The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-01-10
AMERICAN GOOD THINGS.
WHAT TRAVELLERS IN EUROPE CHIEFLY
MISS.

| Lllc n Gl;tlIIlC. SOIuc VI CuC SuuihCi
travellers have already come home,
more are on the way and the rest will
come soon. The most are bringing
with them certain startling discover.
! les, and some of these are made and
brought home afrcsh each year, even
by those who cross the Atlantic often.
One of these is that America is great
good place and another is that 'little
old New York is good enough" for al
most anybody.
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 institu-
tions and it's ruins-but these things
are not the subject of this sketch.
This is about the advantages of Amer
ica and the manner in which the convic-
tion of them steals upon the traveller
through the very force of separation.
1t is an altogether healthy sensation,
and it shows that the one who feels it
is unspoiled by European indulgence.
| Neither is this intended to be pro-
found article. 1t 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 wcstward-bound At
lantic steamer may he surprised, and
perhaps panied, to learn that the sub
| ject of discussion which transcends all
others among those Nho have been
gathering a summers experience and
culture is food. Americans who travel
meet other Americans every where they
90; but when they get on board the
ship which is to bring them home they
! find that least nlne-tenths of their
companions are their countrymen. At
once their thoughts and aspirations are
let loose, with a conviction, now felt
for the first time in long while, that
they will reach sympathetic ears. Ex-
periences are first related and compar-
ed, and these quickly give place to the
expression of longings. The beauties
of lake, mountain, picture gallery and
ruins are mentioned, but are dwelt on
lightly; then comes the absorbing top
ic of the desire for food. After one
has learned the trick it is amusing to
start group of three or four home
ward bound Americans on the subject
of food and then to sit still 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 battening on the fat
of many lands.
There are five things which will per
haps gradually, but certainly, rise to
the surface of the conversation-beef-
steak, green corn, watermelon, coffee
AMI 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 tc
the American beef means, first of all
beefsteak. He does not realize till he
sees it how thoroughly the beefcon
suming habit of England is given over
to roast beef. Beefsteaks are some
what used, of course, and there are
even beetsteak clubs, but the rump is
the usual cut, and the average Eng
lishman would probably think any
other portion wasted on steak when il
might be roasted. The thick double
sirloin, or club, steak is virtually un
known. "Oh, yes" said an Englisl
hotel landlord the other day, II have
heard of those steaks that you have il
America; 'por:erhouse,' you call them
don't you? And it may be news t.
some that the name OF "porterhous
steak" as we'll as the thing is purel,
American.
In Germany the rump steak, of in
ferior quality usually, can be had, bu
the sirloin and the porterhouse ar
again unknown. In France the file
is prepared in many messy styles, bu
the very word "bifsteck" implies hov
foreign thing is the true bccfsteak
On the bill of fare of a certain New
York restaurant 33 different styles O
beefsteaks are enumerated. Othe
restaurants may offer more, but figure
are not at hand. Such list as thi
would be rs great surprise 10 tn
average hotel keeper as the printe'
menu itself, revised and dated ane,
every day.
Green corn is a purely America
product. and it would be too much t
: expect to see it adopted in Europe afl
| er so few centuries as Europe has la
to investigate and consider its advan
tages. Tobacco found its way int
RAPID fa,o in Europe, hut that he
the suspicion of a vice about it to Civ
J; it prestige, The potato also cam
TO he adopted, through the determin;