New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-24
OURSELVES
An Irishman's Visit to the
United States.

FROM DUBLIN TO CHICAGO. Some Notes
on a Tour In America. BY George A. BIT
mingham. svo pp. 800 The George II.
Doran Company.
1t is no profound socio-political
study which Dean Hannay offers us in
these pages, but a series OF first inn
pressions of what he saw and expert
enced while in this country during the
season of the production of his COM
edy, General Regain" His memories
are altogether pleasant ones. His
greatest grievance is that native Amer
leans do not seem to like lrishmen,
however sentimental they may grow
over the charm-and sometimes the
Woes-of ireland. He confesses that
he would rather be called Pat, as in
England, than Mick. as with us. II it
be a reproach to the Irish that they
run our municipal politics, he ventures
TO protest, at least New York is the
cleanest city he has ever visited, and
ne adds: IF it be true that we Irish
govern New York, then men ought 20
give up speaking of US as the dirty
Irish Dirty 1t appears that we are
the only people who have ever kept
a city clean"
Being a writing man himself, he APP
Dreciates the work OF our reporters,
out why does the American public
care TO read interviews with newly ar
rived foreigners my first interviewer,
my very first, photographed me. | told
him that he was wasting a plate, but
ne went on and wasted three. why
did he do it? If were very beautiful
woman ] could understand 1t, though
I think it would be a mistake to pho
tograph Venus herself OH the gang
way of a steamer at o'clock IN the
morning in a dOwnpour Of rain. But
what pleasure could the public be ex-
pected to find in the reproduction OF q
picture OF a commonplace, middle-agec
man? Yet the thing was done" AS
for the American language, 1t certainly
presents some difficulties, though 1t re-
sembles in no ways what passes for it
in English fiction. But solicitors in
England are regarded as more or less
respectable members of society. Some
j of their clients may consider them
crafty, but no one would class them
( with vagabonds. 1t was therefore a
/ surprise to me to read a notice on an
Office door: Solicitors and beggars are
prohibited to enter this building"
When Dean Hannay's laundry went
astray, the pleasant and highly vital
young lady at the hotel telephone as
sured him that she would clay out that
| laundry right now" He had vision OF
| dead laundresses all in q row. He likes
/ our fright now" far better than the
| English "at once" though he learned
| by experience that it generally means
no more han Shakespeare's canon,
! Sir, anon" AID when the waitress at
the breakfast table asked him if he
was Through with the cereal" he was
ruzzled. Then there are our place
names. Indian names he accerts, OF
course, as most appropriate and with
/ a romance all their own, AID English
place names, lovingly kept alive in the
new world by the settler, but why, he
asks, Cairo or Memphis?
As for our sleeping cars, they are
inferior to those of Europe; our democ-
racy is genuine, but this visitor wishes
TO know how a man can accept tips and
yet insist upon his equality with the
donor, usually by not thanking him.
lie prefers European discomfort to
much of our comfort-the portable,
shallow tin basin TO our porcelain lined
bathtub, for instance. And, in Mr..
Howellss phrase, he would rather be
cold and healthy than warm and
healthy like ourselves. We have clubs
because we are sociable; the English
man makes his the one place where he
can be sure of being left severely alone.
Of course, there is a chapter on the
American woman, a thoughtful one,
which leads to a distinction between
the manners of English ard American
men:
The outward acts are identical.
But there is subtle difference in
the spirit which inspires them. The
Englishman does these things be-
cause he is chivalrous. The woman
/ belongs to the weaker sex, he to
the stronger. All courtesy is there