A RUSH THROUGH AMERICA. (SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT AUCKLAND "STAR.") Cunard R.M.S. Servia, April 2, 1887.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 206, 11 June 1887, Page 2

A RUSH THROUGH AMERICA. (SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT AUCKLAND "STAR.") Cunard R.M.S. Servia, April 2, 1887.

Having been> exactly six days in America, which period was almost entirely occupied in the journey from San Francisco to New York, I have nou the presumption to sup" pose that I anr competent to write judicially, after the manner of some eminent travellers, as to the political, social, ami moral condition of the people- of the United States. The general features of the va<=t extent of country through which 1 was literally whirled at express speed eluded distinct observation. There was, as it were, on both sides of the railway line a rapidly-mo-v ing panorama, interesting throughout, exceedingly beautiful in parts, including every description of scenery, from the' semi-tropical luxuriance of Calif ornian vegetation to the ice-bound Hudson. The went her throughout was most propitious., so that the Hooky "Mountain-, crossed at the lofty elevation of 1 2, OOOft. were seen under advantageous circumstances. I am not going to clocant on the beaur,y and giandeur of the view- presented as the tiain crawled up the steep gradients to the hummit, and dashed down the zig-yags on the other side. No description can do justice to the sublimity and grandeur of the scene. Unless persons are gifted with good nerves they B;wl better avoid this, the " grand scenic route," as it is termed, traveled as it in by a narrow-gauge line of railway, the <v Denver and Rio Grande." The carriages oscillate in a- somewhat stai tling manner,, swing round sharp curves, hang as it were over piecipicc.s, and it is demonstratively apparent that if anything should go wrong extermination muf-,t be the natural sequence. Not being troubled with nerves, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip from Ogdcn to Denver, and even managed to sleep soundly in my berth, although the sensation, on turning in, was very much that of being to^ed in a blanket. Following no particular order, geographic^ or otherwise, I iot down a few of my impressions a.s to places seen and circumstance-, of tI\TA el.

Tho Pullman Sleeping Car. A great deal h^s been written about tho American sleeping cars, the Pullman especially having been "cracked up "' as the acme of luxuriant coinfoit. I venture to> join issue herein, considering that even the Pullmans are capable of material improvement. Our American cousins would seem to have a rooted objection to fresh air and' cold water, and the conveniences of travel include neithei in profusion. The cars^fittccl with double windows and heated with steam pipes, have no permanent outlets for foul air. They are consequently abominably hot and stuffy, and the atmosphere in the moi ning — twenty-four people being the number of sleepers—may be imagined. Any attempt to open the ventilating shutters in the roof is at once resented, and generally these remain closed tlnough day and night. Tho interior of a Pullman looks very pretty in a picture, but the reality, when the berths are made up, is haidly so pleasing. The passage between is barely wide enough to sidle along ootw een the thick curtains which fall from the roof to tho floor. There is no di\ isiom of the sexes, nor any place to dress and undress except in the beiths, in which there is not always sufficient height to sit up. How the ladies manage i? a puzzle. The upper berths are about live feet from the floor, requiring acrobatic skill to get in and out of. Two small hand-basins at each end of 'the car, for ladies and gentlemen respectively, constitute tho entire washing conveniences, and ablutions can only be of the " lick and promise" description, and must bo performed roram publico. Now it must be remembered that railway travelling always, makes one exceedingly grimy, consequently existence in a state of dirt is inevitable when the travel is for days without a break. Fake cuffs, fronts and metallic collars seem to be the rule with tho pere«rinatovy American, and there is at least a suspicion that, beyond tho coat, they do not take off their clothes at night. It is to be hoped they bathe when they get home ! I ventured to suggest to several fellow-passengers at various points of the journey the desirability of ventilation and the dhiding off the cars at night ; but they allwere of opinion that existing arrangements cannot be improved upon ! In connection with the sleeping cars, there is another consideration— namely, that of expense. 33y tho route and train I took, the extra charges beyond the railway fares amounted to 25d01. In addition to this, tho attendants in each case— and there were four changes - have to be feed about half-a-dollar each. The meals throughout the journey, at refreshment rooms or in dining cars, ate good, and charged from one dollar to three quarters of a dollar ; total for the through journey, at least lSdol, Without allowance for liquid refreshment. Travellers must therefore calculate that, in addition to the first - class railway fare, it will cost them for the through trip at least 45d0l for personal expenses, exclusive of any charges connected with luggage. These need not be much if care is taken to have no more than two or three packages in form easy to bo handled - for instance, a small valise and bag. It must be borne in mind that hacks (carriages) and porters mean dollars in the United States, where nobody does anything for nothing, and at less than half a dollar, even for the most trivial service, the nose of tho free citizen is at onco turned up. The man of frugal mind must needs have a liA^ely time in American travelling.

