Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-01
Prejudice Against Americans.


Toward evening 1t is always safer for
strangers to retire. particularly English
and American tourists. for there is in
tense prejudice against us and our English
cousins. which was considerably increased
by the war.
Seville is the only place in Spain where
any demonstration was made by the public.
Here the American consulate was attacked
and looted by mob, which carried away
books and furniture and other articles as
trophies. and in the plaza burned the shield
bearing the coat-of-arms of the United
States that hung over the entrance Since
then Walter Saberton, the English secre-
tary of the electric light company, has been
acting as consular agent. and he is very
competent and courteous representative.
However here. as elsewhere in Spain, the
people have even greater dislike for
Engiishmen than they have for Americans
and for the same curious reason that I ex-
planned to you in a letter from Madrid
They actually think that If the British gov
eminent had not interfered they might
have whipped our army and navy and re-
tanned Cuba and the Philippines
During all our journey in Spain, however
we have experienced nothing but the kind
est treatment and unvarying courtesy No.
body has treated US rudely, nobody has
offered us a slight, and every one we have
met has known us to be Americans yet I
have heard half dozen Englishmen COM
pain OF insults ana Ill treatment, and thew
all attribute 1t to resentment for the atti-
tude of their government during the war
with the United States.
Electric Car Line.
There is a fine system of electric cars now
in place of the little old-fashfoned mule
trans that We're here when l visited Seville
ten years ago, but on some of the lines
they do not run cars except early in the
morning and late in the afternoon. They
stop about 10 o'clock and resume about 4.
There is reason for everything, of course.
and this peculiarly is due to the fact that
there is little or no patronage during the
middle of the day. Hundreds of working
men use the cars In the morning and at Ter
working hours at night: there are also
many people coming into the city in the
morning to do marketing and shopping and
in the evening for amusement. But upon
the principal lines the cars run at ten-min-
ute intervals.
There Is an excellent cab system, eoupes
and victorias to be found at all the plaZas
and in the neighborhood of the hotels and
, public buildings, which may be hired for !
peSata-about 10 GEMS in our money-for
the trip. and 30 cents by the hour. No city
in the United States has such cheap and
convenient cab service. But all the cities
in Europe have great advantage over us
In this respect In France. Germany. Italy.
Austria and every other country the public
carriages are better and cheaper and more
numerous than they can be found anywhere
on our size OF the ana the CaDnleD
are almost always intelligent. polite and
| honest. Occasionally you hear a traveller
complain of being swindled out of a few
| coppers; OF having a cabman refuse to give
| him change for some small coin, but can
| tell you from experience that the hack
| drivers of New York, Chicago and other
| American cities are robber barons compared
! to the humble members of their profession
| in Spain and other parts of Europe. In
| Europe stranger is always safe In num-
| bered cab. but / should hate to trust ig-
norant foreigners who cannot speak our
| language to the mercy of most of our hack
| drivers.
| Out-of-Door Life.