Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-26
HIS VIEWS OF AMERICA
DR.. Lorenz Tells of His Trip
to This Country.
WELCOMED
SOME TRAITS THAT CHARACTER
LIE THE YANKEE PEOPLE.

LIE THE YANKEE PEOPLE.
We Always Want to Know What
Others Think Of Us - Some
Humorous Comments.
Imperial Royal Government Councillor, in the
Neues Wiener Tagblatt: Translated for The
Evening Star by M. /. Weller.
All persons with whom 1 came in con-
| tact in America, without exception. used
| two stereotyped questions. First, is this
your first trip to this country? and second,
| what are your impressions of America?
Ny ears still tingling over these ques-
| tions, for which 1 have prepared similar
stereotyped answers
| New Year eve of this year was the last
| night that 1 passed on the American con-
| tinent, or, really, 1t was on board of the
1 Celtic. I had longed to be upon his
| grand steamer that would afford me desir-
| able peace after three months of unheard
| labor. Even the anticipations of the roll
| ing and pitching OF this ship on the water
| stirred up by winters storms had lost its
| terror; even on this restless and contin-
| uously moving ocean steamer 1 had hoped
| to find the long-desired rest after the
| wearying experience Of American life But
| as soon as l went board the old year
| just passed and the new begun. was net
| by five reporters who defied the terrible
cold and waited for me, and five times the
question was put to me: What are your
| impressions of American / overcame this
| last attack as had others before. But The
| desired rest l only found when the pilot
| had left the boat to return to land loaded
with grateful letters on my part for the
many valuable attentions which had re-
| ceived In parting in the shape of flowers,
| fruits, cigars and similar presents. The
next forty-eight hours I passed mostly in
| the deepest sleep. I had to make UP for
| great deficiency in this respect. And stu
| even in my sleep was continually arousd
| by the memory Of What are your impress
to my senses and felt like a man again 1
| was always greeted with the same ques-
| ton: What are your Impressions OF
American" I did not dare to make any
| new acquaintance on board, for l knew
in advance that the next question put to
me would be: What are your impress
/ sions of American
Same Old Question.
| The dreaded wintry storms did not fail.
| But with it all they had one good Sign
| that during their prevalence no one could
| ask me, What are your impressions of
| American" 1t was when the beautiful
/ mountains Of Ireland hove in sight and the
| Celtic arrived in more peaceful waters to
! take the mail from Queenstown that it
| rained letters and kilograms. "Will you
write a book?" or at least IAN article on
your impressions of America" they ran.
| In Liverpool and London I was over
| whelmed with the same questions again:
| What impressions have you of American
| I am offered brilliant fees. But how could
| l a
lectfons and in my leisure to experience
! them again? Besides, 1t would have been
| a delicate as well difficult affair to
| write in English about America, for praise
would no. have been welcome and with
censure 1 would have had to depart from
| the truth-so 1 preferred to remain dumb
In Vienna was greeted with the question,
What impressions have you of American
| write articles. preferably a book" DE
| liver lecture" 1 withstood these tempta-
| lions bravely. During my absence matters
| had been neglected: therefore had neither
| the disposition nor the physical time to de-
vote to the demand. Only when the hon
Ored faculty of the university came to me
with the same request I felt that 1 must
| not decline the invitation, and that 1t was
my duty to help the noble purposes of the
university with all my powers.
| If l now attempt, in response to the hon.
orable invitation Of the faculty. to tell you
some of the incidents that I experienced
during by travels and some of my travel
impressions of America I beg in advance
for pardon If you should find that I allude
to my own personality often. Do not
regard this as an act of immodesty. In
fact, ] was always present and. many
time contrary to my own will and my own
inclination, the main person in my Ameri-
can experiences. I fact, whoever goes to
America will find out the very first day
that he must be personally present, even
when his shoes are cleaned. have often
put the question to Americans, who have
asked me of my impressions of my daily
f{r,,A tc
necessary for me to be present every
morning when my shoes are being cleaned?
would say: why must have my shoes
on my feet when these being cleaned
and thereby unnecessarily lose quarter of
an hours timer? The answer would be
Yes it is curious, but that is the custom"
The dear personnel of the hotel had other
things to do OF greater Importance II you
want to have your shoes cleaned then YOU
must go to the negro, or clean them your
self. Therefore, I would advise everyone
who intends to visit America to supply
himself in advance with the necessary
utensils for shoe cleaning If he prefers his
independence to his convenience. For the
visitor to the University Club it may be
interesting to learn that the clea ming of
pair of shoes In America is dearer than
dinner in this club tits easy, therefore,
to compute how quickly under such cir
cumstances the cleansing would exceed the
original cost of the shoes. Cleaning shoes
is no bad business in America, and supports
a man well.
Story on Carl schurz.
The celebrated "forty-eighter," DR.. Carl
Schurz, our countryman who, notwfth-
standing his seventy-eight years. is still |
robustly employed and the only Austrian |
who has reached a prominent political po-
sition, told me one evening at the table |
an amusing shoe cleaning story of which |
he had been the hero During the time that |
he was the American Secretary of the In
terror he had to undertake an inspection |
trip in the wild west. His companions and |
the military escort formed considerable |
cavalcade AS there were no bridges in !
that portion of the country and they had |
to ford many streams 1t frequently hap
pened that his riding boots became thor |
oughly wet. After they dried out they
were as hard as stone and naturally hurt |
his feet Upon reaching camp one night |
he relieved himself for while of his tor |
turing foot covering and sent them to the |
soldiers. who were lying around the camp |
fire, with the order to soften up the hard |
hfocrc NTH hono hoy onr,lI H,o