Hotel. ] was struck, and I think most strangers would be, by the unusual development of the hotel system throughout the country. Townships little more than a collection of shanties have in their midst buildings literally palatial, which puzzle one as to how they can be kept up or possibly pay interest upon cost of construction. At one place where we stopped for supper - and had a marvellously good one, too— the hotel, a magnificent one, brilliant with electric lights, stands absolutely alone in the wilderness, and lam told that it pays well. This is among the many things " no fellah can understand." As to the grand edifices which I saw and visited in San Francisco, Chicago, and Now York, they are veritable palaces repleto with every imaginable luxury ; but the chai-ge for accommodation, it must be recollected, is proportionately high. There are, however, it you know where to find them, more humble establishments where the same material comforts are obtainable at a third of the charges.

Cheeking" Luggage. There h> one matter in connection with travelling iwi the United States which especially commends itself - namely, the system of checking" luggage, which relieves the traveller or all trouble and bother. For instance, in my own case, the luggage disappeared from sight and care at San Francisco, and I never saw •it again until alongside the s.s. Servia ;tt New York, when I pointed it out to fche stewards tocarry on board. The ex•p;ense connected' with this is trilling. What Sao runs into money is tho carrying, as )oolonial3 are won* to do, a bundle of small 'packages in tho railway carriages with 4ien\y which have; to be shifted at every Ikoak of the line -or change of carriage.

Charact© ' Sketches. ''tfiito as varied as the panorama which flaph.es by the carriage windows, is the character of the travellers with '-whom one is associated. I was. fortunate in meeting sev«p**l well-informed gentlemanly men, but the ordinary run is not of such. In the Eastern States there was a marked deterioration i-istyleand maisner,and the commonest iot of all were in the " Limited Express," betwean Chicago and New York, in which the (ox-os ana sleeping-car charges are exceptionally high. Certain delegates returning from a convention of brewers bore off the palm for noise* slang 1 , vulgarity, and ; disregard — evidently habitual— of personal cleanliness. I was told that they represented aggregately a fabulous amount of dollars, and the '" Golden Pig" is manifestly the god of this country. Specially among the gentlemen whose acquaintance J was happy in making disaing the journey across the Continent I would note three who struck me as being types of their class. I break no confidence in the flight sketch I shall give of them. Mr A w .is a member of Congress for a Southern State, on his wedding tour, having diawn a prize in the matrimonial lottery, his bride being not only pretty, and to all appearances especially amiable, but a very wealthy heiress. He is a lawyer by profession, but politics, ho told me, absorbs the most of his time. Belonging to the Democratic party, and being a man of shrewd intelligence, he realises- tfhe danger to which the fiscal policy of tho United States is tending, but recognises at the same time the almost hopelessness of bringing about a change. President Cleveland has done wonders in purging the public seivice, in opening, for settlement the enormous tracts of country in the Western States held on very dubious occupation titles by the ranchmen ('f.e., the great cattle-owners), and if re-elected may be inclined to moie vital reforms ; but it is by no means certain that he w ill be able to secure nomination for a second term of office, the cabals ancl rings which thrive on corruption being pet against them. Tho Republicans, Mr A says,, are in a fix, and as yet have not been able to decide on a candidate. Blame is talked of, and bis nomination, as a fire-eating abuser of England, would plcaso the Irish element, >md possibly draw that vote away from the Democrats. Mr A states, and 1 find thib generally confirmed, that the Irish are in reality almost detested by bona fide Americans, whilst their number and organisation make them everywhere a factor in politics which has to be reckoned with. In New York and some other great cities they absolutely rule the roost, and neither newspaper nor politican date attack them. Even m staid Boston they have managed to obtain control of municipal' affair 5*5 *- Noxfc fco fcho Iriah tho Ooiumn, element is regarded as most objectionable. The Socialists of this nationality aio-w.ith-out the restraining influences ■which, through the Church, keep the lush -within, certain bounds, and, however daaxgevous to the State, prevent them from being a menace to society. Intelligent Americans deeply regret that technical naturalisation has been made so easy, and that the rights of citizenship are possessed by men who practically remain aliens. I discussed other questions of interest with Ml" A , and was surprised to find the almost entire ignorance of the Australasian colonies which lie, a man of tho world of culture and education, displayed. This absolute want of know ledge of the colonies in the Pacific I subsequently found to be universal. Nothing I is known in the States as to their geographi- j cal position, boundaries, constitutions, j population, or products, excepo, of course, by the comparatively few who have visited Australasiaon duty, business or pleasure. I pressed Mr A on the subject of the present prohibitive duties on wool. It was ovidently a new revelation to him that New Zealand had wool to export, ' and of a quality not to be touched by tho American groAvth. Mr B was a horse of a very different colour. A ! young man, not certainly over thirty, of gentlemanly bearing, with a cast of countenance markedly intellectual. The son of one of tho Judges of tho United States Supreme Court, Mr B is minister of a fashionable Presbyterian Clmvch in New York connected with the oldest Presbyterian body in the States, the constitution of which dates back over 170 years, to the old colonial times. Mr B is more decided even than A in deploring tho sway and influence of the Irish and German elements of tho population, which tend to mako New York in certain strata and phases of society a veritable Pandemonium. The Presbyterian and Episcopal denominations are very strong in the city, and he states that the Church of Rome exercises most beneficial influence over classes of the community which much require to be kept in check. Mr B was much interested in tho account I gave him of Otago, and the history of the settlement of the province. The rich endowments for religious purposes was quito a new idea to him, and he seemed to think that the lot of the Presbyterian Church of Otago and Southland had indeed fallen in pleasant places. In regard to the political future of this great land, Mr B is hopeful. The good sense of the country, he thinks, is awakening to the patent evils which exhibit themsolves in the manner in which politics are and have been manipulated. Ho considers the millionaire class — for it is a class in America — to be a standing mischief, of course exceedingly difficult to cope with. The country is, indeed, cursed with gigantic monopolies, which control railroads, telegraphs, steamboats, and, in fact, most popular institutions. Syndicates control ' almost every branch of business, and the almighty dollar is nevor lost sight of, being as much in contrast in ethics as well as amount to theconventional" honest penny." So much for the reverend gentleman whom I have denominated Mr B .Mr C made himself known to me as co-proprietor and one of the editors of a New York scientific journal, and we joined hands in fellowship as brothers of the quill. A doctor by profession, he has had to relinquish practice on account of his health. A man of varied attainments, he impressed me as possessing an acute intelli£ence, with large powers of observation, ike Mr A , however, he was but scantily informed as to tho Australasian colonies ; as to New Zealand, he had very hazy ideas as to where the islands are situated. We discussed, inter alia, protection, the labour question, and municipal government. The establishment of free trade in the United States he regards as beyond the scope of practical politics, and expressed surprise that English and colonial statesmen do not

