Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07

reasons 80 many Of US are ESCAPING
from America Is the desire to be let
alone. In London, and for the matter
Of that IN Parin. though not 80 much
there as In London, people are accus.
toned to mind their own business,
Private gossip and scandal are at q
minimum here, not only in houses, but
in clubs; and your newspapers do not
print it.
My day. as a wealthy man in Great
Britain, is SO entirely different from
my day in the United States that I
will describe both for the benefit of
American friends who may be DESTROYS
| Of Joining us in life in this delightful
country.
My Day in London.
1t Is the London season. I rise at
half-past eight or nine to quiet meal,
at which we help ourselves without
the aid of servants-who are not pres.
ent at British breakfasts-to the &c.
compartment OF newspapers that pre-
fer world-politics to what we call
"ne1ghborhood news" walk or ride
as choose, and there is no crowd CT
curious spectators to watch me as I
make my exit. There Is, in fact no
curiosity with regard to rich people
in London. Only the other day there
died In London your. Mr.. Morrison, one
of the richest men IN the world, and I
have never heard his name, nor had
any Of those at the clubs in which the
matter was discussed Mr.. Astor and
Mr.. Morgan, whose smallest doings
would be chronicled in the United
SfQfnd mr. MO nc FpNo
please here, and their private comipgs
and goings are not recorded, for the
simple reason that no one wants to
hear about them.
The absence Of class feeling in
England Is another reason why many
Of us prefer to live here. The rich
and the poor are not divided into two
hostile factions. Every man has his
place. There is not the rush.. envy,
and malice Of New York society, with
its continual struggle of Western and
Pittsburg people to get into that Curl
GUS circle "The -Four Hundred" New
York society is not what it was in my
early days. When old Mrs. Aston
reigned supreme society in New York
was not at all unlike society in Lon
don. There was no ostentation and
any person of birth, brains or breed
ing were freely admitted. Today 1t is
merely question of money and such
charming salons as exist in London
where rank money, and brains occupy
about the same position, are now i'm
possible in most American cities, and
certainly in New York.
From mans point of view the con-
slant dressing up of the American
man is extremely trying. Here, con-
trary to the average American notion,
there is very little Formally of any
kind; too little, many people think in
these days of what is known as the
"rat-catcher" style of dress adopted
by the Englishman. Such things as
card leaving and calling are rapidly
going out of fashion, and one is free
to do as one chooses. If desire 10
entertain at luncheon, 1 can ask whom
l choose, provided, however, that there
is something beyond food to offer
Authors, actors, poets, playwrights,
statesmen, men Of business, dis
tinguished foreigners, the delightful
members OF your Royal family, all mix
and meet here on terms that at first
amaze the American.
Now at home l have to deal with
people who are all shaped in the same
mould; for, able, virile, and splendid
as the American man is en- masse,
you will realize that there are very
few outstanding Municipalities in that
population of ninety millions.
Your political world, too, possesses
q charm which, alas! is not yet posi-
BILE in America. The idea Of younger
son Of an American aristocratic family
taking part in the management of ma
tional affairs is almost impossible on
that side of the water. Mr. Roosevelt
was notable, fine, exception. OF
late years we have got to regard poll
tics as trade, and pretty bad one
at that.
In London am not perpetuany
stared at, telephoned at, written at,
Photographed at, and libelled.
The afternoon is spent here in any
Of a hundred pleasant ways, and an
intellectual dinner is enjoyed with
out mention Of stocks and shares.
MY Day In New York.
Now compare my day in the par
ticular American city which was my
uSduQudi LSiS. llNeQ ldIleFly III
palatial hotel, beautiful in design, in
mechanical comfort far superior to
anything in Great Britain, but over
decorated, over-heated, over-noised.
and with very little of the milk Of
human kindness about it. Just as it
takes half an hour to get shaved in
America, SO does 1t take twice as long
to be waited on at table. The waste
of time in these matters is intolerabe
to one accustomed to the quickness Of
London. l am barely awake when
am, once week at least, beset BY
reporters asking for information in
regard to the affairs of my friends. AS
like as not, were to say word
which do>not dot would be twisted
and distorted. Fortunately, estab-
lished such reputation for never
speaking to the newspapers that even
when interviews are ascribed to me
my friends know they have not
taken place.