Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-05
EUROPE THE PLACE TO REST
old World, Says John l.. Webster,
Affords Real NRcn-
ton.

why do 1 go abroad for my summer
vacation? you ask and l will tell you, said
John l.. Webster who, with his wife and
daughter, has returned from a two months
trip across the water. THAT is the only
way to, be absolutely free from business
cares at home It means two crossings Of
the Atlantic which is more restful than
anything else a man could do who enjoys
ocean travel. l have crossed the ocean
fourteen ines and enjoy it more each
time.
In Europe one Is constantly meeting
with people Of different races, hearing
different languages and seeing different
tastes, fancies and habits. The cities are
different, the architecture is different, the
colorings are different and 1t is the old in
contrast with the new. and therefore va
riety, entertainment and rest.
Europe furnished everything one cares
to see by way of amusement, entertain
ment or instruction and at convenient dis
tsnces by short routes Of travel one to the
other.
1--WE spent a week in london riding about
the streets of that city of 100000 people,
making brief visits to its museums, art
galleries and historic buildings, such as St.
Paul's cathedral, Westminster abbey, its
old palaces and its long range of parks.
I'm nine hours one travels from this great
city of London to Paris. another city of
100000 people. coming again in contact
with people who speak an entirely diff
ferent language and have different tastes,
entertainments and habits. These two
great cities are not much further apart
than Omaha and Kansas City, but the
change from one to the other is as great
as though they were on different sides Of
the world.
Paris, with it's Louvre and Gutenberg
galleries, Notre Dame and Magdellne
churches, monuments historic Of its
great battles of the time of Napoleon,
columns and arches at every great Center,
its boulevards and cafes along the Champs
Elysee and its parks, makes the city a
panorama of beauty that appeals to the
fancy and imagination of the traveller.
Five hours ride from Paris puts one in
the city of Brussels. the capital of Belgium,
a city of more than $4,000 people and which
has been properly styled Il new Paris. l
spent a week in Belgium making my last
visit at the city OF Antwerp and sailing
from that point. Antwerp is different
from other cities in many respects. 1t is
situated on the border line between Bel
gium and Holland and here one finds four
different languages spoken on account of
its proximity to England. France, Germany
and Holland. The English call the city
Antwerp. the French call 1t Anvers and
the Holland Dutch call It Antwerpen. These
three different spellings and pronounce
atoms of the name OF the city will Illustrate
the different pronunciations and s~pellings
Of the words used TO designate different
thoughts and objects.
I'm this city is the great cathedral, who's:
steeple, $50 feet high. is so delicate in It's
outlines, carvings and structure thai
Napoleon once compared It to Machlir
lace. The paintings inside the church are
valued at millions of dollars. An Ameri
can from New York offered $4,000 for q
single painting by Rubens, which hangs
In this cathedral. but which was not con
coded by the authorities as even a tempta
ton to sell.
aside from amusement and entertain
ment travel abroad is an education, On
can gather more information in a sum
mer's tour than can be gathered in a yea
Of reading. The impressions gathered ar,
lasting and forever afterwards furnish
pleasant recollections.
1T is worth everything to see the cities
countries and people and the historit
places that you read about in books, jour
nails and newspapers and the points from
which come the Geographic dispatches o
what is going on in the world.