sefc-' the wisdom of the policy of recinproiWl free trade between the'^fj^btherCountry and her dependencies; and strict protection against foreign produci'V He admitted that under the protective? tariff all rr>&h«faet>ured articles are exceedifrcly dea • ;xi the States, whilst wages an&- no > lrighor;.if so-high, as in New Zealand, and house rents,- taking the average of the Lzrge cities ar*l<thcir suburbs, quite as high. In t respect (i?the labour question — a somewHafc complicated and dry subject - I will only just now note the extreme astonishment expressed by Mr C (as, I may say, by all Americans;., West and East, to whom theu fact was mentioned by me) at the information that tfcaGewernments of New Zealand.! and other of the colonies interfered in aid « of the unemployed. "In this country," said Mr C , "'able-bodied men have either to find work foriihamselves or to starve. There is no sympathyAvhatever among the working classes with fcls©se who sit wifch folded arms waiting on EYoyidence, or who decline to work excopt on their own terms. Immigrants, iinding they have nobody to look to bub themselves, soon, as a matter of fact, find something to put their hand's to and keep the wolf from the door. Mr (J was much interested in the description 1 gave him of the municipal system in the colonies. In the United ►States the principle of univei'sal suffrage is applied to the- municipal election. The property-owneis, consequently, are nowhere, and the money they are forced to contribute is o.^onded. by tho elect of the mob ! The re&ults me sufficiently notorious, particularly in the great cities, where overy species of robbery and corruption reign. Work is scamped, and the streets and pathways are left in a teiriblo state. Just now several New York aldermen arc in gaol, having been convicted of receiving bribes from a railway .syndicate who desired authority to lay down a line through some of the principal streets. Another alderman has been tried, and is to be tiiod again, as the jury disagreed. This worthy is tho janitor of a set of oilicos, which will give an idea from what class even the New York city fathers are taken. We may well be thankful for small mercies in New Zealand. There is one speciality in respect of tho American railways which may be noted, namely, the universal absence of station platforms. There are convenient steps from the car platform to tho track, and passengers may pi sasc themselves as to alighting and strefcclrug their legs whenever the train stops. As, ordinarily, a start is made 'w ithout much notice, it behoves to have a wary eye, so as not to be left behind. But, on a loner joui cuay, the occasional alighting and looking ifcund considerably relieves the tedium, and is a most refreshing change from the atmosphere of the cars.