The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-04-19

many of them are content to
spend a considerable part of their time
In London. They cannot help 1t, for,
according to Emerson, the English
have made London "such a city that
almost every active man, in any ma
lion, finds himself, at one time or an
other, forced to visit it." In normal
times a census of the strangers within
our gates would disclose a large pro-
portion from the other side of the At
lantic, says Herbert w. Horwill in
Country Life. The West End shop
keeper knows this well, as a scrutiny
Of his windows will show. He has
even gone so far in catering to the
taste of the American visitor as to es-
tablish in our midst that un-English
institution, the soda fountain. Tailors,
tobacconists, dry goods" merchants
all combine to confirm the verdict that
London is "the best and cheapest
shopping place in the world"
No doubt, most of the Americans
who find their way to this city are
"tvansients," but some who arrive with
the intention of making only a brief
sojourn remain here for the rest of
their days. One remembers, for in
stance, the Chicago millionaire who
took up his permanent abode in a Lon
William Harcourt's Death Duties so
magnificent a send-off.
What do these Americans come out
for to see? The answer Is obvious
what they have no chance of seeing at
home. To the citizens of country
where every church over 100 years old
Is regarded as an antiquity, and where
the Washington sightseer, on his trip
to George Washington's home, is told
that he is "pow approaching the an
cient city of Alexandria" dating from
A. D. 174S), the treasury of historic
material provided by London Is of al
most inexhaustible interest. In the old
err parts of the city nearly every step
brings them into touch with some build
ing whose associations recall period
anterior to the Declaration of indie
pendence. To say nothing of the re-
mains of the Roman wall, there are the
Tower of London-that ''sweet boon,
as Artemus Ward described it-West-
minister Abbey and Hall, the Temple
ST. Paul's, and old churches and houses
innumerable.
His Literary PiIurimaqes.
A conspicuous characteristic of the
American visitor Is his enthusiasm fol-
| literary pilgrimages. The average
Engllshman, Londoner or provincial
exhibits nothing like the same zeal IL
tracking the footprints of our great
writers. st. Giles, Cripplegate, thu
burial place of John Milton. is probably
visited by ten Americans for every one
Englishman. How many Englishmer
could tell you where Oliver Goldsmith
was buried? Thousands of American
visitors have stood reverently besid,
the grave. Memories Of Doctor John
son are another powerful magnet.
In this connection good story i
told of how the American enthusiasts
is sometimes victimized by his fellow
countrymen. Mr.. George AIDE was on
day sitting in the cheshire Cheese
over a beefsteak pudding and mt
Of ale, when there entered a Chicag
woman, Boswell In hand. She ha
been told that the great mans auto
graph could still be seen penciled o.
one of the walls. The walters declare
they had never seen 1t, but with he
dauntless Chicago spirit she began
long search upstairs and down. Will
she was upstairs warm glow of Der
evidence rose in AIDES heart, and, tax
ing a pencil from his pocket, he wrot
with quaint eighteenth century fioal
ishes on the wall behind him "SaI
Johnson" On her return from W
stairs the visitor promptly spotted tn
autograph and wac overjoyed.
us 1t not amazing" remarked Nj
AIDE In telling the story. "how niue
happiness we can give to others b
these little acts of .kindness" To tn
tourist from overseas even the grea
figures of the Victorian era wear
halo of sancity. Carlyle's house is
constant center of attraction. Som