New-York tribune., 1907-10-16
"TIT EOR T4T."

\ few months ago a contributor 10 The
Outlook INDUCED in good natured criticism
Of things In San Francisco with which he was
nfayorably impressed while visiting the Pa
citic Coast In an equally gracious but candid
fashion Mr.. Robert Whitaker a Californian,
now returns the compliment in the pages Of
the same periodical During an extremely de-
liberate pilgrimage from his home 10 the sum
mer resorts Of Maine ana ieisurcly return
trip Mr. Whitaker noticed in the East num-
ber of incidents and customs which excited
wonder and which occasionally provoked an
even less agreeable emotion. Among these
were the practice of closing churches I'm sum
mer, the award of greater honor at Concord to
Revolutionary heroes than to Hawthorne
Emerson and Louisa Alcott, the incvity of a
railway ompoye in Boston. the sternneSs with
which Central Park policeman enforced the
rule to Keep off the grass" the difficulty Of
procuring decent apples and grapes on met
ropolitan street fruit stand and the filthy con-
diton in which the sidewalks In this city were
left in consequence Of the AL too common
habit of splitting
While the accuracy of Mr Whttakor's ohSor
vations cannot hc questioned he might have
discovered 10y longer stay I'm the Fas, that
some Of the occurrences he mentions were not
fairly typical. Many visitors 10 Boston for in
stance. have deemed tho strec,car conductors
those Of the majority of other places Of equal
size. Again, if the genial champion cf tho
Pacific Coast only knew with what difficulty
any verdure whatever is secured in Central
Park, and had heard Of the freedom with
which the public is admitted 10 the tennis
lawns nj the northern end ~ TINT charming
reservation. perhaps he would have regarded
1 more lcniently the heha vior Of the officer 70
whom he refers Possible too his qc0uorDtooco
. .r-itI Z fl,,
been made at the most unfortunate stage Of an
unusually unfavor0blc season
Much can be said In Justification Of shutting
up places of worship in warm weather \
large proportion Of The residents Of all large
cities leave home in summer and remain ah-
sent for weeks ut a time If every church were
kept open during the heated season the attend
ance in some Of them would be pitifuElv small.
lnasmuch as arrangements are usually made
Tor union services in the partially deserted
neighborhOods. both church members who stay
in town and strangers within the gates can
crafty their spiritual aspirations No one
who wants to 20 to church has to forego the
privilege. and there is Il distinct gain from an
aggregation IN one assembly Of auditors WIN
would otherwise be scattered In the mean
time pastors who are off duty at home fire.
qucntly minister 10 the patrons of tho ,rroot
summer hotels. or bv - .comulcta chanoe of
scene ana occupation enhance their usefulness
IN the remaining nine or ten months of the
year. III hclthe" case are their vacations
wasted
Some Of tho other features Of Eastern cjyiJi-
Zation which attracted Mr. Whittakrr'S atten-
ton are so distinctly rcprehcnsiblc that ii must
be admitted that he has made out strong
pf'"G fdcic case He writes in no controversial
spirit however, ana probably overlooked quite
as much that might have offended his TASTE os
he observed. He has at least squared accounts
with the amiable critic whose utterances i'm
sPired this gracious rejonder, and has Illus
trated afresh the fact that no section Of .
country as vast as the United States is fro,.
from peculiarties which cannot be regarded
with admiration