The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-11-02

your correspondence solicited
would be to close the outside shut.
ters and the windows and let down tho
shades. How the clerks could get the
breath to keep at work in the bust.
ness Offices I at time visited, | could
not see, every precaution being taken
to exclude the outside air. Occasion
ally on entering a street car one Of
our party would let down a window.
to meet at once an opposition from
shivering enemies to ozone At night.
in big cities I have walked kilometres
past residences without seeing a SIN
gle open window or other evidence Of
ventilation. A highly educated Euro
pean welded to an American lady told
me hat until his marriage he had
never heard of people sleeping with
their windows open. The avowed
European railway carriage compart-
ments at night are manufactures Of
scents having the strength Of knock
out drops. These little d~og-kennels
have both doors and windows tightly
shut, and woe betide the American
who tries to open either by the tenth
Of an inch. He clashes Immediately
with immovable public opinion,
h most probable theory I heard
advanced with regard to this avoid
ance, by the continental nations, If
air unadulterated by human contact
was hat It was the result Of their
contest with the inclemencies Of eli
mate. In most OF Europe the weather
is damp or cool the greater part Of
the year. The houses are consequently
chilly, the price of fuel being too high
to permit Of steady artificial heating
Hence, people clad themselves warm
ly; and, when their apartments are
heated, to save fuel, they close i'm the
warmer and exclude the cooler air.
thus becoming accustomed to over
breathed air. But this explanation
hardly covers the whole ground. I'M
Italy the night air was spoken Of rs
miasmatic. and hence to be dread.
Whatever the origin Of airOphobIa. tn"
disease is to Americans II OF inc
most remarkable among the social
phenomena to be observed IN Eu:"b''
The vitiated air Of European tho
aires is but a part Of their gen fi
badness. Exceptions always. Of course.
There must be some fine theatres I'D
every country in Europe, but pa.
1ieve, that I saw a fair averaG" "-
those open in the months Of nay trip
For comfort to the audience. for
price Of admission, for wholesomr"as7
in the plays, for compensation to ar
tors and employees, in a word, as u
social institution the theatre in Et-
rope in general car not hold Il can
dle'' to our great, clean, progTeS.L|'
American places Of amusement i"'
auditorium Of the continental theatres
or opera houses, with is three or l'"l
galleries Of stuffy @1oges," is Inc
hottest extreme from the p~reFa.''~
American construction whose ann
view Of the stage for every one lA '.1
audience. a circulation OF 1reSh -,
a democratic opposition to inc
c~lusiveness Of caste and safety in case
Of accident When / went TO the l"
atre or opera in any city S'',t
the best performances at the NON,
on the boards. Nearly all I saw "'-'
w~retchedly bad, morally or a't7|
| cally,-bad to a degree in~tolerd"I"
American audiences. III VIM"
partly sat through a performance me-.
the Prater Varieties which l0I va
ness and smut I never saw eqD@r-
in America; Withal, the play Va ~,
sented with both actors ana T1r-
of about the grade Of a ten-ceh' 100
kers' show at Coney Island. ,.ra
In Rome. at the National l"s-
| one Of the principal houses an aa1r
eta given by a numerous cum tha
the scenes of which were lalu had
United States, was so ludlcrou9IE nd
in and characters actiH7 OH
SINGING that it drew tears o. an.
ter from the Americans III nm
dtence. / mention these w" p'
frontinue1 on Page Fifteen}