The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-03-01
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
and lis Apostle, Oscar Wilde

Il find nothing unique in Amer |
ica," said MIR. Oscar Wide, the dis
tinguished English poet and apostle
of agriculture to commercialist,
who spent a short time IN parlOr 101
at the Louisville Hotel yesterday.
"Te a stranger like myself it APP
pears monot0nous." Nh. Wilde was
reclining easily upon a sofa. over
which was spread dark skin and
soft olive cloth of some kind. he
leaned easily on his right arm and
his left was thrown behind his head,
except when he removed his cigar
cite and putfed little pale-blue cir
cIets Of smoke above the marble
topped table which stood directly in
front Of him, and upon which was a
vase containing some lilies and
roses and slowly settling glass OF
champagne that had apparently
been just touched. The room was
darkened a little, and the shutters
of the window just behind his head
were partially closed, throwing
him as picture, into soft but not
| indistinct light. 1t was a fine and
graceful figure upon the sofa. Six
feet or manly outline were dis
PLAYED. He wore Il dark olive
| smoking dOublet, lined with rose
colored stuff, and profusely orna
mented with cord and lace. This
was turned back from the throat,
encircled by a low-cut Byron collar,
at which dark necktie was negii-
gently knott d. His pantaloonS
were light and loose and limp, the
patent leather shoes pointed and
topped with lavender CATERS. In
all these details there was only the
suggestion Of the tastes and APP
pearance of other men Of leisure in
their smoking parlors. The head
and face, however, were remark
able, and disappointing to one who
had become familiar with his pho
tegraphs which, to say the least,
''fatter" him. The face is very
long, sallow and oval, the cheek.
bones hign, the chin prominent, the
nose long and acqulline. His eyes,
almOnd-Shaped, full and dark, are
unusually fine and intelligent, i'm
bedded in the face as if upon cream
cushions His mouth is poor fea-
ture. Tie upper lip is heavy but
short, the front teeth long and pro-
truding, and there is a Slight sug-
gestion of lisp in his enunciation.
The forehead is not remarkable,
but. ON the contrary, his head is
small at the crown and On either
side falls long, straight and I'M
calmly mass Of dark faXen hair,
which is not parted and IS totally
devoid of any beauty. 1t gives him
an uncertain ''wOmanish' appear
ance.
"I Gnd nothing unique IN Am
erica" Mr.. Wilde SAID IN answer to
a question whether the peculiar
hustle and rush Of so representative
a western city as Chicago had
nothing unique IN it. Chicago is
not unique. 1t is bare looking and
monOtOnOus. The architecture is SO
poor that it amounts to none at all.
That IS true of all American cities.
And yet you must depend on the
individual cities for your architec-
ture as for all art. There is no ma
tiOnal school Of art. In Europe
each city has its own school. This
is more nOticeably true Of architec-
ture, because when architectural
monuments are raised they stand
there forever, impreSsing charac-
ter upon the locality which cannot
! be removed The same is true OF
painting. When you see Italian
pictures it is not enough to know
they were painted IN Italy. You
must know whether they were exc
cuted in Venice, or Florence,
or Naples These cities form
schools of their own, and dc
not all form national school
1t is not SO with music TO as great
an extent. 4 piece of music, when
composed, GOES out to all the world
and Its Influence is felt universally
Still there is local cOlOring in the
compost ion, and there are loca-
schools. Buildings and art galleries
remain where they are erected anC
formed, and are exclusively the re
suit Of local development. Amer
lean architecture is cold and bare
1t amounts 70 nothing as art =
what do you think OF the Amer
lean himself?"
81 am exceedingly pleased with
their kindness to me and the intel
Igence and appreciation eyerywher:
to be met"
Gin this respect how does the west
compare with tho east"
"Oh, l have only lectured once il
the West-in Chicago. The people
there were very cultivated and in
telligent, and received me will
. every indication Of attention. Or
the whole, I believe think better
of the west than the east. In the
east you know there is much folly
flying. It comes from European
association and influence. In the
9 west you are working out your OWL
civilization byyourselves, and there
is more readiness to hear thought
, ful suggestions and opinions"
"You have not been annoyed in
the west by the impertinences you
: met with in the east ?"
Mr.. Wilde had spoken before
. with an easy earneStness. His face
was serious and there was none Of
the drawl which has been attributed