"ACROSS THE ATLANTIC."

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 15 September 1909, Page 2

"ACROSS THE ATLANTIC."

LECTUBE BY MB.' W.^LQOK.":"' Mr Lock's lecture, delivered aj|. the Druids' Hall last night, in aid of. the Nelson Institute funds, ■ attracted' a moderate but appreciative audience. Mr T. A. Field occupied the chair,and referred to the worthy object; of the lecture, and said the Institute was one of the oldest institutions;, in Nelson, and, deserved support.- ■■';. , t Mr (Lock com_ieuc«a his lecture j by saying that the best way to fojm a correct judgment of a people^? country was a 'personal yisit; jSa •then described an _p.-tq-d.qto.' ¥$&> which is nqw plaimpa li^e a laud building, with modern windows, open fire-places, and luxurious furniture, thn life on board bplng- qb the Bnfs of a small town There were Restaurants, shops, and- a gyuwasljp, and a daily newspaper contalaihg hews by wif-l-iis from all parts of *?the world, with many indoor and outdoor games, and a promenade deck with an area of an acre and a half. The steamer Mr Lock travelled by averaged 555 knots a day, and haying '.HP latest Bell «ignal)'Bf appapttHa did not a]tfW (lawn, a thick fog; the apparatus .being able to. indicate a vessel in her traok milse off Information waa given of Cherbourg, a military port of France, where the steamer called; the approach to Long and rStaten Islands; and a description of the wonderful Statue of Liberty, by the great sculptor. Bartholdi, "and given .by the French nation to America in honour of the centenary qf American independence; the §tre.nu-. ous life of thp business men, and, modes of iioing' business in the great department atorea; the quick serving of the automatic Junflhoqhp, iphere a meal can be had for 30 cents; particulars concerning locomotion,' the great electric ears, elevated railways, and subaqueous tubes and funnels— at one tube station 1000 passenger's a minute can be easily handled. The many nationalities and their various quarters— Jewish, Italian, Bussian, and China Town— were touched qb,, An ncec-unt ym given of the glorious Fourth, and the precautions taken, to minimise deaths from . accidents by fireworks and blunderbusses; of a visit to the Museum of Natural History and Art, where he saw an aerolite weighing 37 tc-n?, ani} t\ro New Zealand amethysts, 133 and 116 car ats respectively; and the extent of shipping in New York har-lwuy* |"" eluding tlip. $i\p fprty steamers which could steam 23 knots, and with berth accommodation for 2000 people. He gave a description of the . sky-scrapers and their construction. One he stayed at contained WOO bedrooms. The highest building at present was the Metropolitan Life building — 710 fee; — and the one being erected for -the Equitable -will be 9.05 feet, tho highest iv tho world, and will contain 62 stories. Beference was made to the conduct of elections, and an instance of how bribery.was carried on. It was not an uncommon thing for a candidate to pql} more vpteg thai} were" on the roll. It was' publicly stated that five million dollars were given by the concern to prevent the nomination of Mr Bryan for President. The life of New Tork was compared with Paris and Berlin. It was the njqsit crp/w-dod. and congested place he had seen— 4% million people confined to a very sinal} ar.e,a, about thirteon mile long and two miles wide. Conpy Island, with its Lunar Park and Dreamland, was referred to as the lnest wonderful and the gayest place jo the World. Philadelphia, where tho Declaration of Independence was promulgated and signed, was visited. It has a million and a half of peoplo, with the largest national park and the 'biggest locomotive wc-ks in the irond. He was struck with the smartness and up-to-date methods of the Amdrieafls; tliey had many good laws, either badlyenforced -or remaining a dead letter. The tipping system in the hotels and elsewhere was humorously described, and to get along gatis£«6t9rily pno must always give the waiters some encouragement, The . reception -of tho American Fleet iv the ao'-Qnios, Mr Lock said, had a good effect. As one orator put it, when tbe American Eagle, the British Lion, and the Australian Kangaroo lose up as one man, tho disputes of tho world would be soon settled. The lecturer was most attentively listened to for over an hour and a half, and at tlie clos.e ho reooivod a very hearty vote of thanks. The usual vote to the chair brought the proceedings to a close.