Year: 1879

AMERICANS AS TRAVELLERS.
Statistics of travel show beyond question


that the Americans do more travelling thai


all other nations combined. The adventur


GUS spirit that lead our ancestors over th,


waters to subdue and settle the wilderness


has received new additions in every succeed


ing generation, as their descendants pushed


back from the ea-board to found new States


When steam came in to accelerate travel thu


movement became more rapid, till it is now


almost universal and distinctive trait of oul


people. While almost every nation of Europe


and still more 80 the rest of the world are de-


votedly attached to the place of their birth,


there is scarce any CT that feeling in this


country. Few are the families who have not


made one or more changes of residence,


or that have not one or more members in the


great army of rovers. The discovery of gold
in California increased this rowing spirit
greatly, and the extension of railroads has
furnished the facilities to crafty this taste.


We mention this subject not so much as it
relates to the movement of our people among
the States and Territories of our own country,
as that more general spirit of travel which
leads our people abroad over oceans and
through foreign lands. The English have
heretofore held the palm, for their naval su-
premacy and colonies planted on every coast
and continent has made them travellers by
necessity. But what Englishmen do from
necessity, our people are doing from choice
Those who seek to improve their condition
by going out and finding new spot to found
home have no motive to 60 abroad


With Americans, as soon as any head of
family has acquired a competency, it is
seized with the passion of travel. The ocean
steamers both ways are loaded with this class
of our people. 1t is probable that where one
tourist from the Continent visits America to
crafty his curiosity, not less than hundred
Americans 60 abroad on the same errand.
Millions of our wealth in this Way goes
abroad and falls into the thrifty lap of Con-
tinental hotel keepers and others whose prin-
cipal patronage is from people on this side
of the waters. We have some times felt like
lamenting this constant drain upon our wealth,
and still more that our people did not make
better use of their money while abroad, and
again and yet more that while abroad they
did not show more independence and higher
taste in improving their opportunities, in
recommending their own institutions and
studying those of others.


We are satisfied, however, that the money
thus spent in travel is not lost as q whole. but
returns in numerous ways. Our people are
receiving an education through travel that
could come in no other way. 1t enlarges a
persons ideas to see good deal of the world.
1t corrects a great many errors that come
through reading Even thcugh it be true that
European political opinion and systems are
so much inferior and behind our own, and
the coarser arts of life still more behind, there
is much to be learned by the contrast. 1t
stirs up emigration, it opens trade for our
and many of our travellers find
profitable openings for business, introducing
inventions and ideas.


The completion of railroads into Montana |
will not only bring US capital and settlers,
but it will bring thousands of visitors annu-
lily to our parks, canyons, mountains and
water falls, while the National Park will be-
come the center of more sightseeing than
my other in the world. We shall not need
o wait till its fame has gone over the world.
is fame is already sufficiently known in our
'wn country which furnishes the greatest
,ortion of the worlds travellers.