THE UNITED STATES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1546, 21 May 1885, Page 2

THE UNITED STATES.

The Rev Joseph Berry, of St Albans, delivered a lecture at the Oddfellows’ Hall last evening upon the United States There was a large attendance, and Mr Robert Alcorn, J.P., occupied the chair. The choir having sung a hymn, the Chairman in a few appropriate remarks introduced the lecturer. The Rev Mr Berry, after a few introductory remarks, said the Americana had always displayed a partiality for big things. On arriving in San Francisco five years ago he had been impressed by this national characteristic. They were particularly fond of big hotels ; whether it paid or not each man was anxious to have the largest establishment of ifca_ kind. He had visited the biggest hotel in the • tatss—the Palace Hotel of San Francisco. That immense establishment provided accommodation for 1,200 guests and 400 servants, and he was informed that 1,000 Sunday school children had picniced on the roof of the building. Hotels of this character in America were not merely drinking establishments. He had dined with 200 or 300 guests at a public table and seen nothing drunk but coffee and milk. Mr Barry described the life and dietary at American hotels. Many of the occupants were permanent residents; settled men, even married men with families, frequently made a home of these hotels. This practice, which ho was sure would be vary uncongenial to Englishmen, was attributed to the scarcity of domestic servants ; but, while admitting the difficulty of procuring household help in the States, he thought the real causes of the custom were the determination of the men to eat, and the disinclination of the women to work. Of American ladies ho could not spe»k in complimentary terms, Mrs Leavitt had told them that the New

England women were the best looking In the world. Ho had not seen this particular section of the sex ; but the ladies he had met, those in the beat hotels and on steamboats wore all more or leas rouged. He contended that it was not beneficial to the community nor to the ladies themselves, that the women should be relieved of all housekeeping cares and joys. Ha remarked that American mothers had at most one or two children, and regarded with pity, almost contempt, the English mother of six or eight babies. He spoke in a depreciatory manner of American children, they ware puny wizen and unnatural, and would, he feared, prove to be a serious discount to American greatness. He read extracts from a newspaper report of a sermon delivered by a Baptist preacher in San Francisco, and thanked God that no Christian congrega-

tion in this colony would tolerate such b'asphemoua utterances. He described the wonderful automatical arrangements and celerity of the San Francisco Fire Brigade Five seconds after an alarm, the fire engine, fully horsed and manned, would move out of the station ; at night the same feat was performed in eight seconds The Chinese quarter, a house of tan rooms occupied by 600 Chinamen, a Chinese theatre, and the opium dens were next pictured with vivid distinctness. Referring to the Great Pacific Railway he said five, six and seven miles, and in one instance, for a wager, 10 miles 200 feet of rails had been laid in a single day. The picturesque scenery of the Nevadas and life among the Mormons wore briefly touched upon. At the Salt Lake City there were 30.000 residents, 25,000 Mormons and 6.000 Gentiles and “busters,” the latter proselytes from Mormonistn. Of the Mormons 5 per cent were rulers, the people who could conceive a big lie and tell it as if they believed it; the remaining 95 per cent were ruled, the people who heard the lie and swallowed it like an oyster. Still, with all their faults, the Mormons were industrious and temperate. He ad-

vooated leaving them alone, and allowing the progress of education to remove the grave errors of their social and religious systems. Speaking of farming in the West he advised young men following agriculture to remain in New Zealand. Chicigo pig killing, its water supply, the general excellence of its build nga, and the remarkable energy of its inhabitants were referred to. A visit

to Niagara preceded the lecturer’s arrival in New York, where he visited the Rev Ward Baocher’s Church. He spoke

in the most glowing terms of Mr Beecher. In conclusion Mr Berry touched upon the political and social abuses of the States, and expressed a fear that a great revolt, bloodshed, and clamor would proceed the glorious future predicted by some writers and some speakers for that great country. The Rev Mr Berry resumed his seat amidst loud applause. Mr Buchanan proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Berry for his interesting and instructive address. The Rev Mr MoNicoll seconded the motion, remarking that the lecture had proved a mine of wealth to the Wesleyan connexion. It had been delivered with great success to other audiences, and had added more than L 250 to the funds of the church. Mr Barry had volunteered his services, and had bornp all the expanse of his visit. j The motion was carried by acclam.ir

tion, ps also was a similar vote to th>, choir, which contribute! appropriate mu-

sic at intervals during the evening. The proceedings were closed by singing the Aathw*-