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Show I " MEAKIN ABROAD. II mtfPq it to herself to do some- 1 utnb,nlB Wing honest state-I state-I thiDf iTtruth ul Pictures given to meDtU?0 of t o east. If the f reinds 'Mo'v UtXas it is, will put one-$ one-$ i ihe effort forth that her enemies f "?iS can "e placed in her proper d0'E ln tho front 'rank of states tfher population doubled in a few hut now, with the misreproson-Tn misreproson-Tn and Ignorance of tho real condl-fi, condl-fi, Sp o are afraid to oven talk ' n, t Utal , let alone Invest their Sey or come here to make their Tomes. Thousands of people are Sine of the west and thousands Je moflng out west but not to Utah, because of tho false impression existing exist-ing as to the character of the peoplo and their religion. In a privao hotel in Chicago, I was Introduced in a jovial way as the man from paradise. A lady exclaimed: "Oh I'd like to go there." I remarked, ,-es 'from Salt Lake City. Tho lady almost fainted and then cried: "Oh, 1 wouldn't go to that horrid place." and such is the Impression of tho majority major-ity of the peoplo. A friend of Mormons Mor-mons Is almost as big a curiosity as a full-fledged Mormon. I have disabused dis-abused many minds of tho. silly prejudices preju-dices existing about our state and Its people. Thero is keen interest everywhere every-where as to tho growth, industries, climate, etc. Business men should make an effort to advertise this city and tho state; it must bo dono, by good, earnest men, and by proper methods which will get tho ears of the people. I had tho polasure of giving my side of the story, as to Utah, and In doing so showed my friendship and confl-denco confl-denco In Senator Heed Smoot, by his request, and In his stead I spoke bo-fore bo-fore tho Phi Betta Kappa Alumni association as-sociation at the Savoy hotel in New York City, on December 20t"a. My audience was a notable one threo hundred of New York's men of affairs, cultured gentlemen who wanted the truth. After tho lecture the meeting was turned Into a quiz class, and until un-til after midnight questions camo thick and fast, which, in their nature, were much like scrambled eggs-mixed. eggs-mixed. Now York City might be called a wotld in Itself. Every phase of human hu-man life, from tho highest to tho lowest, low-est, can bo seen there. Tho line between be-tween the rich and the poor is strongly strong-ly defined. On the one side can bo seen the extremely wealthy; on the other side extreme poverty. The "tip" system is a prominent phase of Now nork life, in many cases manhood seems to have gone out and sycophancy syco-phancy has taken its place. Big men, PifNy. fawn and wobble for a tip and tho "tip stream" flows continual-ami continual-ami ?Q cP.st of 1,vlnS !s very high, M?.Jh0 "tlp stream" is coupled fj , IIIs- a poor man ln New York Ia b as much show to exist as s"wba11 in an orthodox hell. Tho grandeur and beauty of the city must Fim, ,t0CTb0 rcallzed. Broadway, 2Snid S1lxth Ave"es and that cent l1rh0,0d aro scenes of magnlfl-dotf magnlfl-dotf APnd,r- Th0 Hoto1 Astor, Wal-an Wal-an fiSt()ria nnd th0 ereat theatres at nw? ,u,(f Palaces of gilt and gold shadf nf lon "lumtaatetl by every the BPf?lop, and electrIcal design, No won , ls8lmly a blaze of glory YorWr m. peonl flock to New the nni7' T.'1G pePl wh0 dwell in a butt bGds of softest down- touch want T ana, seemingly every human Into tl LUfPPllcd' yet whcn n 11S Hon TriJL faces Instinctively tho ques- Peonior v?,8' ,aro they as laPPy as the TheiAiri10 llvo th0 Quiet, simple life? Tho Bwnf0e(;mi2d t0 me very artificial. of cWHriTn m?r,ry laugh and Ptlo able V- 18 entlrly unfashlon- pwple AufttIfel1 cats aro numerous. " with children need not apply for apartments. Poor peoplo and babies aro not welcome and can't got In. It Is no uncommon sight to see a pretty and diamond-bedecked woman with a bull pup cuddled to her bosom, both tho woman and tho dog elegantly clothed and highly perfumed with violet vio-let water. This may moan a new kind of civilization, but I am In favor of tho old-fashioned way. I appreciate moro fully than over tho Utah mother with a healthy group of boys and girls playing around her, wearing iittlo "busted" shoes and singing pretty songs and repeating tho evening prayer: "Now 1 lay mo down to sleep." I enjoyed very much a row hours, escorted by my dear friend, Mllando Pratt, Jr., in the museum of art, and also in tho museum of natural history. his-tory. A visit to these two places is almost al-most worth a trip to Now York. Thero aro fifty theatres in full blast and every ono crowded, in fact every public pub-lic place is crowded, people, peoplo, everywhere. Bo rich enough to get a location and your patrons arc thero. Life is a continuous rush. No one knows his next door neighbor. Tho word stranger ln Now York City, means all tho word implies. Thero is but little politeness if you haven't a personal friend, "and though you walk ln crowds you walk alone." Tho man or woman who by chanco may sit next to you in a boarding house or restaurant for days, weeks or months never speaks. One