Abroad at Home: American Ramblings, Observations, and Adventures of Julian StreetStreet, Julian
General
Abroad at Home: American Ramblings, Observations, and Adventures of Julian Street
Street, Julian
United States -- Description and travel; United States -- Social life and customs -- 1865-1918
We can also show you the home of Champ Clark, and the largest
nursery in the world, and a meadow where, twenty-five years ago, a
young fellow threw down his hayfork and said to his companion:
"Sam, I'm going to town to study law with Champ Clark. Some day I'm
going to be Governor of this State." He was Elliott W. Major, and
he is Governor to-day.
The promise held forth by this letter appealed to me. It is always
interesting to see whether a man like Champ Clark lives in a house with
ornamental iron fences on the roof and iron urns in the front yard;
likewise there is a sort of fascination for a man of my extensive
ignorance, in hearing not merely how the Governor of Missouri decided to
become Governor, but in finding out his name. Then those hams and
capons--how many politicians can compare for interest with a tender
capon or a fine old country ham? And perhaps more alluring to me than
any of these was the idea of going to visit in a strange State, and a
strange town, and a strange house--the house of a total stranger.
We accepted.
Our host met us with his touring car and proceeded to make good his
promises about the nursery, and the scenery, and the roads, and the
estates, and as we bowled along he told us about "Pike." It is indeed a
great county. And the fact that it was originally settled by Virginians,
Kentuckians, and Carolinians still stamps it strongly with the qualities
of the South. Though north of St. Louis on the map, it is south of St.
Louis in its spirit. Indeed, Louisiana is the most Southern town in
appearance and feeling that we visited upon our travels. The broad black
felt hats one sees about the streets, the luxuriant mustaches and
goatees--all these things mark the town, and if they are not enough, you
should see "Indy" Gordon as she walks along puffing at a bulldog pipe
black as her own face.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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