The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-31

eigners generally admit the superiority
of America in this respect and in many
others. In America the railroads do
all that is possible to encourage
travel; here travel is apparently dis
cOuraged by a lot of unnecessary bull
Medicines. think more OF America
and Of Americans now than ever
did.
The politest hotel man I have found
in the Orient I found at the King Ed
ward. in Hong Kong. d native of
India. Most of the hotel clerks show
travellers as little attention as pos
sible, and the only way to get your
rights is to kick" A hard kick
usually brings results. I have noticed
this everywhere: the traveller who
fuses the most comes nearest getting
what is coming to him I am sorry
this is true, but it is, in the Orient
I seldom kick" at home but I am
learning it here: I find it necessary
TO preserve my life.
I found it necessary to tie myself at
Hong Kong, to keep from taking the
Minnesota" for home The Mime
sofa is a fine American ship, and sails
IN a few days for Seattle. I do not at
tempt to be different" when I candid
ly congratulate those Americans who
have sense enough to, remain at home.
Tt Is not the slightest exaggeratiOn to
say that a tour around the world is a
hardsh1F This is particularly true of
the ocean voyage I can give you no
idea of the discomfort you must under
go Don't let returning travellers de-
eeive you; give up your longing for
long foreign trip. You may think
you would enjoy it. but you wouldn't.
i constantly hear travellers about me
saying they have nothing to eat. Still,
they have everything: Soup, fish, birds.
beef, sweet breads, ices. fruits nuts
cakes, etc, but the trouble is the cook
ing does not suit you And on every
ship, and in every hotel, the cooking
is different I have not had d good
cup Of coffee since starting from San
Francisco. 1 am accustomed to coffee
prepared in a certain way, and the
cooks / encounter have a different way.
I have long been accustomed to certain
kinds of food In every country I find
the food different and prepared in d
different way. AS a result, am slowly
starving to death, although surrounded
with an abundance of food, served from
/ four to seven times d day. I would not
repeat this trip, if paid d large salary.
! There has been Just one recompense:
/ I have seen many strange things. After
/ a man has lived in one place twenty
4 eight years, he becomes very familiar
with everything about him, and there
4 is a sort of rest in going abroad, and
/ encountering things you never so much
as heard of. My own affairs have been
/ almost completely crowded out of mind,
| by the Incidents here. ana I suppose I
have been benefited in way, but I
/ VIII not appreciate it until after I have
been at home again several weeks.
When leave the ship at New York,
viii be thinner than I was when
started: I can't possibly get fat on an
experience like that I had on the
/ Team But I have enlisted for the
war. and tomorrow L go on board the
Peninsular & Oriental ship "Simla' to
continue my journey around the world.
Ny first stop viii be at Singapore, in
the Straits Settlements: thence to Co
4 Jumbo, in Ceylon; thence to Calcutta,
and across India. to Bombay; thence to
Port Said and Cairo. But had I not
/ promised to bring Fred Barrel a bottle
of water from the river Jordan, I
would cut and run for home by the
shortest route.