gets tho usual marblo stare, unless a westerner west-erner "butts In" and speaks. Then It Is very Interesting to watch tho countenance; coun-tenance; after tho surprise, tho jar, as it were, tho voice and tho word Is enjoyed by tho east and tho west. The Broadway squad of policemen aro fine specimens of physical manhood. Their uniforms aro tho pink of stylo and lit, and tho men aro courteous and helpful help-ful to tho busy, hustling world of peoplo peo-plo about them. Tho street car men aro just tho reverse. re-verse. Their uniforms aro faded and frayed. Tho men unkempt and impolite impo-lite to patrons. Our Salt Lako boys aro princes in appearance and actions compared with Now York or Chicago street railroad men. I met a number of old Salt Lakers and at onco an admiration ad-miration society was formed and tho chorus was "Utah, Wo Lovo Thee." Washington, D. C. I enjoyed ono day's visit in tho capital cap-ital of our nation. Through tho courtesy cour-tesy of Hon. Joseph Howell I was introduced in-troduced to President Roosovelt. Ho' captivates ono by his personality. There aro two elements In his splendid splen-did make-up that aro delightfully Impressive, Im-pressive, because so rare In human life today, namely, enthusiasm and sincerity. sincer-ity. Washington is a beautiful city. I regret very much not having tlmo to see moro of It. Tho. peoplo aro much moro cordial and polite In this city than in other eastern cities. They wore pleasant and over ready to answer an-swer a question or assist a stranger ln finding tho object sought. This Washington feature of politeness Is so distinctive from other towns that ono wonders at It, and then realizes that southern chivalry and tho tender Influence In-fluence of Lincoln, Garfield, McKlnloy and other grand souls still lives at Washington. Chicago. Chicago is tho same windy, rustling, bustling city, grown much larger since my previous visit. My old teachers woro delighted to welcome mo nnd receptions re-ceptions were in order every night. I gavo a talk on Utah and Mormons at tho beautiful homo of Dr. H. S. Perkins Per-kins to fifty invited guests. Pleasuro and appreciation was expressed by those present, and several brief ad-drosses ad-drosses woro mado thanking mo for the now side of Utah I prepccd. Tho American peoplo like fa' 'y, and they appreciate tho truth w . onco a hearing Is gained. Philadelphia. I also visited good old Philadelphia. I was royally entertained at ao col- ego whero my sou was educated in his profession. Tho faculty and tho boys wero all glad to welcome Fred Meakin's "Daddio," and 1 was glad to bo thero. The Girard collego is ono of tho noblest institutions of its kind in existence. Hero I saw sixteen hundred hun-dred boys all being clothed, fed, trained and educated theoretically nnd practically. Tho institution is creed-less, creed-less, hut not Godless. Preachers' ard not allowed ln its sacred precincts, and as I was told, I had tho appearance appear-ance of a minister, it was a question for a few minutes as to whothor 1 would be permitted to enter or not. 1 assured tho old man at tho gato that 1 was simply a fratcrnallst nnd that my mission was to teach kindness, then I repeated tho lines: "So many Gods, so many creeds, So many paths that wind ana wiild Wlillo just tho art of being kind Is all this sad world needs." Tho door swung open and 1 spent threo hours in tho great Girard collego which was deeply interesting to mo. Lecturers and prominent men aro invited in-vited to speak. They havo a beautiful chapel for such purposes. Tho boys aro physically and mentally, dovoloped into splendid manhood, but if ono shows himself to bo a laggard ho has to go, tho motto being, "No laggards here." I cannot closo without tolling tho old theatrical friends (from 18G5 to 1875) of my visit to Mr. nnd Mm. James S. Ferguson, ln New York; "Jimmy Ilnrris," the actor and stage manager of tho old Salt Lako theatre. "Jimmy" has been In poor health for a conplo of years. Wo lived for an hour In pleasant retrospection. Old friends and old experiences wero revived, re-vived, tears and smiles wero In order as wo spoko of dear old Spencer, Petor Uecd, Prof. Konnlcott and others who havo passed away. Then wo talked of Jimmy Campbell and Brlgham Young, of how wo hauled wood down through tho ICaglo Gato to tho theatro for the furnaces, James Evans, Phil Margotts, John C. Graham, Al Thorno, Harry Horsley, actors and heavy men and yours truly In all kinds of work, distributing dis-tributing "footlights," helping good friend Dorr. etc. Old songs and oiu memories lingered with us. They woro all delightful melodies. Tom Mooro furnished our parting words: "When tlmo who steals our years away, Shall steal our pleasures, too, Tho memory of tho past will stay, And half its Joys renew." aiy trip was a pleasant one for a month's duration. Tho only cloud was my being called homo earlier than 1 oxpected to tho bedside of my wlfo, who has been 111 for several weeks. On my return I wns summoned to Washington and had to" go but I shall return to homo, swoot homo, In a fow days. JOHN P. MI3AKIN. |