United States -- Description and travel; United States -- Social life and customs
New York is divided into three parts. The larger is New York proper.
The other two are Jersey City and Brooklyn. The Hudson river runs
between New York proper and Jersey City. This is not bridged, being
about two miles wide, but I doubt not the go-ahead Americans will do
it some day. The East river divides Brooklyn from New York, and is
crossed by the bridge described above. The termini of the great rail
lines, running North, South, and West, are in Jersey City, so when
leaving New York you cross the Hudson river. There are six lines of
ferries across. The boats are of enormous size, with separate
compartments for wheeled vehicles and passengers. The horses pull the
vehicles on board, and off at the other side. The saloons for the
passengers are pictures of ornament, elegance, and comfort. In all
such things the Americans are far ahead of us. Look at the
steamboats running up and down the Thames, what miserable craft they
are. You could put six or eight of them on board one of the American
steam-ferries described, not to descant on the absence of all decent
accommodation. I like to be fair and give the Americans their due.
There is much I must decry. Will it make my praise appreciated on the
other side of the Atlantic? I doubt it; but it will, I feel sure,
make my English readers believe I write fairly, and do not hesitate
to point out the many things in which the Americans are ahead of the
"Britisher." Do you, if English, mind the word? I do not, but it is
very American.
It has always struck me that nationalities, judging of each other, do
not act fairly. Each individual, be he or she English, American or of
any Continental country, is apt to regard the question at issue
solely from the nationalistic point of view, and does not attempt to
place himself or herself on the other side, and try to realize how it
would look there. There are no people on earth more apt to do this
than the English, though the Americans do it likewise to quite as
great an extent. There is nothing, I think, to choose between them in
this respect, and for national egotism these two nations head the
list. There are not many more disagreeable beings than the
egotistical, untravelled young Englishman (age generally modifies his
views), who reviles everything foreign, and thinks nothing really
good is found out of Great Britain! The class are well known on the
Continent, and naturally avoided, for they exhibit little or no
delicacy in propounding their views. The young Englishman in
question, often of the upper classes, and also often rich, is
disagreeable in other ways also. He adores wealth and despises
poverty. He is a very slave to what is most foolish in our social
customs, ignoring entirely those that are commendable. He would not
carry a parcel through the street if any amount of money would induce
some one else to do it for him. He scoffs at religion of every kind.
He scarcely believes in the existence of right and wrong. He is
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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