Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-11-10
gNeLIsHMAN THE GREAT.
Editorial Correspondence.
Hutchinson News.)
London, Aug. 81.

Editorial Correspondence.
Hutchinson News)
London, Aug. 81.
London is easily the capital of the
world. As much as every other large
nation might argue the question
there is general acceptance Of the
fact that Great Britain is
the greatest force politically. The
English commerce which goes under
the English flag to the furthemost
parts the great English colonies, al.
most independent states, Canada and
Australia, the rich English posses
sions like India and South Africa, the
English spheres of influence" like
Egypt and Persia, and the supremacy
Of English capital and banking meth
DDS, all Of these and the capable, self.
possessed, educated English manhood
and womanhood, have made the pow
er of Great Britain foremost among
the nations. And London is not only
the political capital of England and
MS dependencies, but it is the capital
in business. books, art fashion,
science and money. The wealth and
the literature and the commerce of
the world depend on the judgement
of London. The very thought of the
power thus included is impressive. l
walked down Threadneedle street and
Lombard street, each about as large
as an alley in Hutchinson and thought
of the millions and millions of money
and capital which those plain build
ings contained, and of the power
which the men within them possess
ed. Then | thought of the eight mil
hon people in London, moving around
like ants in a hill and the size, the
activity, and the never-ending motion
brought most fOrcibly 10 mind how
insignificant is one man, especially
if he is from Kansas and doesn't
know a soul in all that aggregation.
But there is one part of London in
which all English speaking people
have a. part, the London of history,
of Dickens, Thackery, Johnson, Shake
spearc and those men whose names
are living long after the money lender
and the broker are forgotten. A httle
way. from the Band and the bankers
is the old Curiosity Shop, the Chesh-
are Chees, the Cook, the Temple
Counts, and hundreds of names famil-
lar to every reader of English Ttera-
ture, and instead Of being lonesome
and oppressed by the weight of the
millions of people and money, | felt
that r. had met old friends and that
Little Dora, or David CoppeHfield, or
Samuel Johnson, or Pendennis, or OH
yer Twist or some other acquaintance
whom l knew very well was expected
every minute. That is the great beau
tv of being am American IN London,
for all of the history and literature
that has centered here is ours as well
as our English cousins.
The hanson cab and the old omni-
bus are disappearing before the taxi
and the motor bus. 1t is shame
but the world will move on. Every
EngliShman or traveller remembers
the London cab, with its two wheels
and hood-shaped carthage and the
driver up behind. There are still a
few but the taxis are faster and the
London cab horse will soon be freed.
So it is with the old bus, drawn by
two good horses and driven by an ex-
pert driver who knew all of the his
tory and romance of the buildings
along the route and who would i'm
part said information with decorations
and embellishments to the traveller
with a sixpence. All Of this sOcallsd
progress, the motor cans and the wild
er streets, are doubtless more eff
cient and more sanitary, but they are
not near so picturesque or interesting.
The taXicabs go through the London
crowds, the jam of vehicles and the
congestion Of traffic at a speed that
would not be tolerated in a small
town in Kansas. The policeman
stands on the corner and regulates
the moving mass, but apparently
there is no speed limit only punish
ment for bad driving. The motor
driver who runs over a man is Sc
verely punished and that makes him
careful. The rule works we'll, but no
guile so well as the one in Paris
which Furnishes the pedestrian who
gets in the way of the motor car.
Next to the wages problem is the
land problem i'm England. Three OF
four men own half the real estate n
London. Their ancestors got it in G
fairly legitimate way when it was ou
lN-sr