The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-01-25
See America a First

SALT JAKE CITY. January B.-lnH COM
unIttce oS the Commercial club having IN
charge arrangements for the SEQ America
First conference in this city January - ana
u announces that representation Is now as
turod from all the trans Nj ISsiSSippl States and
from Duluth on the north to New Orleans on
the south
This Associated Press dispatch will con
vey to many persons the first information
Of concerted movement to persuade
them to see America before they go TO
Europe. il is a missionary enterprise in
tended to call Fasteners TO repentance
ANY man who dwells beyond the Missis-
sippi must necessarily see more or less Of
America before he can even set foot on
transatlantic steamer. As n matter OF
fact, the Westerncr who can AFFORD to
travel at ell Is fairly familiar with the
cities OF the East II would be hard TO
find successful business man in st. Paul
Minneapolis, Omaha. Denver, or San
Francisco who IS not entirely at home in
Chicago, st. Louis. New York. and Phila-
delphia, and who has not done" all the
sights OF Washington. Your prosperous
Seattle lawyer or merchant makes less
ado about coming TO New York than your
New Yorker makes about going to Buffa-
10 or Cleveland.
The Provincial East.
This is why the West very justly calls
the East provincial The Western man
has a far more accurate knowledge Of
the topography Of this country. the agri-
cultural and industrial products of the
various sections, the appearance of cities
and villages the public institutions. and
the temper of the inhabitants. The men
who sit in comfortable clubs In Boston.
New York. and Philadelphia often display
an abysmal ignorance Of the political is-
sues which have provoked the Middle
West into a white heat of indignation
Graduates OF our Eastern universities are
IL A. u ct.
pity OF the unfortunatcs who have never
had any advantages beyond those offered
by the State universities of Michigan,
Wisconsin Nebraska and California-as
II there were no civilization west Of Ell
mira From this type Of bigotry the edu-
Gated Westerncr. with all his local enthu-
siasm and his large talk of fertile soil and
ineXhaustlble mines, IS agreeably free
The West Has Much
The Western gospel will we trust, car
ry conviction to the hearts OF our effete
sinners The West has much to show us.
The cities are bustling and interesting
To speak frankly however, they are not
the greatest thing which America has
produced, Cleveland. Cincinnati. Detroit
Chicago. st. Louis, Kansas city, Omaha,
st. Paul, Minneapolis and Duluth have
developed In the same period; they eX-
hibit the same types OF architecture, they
have many other features in common
few days In each OF them Will satisfy a
sight-secr who might prohtably spend
months or years in ten of the leading
European cities Such Southern cities as
Richmond. Charleston, st. Augustine and
New Orleans have more individuality and
charm. Parts of New Orleans still
breathe something OF the air Of a French
provincial town. Denver in its mountain
eyrie. Salt Lake City with Its Mormon
settlement. Helena and Butte surrounded
by mining camps. Los Angeles In Its semi
tropical splendor, San Francisco seated
on the hills by the Golden Gate, guarded
h,r ha Of Eo frn
ing with the Orient, Portland, lying near
the Columbia; Tacoma and Seattle. with
the magnificent snow-cap Of Rainier, the
Jagged line OF the OlympicS. and Puget
sound to seize the eye from every point
OF outlook-each OF these cities has its
lesson for Americans who want to know
their own land on the glorles of our ma
tural Sccnery-Niagara Falls, Pixies Peak
the Garden OF the Gods. the Yellowstone
the Grand Canyon. Yosemite, ard all the
rest-we need not dwell Everybody
knows that these sights draw visitors
from Europe
Why They Go Abroad.
Why do SO many Americans remain IN
when they have time and money for
travel. they want TO turn TO something
wholly neW-get out of the American at
mosphere In its art galleries It's public
buildings, In every street OF It's ancient
cities, Europe offers opportunities for en-
largement of vision and Of the sense OF
historical perspective and for develop
mcnt OF the aesthetic tastes. which can
not be found this side of the Atlantic
For this reason many persons are con-
tent TO see America last Then, too the
sea voyage Itself ls strong attraction
A week or ten days on the ocean means
for some people as much rest as month
OF travel by train or even of life in the
wflds With rich and poor alike. these
considerations weigh heavily in choosing
between n trip TO England or California
America Expensive.
Rut with the great mass of men who
must reckon the cost carefully. the cx-
penSe of travel in America Is decisive In
six weeks or two months the person who
Is willing to practice decent economies
gets more for his money in Europe than
In the United States. round trip ticket
from New York 10 San Francisco costs
according to the route, between $145 and
Sl63 4 berth I'm the sleeper is about $50
more. meals for five or six days on the
train at least 50 q day, But for $50 OF
perhaps less. one can secure very pleas
ant accommodations TO Liverpool or
continental port and return. including
room and excellent meals. In its hotels
Europe has an even greater advantage
Few OF our cities can boast well-kept
clean. comfortable. and at the same time
low priced hotels. a man travelling with
his family must make up his mind that
unless he can pay the bills at the best
hotels. he must put up with lnattentlon
poor cooking, and dirt.
Facts Must Be Considered.
These facts the Western missionary
must not overlook II he is to succeed I'm
his propaganda. He must induce the
railways and the Pullman company to
lower their rates. The heavy cut for the
Portland exposition drew thousands TO
the Pacific coast last summer. and steady
low fares would doubtless prove Il steady
attraction He must instantly improve
his hotels. The work of reform may very
properly begin In the very place where
the conference Is to be held-Shlt Lake
City. Until tho fares are lower and the