The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-18
BY George AIDE.


n T may be set down as safe propo
4 sition that every man is Devil
dered maverick when he wanders
out of his own little bailiwick. Did you
ever see a stock broker on stock farm,
or a cow puncher at the Waldorf9
A man may be duck in his private
puddle, but when he strikes deep and
strangetwaters he forgets how to swim.
Takeasome captain of industry who
resides in large city Of the middle
west. At home he is unquestionably
IT. Everyone knows the size of his
, bank. account, and when he rides down
to business in the morning the. con-
ductor Of the trolley holds the car for
him. His fellow passengers are de-
lighted to get a favoring nod from him.
When he sails into the new office build
ing the, elevator. captain gives him
CHEEKY but deferential "good morn
Ing. ~ In his private office he sits at
a $500 rolltop desk from Grand Rapids,
surrounded by push buttons, and when
ne gives the word someone is expected
to hop. AT noon he goes to his club
for luncheon. The head waiter jumps
over two chairs to get at him to re-
lisye him of his hat and then leads him
t. abe most desirable table and hovers
over him even as mother, hen broods
over her first born.
This distinguished citizen, director Of
the First National bank, trustee Of the
Cemetery association, member Of the
advisory committee Of the Y. M. G. A.,
president Of the Saturday Night Poker
club, head Of the Commercial club and
= founder Of the Wilson County Trotting
association, is a whale when he is
seated on his private throne in the corn
belt. He rides the whirlwind and
commands the storm. = The local paper
speaks Of him in bated capital letters,
and he would be more or less than
human if he failed to believe that he
was 8 very. large gun.
+ !. !.
Take this same business behemoth
and set him down in Paris or Rome or
Naples. With a red guidebook
clutched helplessly in his left hand and
his right hand free, so that he can dig
up the currency of the realm every
thirty seconds, he sets forth to berome
acquainted with medieval architecture
and the work of the old masters. HI
is just as helpless and apprehensive as E
country boy at Coney. Island. The
guides and cabmen bullyrag him
sNewsboys and beggars poster him with
stop to laugh at his Kansas City
fedora. When he goes into shop tn
polite brigand behind the showcase
charges him two prices and gives hin
bad money for change.
Why9 Because he is in strang'
man s town, stripped of his local i'm
portance and battling with foreig1
language. The man who cannot tall
back Immediately becomes weakling
+ + + >
What is the chief terror to travel
1t is the lonesomeness Of feeling tina
one cannot adapt himself to the un
familiar background and therefore
sure to attract" more or less attentio
as curio. And in what city does thi
feeling Of lonesomeness become mos
overwhelming? In London. ="
The American must go to England i
order to learn for dead certaint
that he does not speak the Englis
language. On the continent if h
kicks on the charges and carries a grea
deal Of hand luggage and his clothes
not fit him any too we'll he may be mil
taken for an Englishman. This grea
JOY never awaits him in London. .
I do not wish. to talk about mysel
yet I can say in truthfulness that
have been working for years to enric
the English language. Most Of th
time / have been years ahead Of tn
dictionaries. 7 have been so far ahea