The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-01-25
MIR, KELLY TELLS
Of HIS TRAVELS
Australia a Land of Promise
Queer Colonial Business
Habits.

TT Kelly, custom house storekeep-
ar. was met by an Advertiser reporter
after his landing from the Sierra and
asked what he thought of the Colonies
..It,s a beautiful country" his reply
hogan. When they generally adopt
American agricultural implements and
modern methods of impounding water.
so that they will not depend on the
rainfall, it will be great country.
.Melbourne is one of the finest cities
I have ever seen. Sydney is Wen built,
but its streets are narrow. There is
not a more beautiful sheet of water in
the world than Sydney harbor. It is
indented with many pretty coves and
in these vegetation comes right down
to the waters edge. And the surface
of the harbor is as smooth as the top
of this table.
But the way business is done in the
Colonies will give a man from the
States a jolt There is entirely too
much sport there. Cricket and horse
racing and all that kind of thing are
going the whole time. went into a
bank in Melbourne to do some bust
ness the day after New Years, and,
would you believe it. was told that the
bank was closed for a week to balance
the accounts. It was the first time /
ever heard of a bank closing to have
the books written up.
IT went into a photograph gallery to
have a picture taken and asked when
the photos would be ready. The an
swer was four weeks and when said
I would be leaving inside of as many
days was told they would send me the
pictures NO, you will not I said and
went out.
when I went to a place to have
suit of clothes pressed I found it could
not be returned until four days later.
and when I said that in Honolulu
Chinese or japanese would return such
WORK INSIDE ol d u1y LIE iiiai IA Shoa &c
said:
That's where you Americans are
making a great mistake, teaching all
those people your Yankee tricks
I'm Auckland saw sign where
rubber heels could be put on shoes,
but found I could not get a pair heeled
within less than three days.
Then again there was a sign OF
American Mixed Drinks Here and !
went inside and asked for one. Being
asked if I would like to see it made
and answering yes I was shown one
of those rafting old milk shakers,
which were out of date here about
twenty years ago. Then the fellow
asked me to name some of the Amer
lean drinks now in vogue. and when
did so he said he never heard of them
before and asked how they We're made.
I told him he could send to San Franz
cisco and get book for two bits which
would teach him. He wanted to know
what two bits meant.
"a quarter
"tAnd what's a quarter?'
The same as two sixpences.
oh, If you had said a bob should
have understood you.
Mr.. Kelly also related the substance
of a conversation he had with a jew
eler whose store he visited primarily
to buy souvenir spoon. The jeweler
inquired how his store compared with
American stores.
1T is not to be named in the same |
day with them,'' was the frank answer. |
An explanation being desired the Jew |
eier was given few simple precepts |
on the manner in which an American
storekeeper would deal with a casual |
customer such as the speaker who |
bought an article and then evinced a |
desire to see other wares.
The occasion of the gentle homily |
was the fact that when Mr. Kelly had |
inquired, after buying the spoon, IL |
the dealer had certain line of articles |
he received only a laconic yes in re-
Spouse without the slightest motion at |
showing the goods.
'.Well, you got what you wanted"
was in substance the extenuating argu- |
ment.
AS to that the dealer was informed |
that the spoon was virtually sold be-
fore the customer entered the store. |
and that an American dealer would |
have shown customer who evinced |
the slightest curiosity his entire stock |
If necessary while any chance of fur
Their purchases was apparent.
In the end the Aucklander offered to |
show the visitor from Yankeedom his
entire stock, but the offer was resneet-
fully declined.
<4-o~-