The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-10
1T IMPRESSED HIM
Victor Hugo. Account OF His First Trip In
n HALLWAY CnrrlnRe.


| In the volume which the heirs of Victor Hugo
have Just published in Paris there is n coil Ice
ton OF curious letters which the poet wrote
to some intimate friends and among them il
the following description Of his first trip on
board railway train in the year 1896:
am reconciled to tho railway; 1t Ia really n
fine thing Tho first one that saw was only a
miserable affair: but yesterday made the
trip from Anvers to Brussels and back. Set
out at ton minutes past and came back at a
quarter pastS. having In the interval remained
an hour and quarter at Brussels and trav-
elled twenty-three leagues in France.
The movement is magnificent. and nothing
but actua! experience can give one any idea Of
1t. The rapidly Is wonderful. Tho flowers
that border the road look like red and white
lines There are no points: everything be-
comes line. The corn fields appear like
splendid yellow cherritUes. The Iucerns are
long green tresses: the towns. steeples, and
trees all dance IA a mad mixture in the nnri-
zon. Now and then shade Il form, q spectre
stss ana upriTht apESnnIs md disarrcars ks
OF the road. win. according to the custom. ure
sents arms to the train. People say in the ear.
T Wif haze only three leagues to 60 we
T TSs e sns,n o h WAS in fnG rst
which ,coiorcd the trees and the hills turned
W wit the WhegIst The train Which was gong
more terrible than these two raj idltieS Iussing
SS%acl other and multiplying the travellers.
the other. We saw no wagons, no mon no
Women; wo saw formf white or dark. lass 10y
there cnmo shouts. laughter. and boots. There
, We're were IN ~ siNty wagons. or more than a
rsTsonns totG some to the
storm.
IT Is bard tor one not to imagine that the iron
when he Is repoSns: we hear him grunt ny ut
H. start start; We we h,ar nm tr?t along the route.
he slMcHs u his pn.e he get" , S ~ nS aot
punches Of spa Ks come out from under his
Tns" 9 or ms S S Ts" and hi
clouds. which become shattered by tho trees
IT IS easy to understand that it takes pro-
digiuus brute like that t. draw a thnustni or
Itteen hundred travellers; in other words. tho
n D. OF y town: and at tho same t!mo
On M return it WAS night. Our engine
Passed mar Tha nj n ,hs darknefs going to hs
whlriwind Of flame and smoke.
at lis rs rue Ina. we a US not TAKE close look
isles To listen to him. ono can Imagine he Is
a., monster; r. opt on LOOKING at him no necomos
nothnE N he @ S 1 hsn a4sSip c "n4
also invented steam and they w~rs t!,,routh is
capable Of it the iron horse would have been
fashioned and harnesscd in quito an lther
way H. would have something of life H. him
Hi o u real horse, and something to rihlc, like
statue What II magn Ii!cont chimera our
fathers would have made with what we cal
the steam engine Just imagine that. The
boiler would 10 n mUnstruus scale covered
belly. m enormous rdrnpdCP; the chimney
would he n smoking horn. or II long neck with
u monsters head and mouth splitting llru;
and the Wheels would DO concealed
under immense iinS or great droou-
ing wings. Tho wagons would also have
u hundred fantastic forms, and in tho
evening tho Ie' pie could sec sometimes a
colossal gar.Jylo with Outspread wings:
sometimes u drag vomiting fro: sometimes
all clep' ant with hi trunl; in tho air painting
and roaring: frightened. fiery smoking,
formidable monsters. dragging after them
like their prcr one humid cd other chained
monsters. and traversing tho plains with tho
rapidly. the Noise and tho Appearance Of
powder II would ba grand!
But We, ilne merchants, very STUPID and
mighty proud OF oar stupidity understand
nothing OF art or nature. or Intelligence. or
stand we dcare u oless from tho height OF
our bitterness. Nh.re our ancestors would
have seen lie we only soc matter. There Is In
u stoam engine n magnificent motive for a
statuary. The eng mes furnish an admirablo
occasion TO revive tho beautiful art of metal
work Ing. But what do our COIL beavers care
for that Their machine. such as II is. goes u
long distance beyond the reach OF their heavy
Imagination; To my mind they present me
with naked Watt. would prefer to see him
clothed by BenyenutO CellinL