Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-08

down the Andes in Harry Francks
hook, 'Nagabonding Down the Andes.
than with Franck himself over the
same route" said |. "Archdeacon
stuck takes us most of the way by
boat with some of the conveniences
OF civilization. Harry Franck tramped
most OF the way from Bogota to the
end OF the continent through back
ward country in which only the hardi
est traveller can find tolerable accom-.
modations. A hotel had been recon.
mended to him. and when he reached
the city he learned that there was no
room for him. When he asked for
meals he was told. This is only a
hotel as though Il were preposterous
to expect to eat and sleep in the same
building. When he did find room
the bed was Of boards and the pillows
were two adobe bricks. There was
no bed covering. In one town he and
his companion occupied the bridal
suite in the best hotel at cost of
nine cents day apiece"
"I will not go to that hotel on my
honeymoon" remarked owen.
"T gather you do not intend TO make
a Colombian or an Ecuadorean your
BRIDE" said /, for the natives Of the
interior of those countries would think
such accommodations sumptuous. The
great value Of Mr.. Franck's story of
his travels lies in it's revelation of the
manner Of life OF the South Americans
He tells a plain, unvarnished tale of
what he saw and he intersperses 1t
with interesting anecdotes. 1t is diff
ferent story from that which has been
brought back by travellers who have
followed the beaten track and stopped
only in the large cities and have seen
only the best side of life there. The
ordinary traveller would not go to
tailor in a small city to order some
clothes. He would have his trunks
filled with all that he needed. Franck
who was tramping, went with his fel.
low traveller to "a tailor. The COM
panion ordered a pair of trousers. He
wanted them within few days. "A
pair! exclaimed the tailor. 7 can't
make you a pair by Saturday night
but can make you trouser In that
time. Then he remembered that the
word trousers in Spanish is singular.
This Is an interesting and effective
way to learn the intricacies of a for.
eign tongue. But it has its incon-
veniences.'
"All that may be entertaining" said
Miss Ames. but l am much more
interested in things right here at
home"
MY travels trok me about part
of the United States also" said I. "My
guide here was Julian Street, who
spent several months going about the
South with an artist and letters of
Introduction to the best people. After
roughing 1t in Alaska and playing the
hobo in South America it was "a pleas
ant contrast to go with Mr.. Street
into the homes of the charming people
OF Baltimore and Richmond and
Charleston and New ORLEANS, to take
part in fox hunt and to attend the
carnival and to see the aristocracy.
not of wealth but of birth. at the st.
Cecilia ball. Mr.. Street has written
book of travel at home that re.
minded me more than once of Mark
Twain's Tnnocents Abroad 1t has
II
deliberate and intentional disregard
of the conventional manner of telling
a story. Mr.. Street cares nothing for
the literature of chambers of COM
merce and he ignores statistics, but
he succeeds in giving the reader
vast amount of information about the
ma nner of life in the South, the point
of view of the people and their grow.
ing prosperity. as well as their indif'
ference to certain sordid commercial
standards of the North that will benefit
all who receive it, l ought not to
have said anything about getting ben
book as IL it were poison. For her
sake should say that the book is so
entertaining that she need not fear
that Mr.. Street is trying to persuade
her to believe anything. He isn't. He
is an alert. keen-eyed and appreciative
observer with a gift of making others
see things with his eyes. He might
be sitting beside you at the dinner
table and telling you of his expert.
ences on a pleasant journey. II you
can't have him for your dinner part
ner. Priscilla. the next best thing for
you Is to read his book. We do not
know enough about our southern fell
low countrymen. He has done some
thing toward helping us understand
them"
You certainly have seen gooo
deal Of two contlnents in week. re.
marked Doctor McF'abre.
But l have not finished my travels
vet" said |. "I have done the i'm.
possible, by turning back the wheels
of time for forty years and travelling
about the Rocky Mountains in the
seventies Of the last century. You
cannot do that actually, but It is easy
to do 1t in an easychair in your library
with Isabella l.. Birds a I.ady's Life
In the Rocky Mountains in your
hands. When the book was first