
| that way out in Iowa he might have to
| fight.
There is. however. one feature of Wash
1ngton's fame that never will disappoint
! one, and that Is Its reputation as a beau
tiful city. 1t certainly takes the cake in
this regard. The grand massiveness of
your government structures. the stateliness
| of your smooth, wide streets and the air
| Of luxury and culture in your fine resident
| districts-that Is another peculiar feature
| too. You may Sc walking through a line
OF houses that make you think of 9Th ave-
| nue. and then by suddenly turning a cor
| ner (and sometimes you don't even need to
| turn the corner) you come upon a disrepu-
table little negro hut that would not be
| tolerated In the Bowery. There Is a funny
| mixture Of the great and humble features
| You have glorious big hotels on as magnifi-
| cent scale as any in the country and yet
they lay practically idle half the year 1
cannot help but say that the city of Wash
| ington itself strikes me as quite simple and
| ordinary. 1t is strange to get into a town
| that has no manufacturing interests, and
| while your retail interests are large vet
| they do not seem to be conducted on the
| pushing, sweeping plan that you find in
| the west. There is TO use talking, you peo-
| pie have not that Characteristic known as
| hustle In the west. You take life good
| deal easier, and I don't know but what
you enjoy 1t more. Out there you have to
| hustle or you will get walked on. 1 guess
| 1t Is your southern blood.
| Our Street Cars.
''There is one thing in which Washington
seems to be far ahead of some of her larger
| rivals, and that is the street car system.
| 1t seems 10 be g sp'erdidly well-organized
affair. There is a good deal of comfort in
getting around Washington. after having
tried Chicago, Kansas city or St Louis.
and yet here, too. you show those ineyita-
BILE characteristics of politeness and lack
| Of hustle, I wonder. by the way, if the
habit Of hustle kills the habit of poiiteuesv.