The Washington herald., 1909-04-25
AMERICAN AT OXFORD
EngLanRS Venerable University Town as Seen b,
One from the NeW World

Wills ] Ahicst. il London Daily Man.
II was. one must admit. with some dire
ful fo-ebodings of future financial disas-
ter that we found ourselves greeted. as
our cab drew I'D before the quaint hotel.
by a small army OF hunkeys Of various
stations. Il was noon IN High street-noon
on this occasion yelled in a murk Of mist
thar made Us wonder why We had fed
London 10 escape fog. Within the CHEEKY
hotei-it had been dispensing cheer Tor
about 40 vears-noon was signalzed by
the instantaneous demand upOn the part
Of the head waiter for our luncheon or
ders. even before We could register
Fetch me said the American leader
OF our small corps Of invaders. having in
mind New York hOte! at IN D m. and
bsinr hungry. "a bin OF fare
we have boiled mutton. responded
the master OF the feast briefly.
But We don't like boiled mutton What
elsee-
"Oh. sir, All kinds Of cold meats.
cheese. salad. and boiled mutton. with
amer sauce" The emphasis laid upon
The name Of that respectable sauce ia
nillar alike 70 the boarding houses OF
Bloomsbury and those about Long Acre
So,,are. New York shOuld have IN
spired confidence, but il did not
-Irs an unpleasant day. we're cold
an6 We want something hot What about
chops OF cutiets?-
you can have chops. sir Oh yes. but
i Kill take al least fifteen minutes Now.
the boiled mutton is ready.s
We wondered as we contentedly con-
sumed the chops before a glowing fire.
and in q trim room looking out upon the
High" through quaint old windows. why
the waiter insisted upon the hardship OF
waiting fifteen minutes for chops. An
American waiter would have promised
them in FIVE minutes and brought them
in thirty. But the chief study Of the OK
ford waiter was 10 warn two cold and
hungry Americans that chops would de-
Law them. while boiled mutton could be
had straightaway upon the order. We
noted that the Gining-room was empty
save for Us and for moment thought
that We had entered st an unseemly
hour when the walters were anxious to
escape their professional labors- But this
seemed improbable in a country given 10
eating and "teatng az ali imaginable
hours. So. reluctantly we concluded that
II was because We were Americans that
this kindly sOlicitude for e wasted fifteen
minutes was manifested So many OF our
countrvmeu have done oxford in a
dav and dashed of to Stratford or War
wick that a prudent waiter studies to
speed his parting guest An American
waiter would have exerted al his talents
for delay 10 make the lUncherS miss their
train, particularly II. as in this instance,
they happened to be the only two guests
IN the towns most famous hotel.
The city OF oxford. the city OF domes
and spires. vas Of interest TO me, for I
was seeing II for the first time. And I
am frankly glad to have seen the ancient
city in its dullest season-Tight in the
middle OF the Christmas vacation. when
no undergraduates and few college dig
nltaries who could help themselves re-
NAMED in town.
oxford, II seems. has some s0O00 people,
with not factory. unless an occasional
brewery be listed under that head. Its
people are supported by the colleges.
twenty-three Of them. with an aggregate
attendance OF about 3.5oo students.
Now that is the point about this uni
yersity OF all the world that most per
pIexes the American visitor. Some OF
our great universities-Yale, Columbia,
Harvard. and Chicago-are situated in
great cities. but they neither support
nor dominate the towns New York, New
Haven, and Chicago are as little depend
ent upon the collegiate communities
slowed away within their borders as
London is upon the British Museum Chi
cago has a university with 5000 stu
dents and faculty Of easily 500 MEM
bers. but the tone OF the city Is vastly
more affected by iss stocbysrds and pack
ing-houses than by its scholastic COM
muniiy.
But we have our colleges which prac-
tically support the towns in which they
are established Such a one is the Uni
versity OF Michigan. AT Ann Arbor. in
that State. There are 1900 students gath
cred from all parts OF the world, and