Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-11-16
FORIAN ON AMERICA.
He Gives Some Curious Impressions of
His Trip to the Fair.

Artist Forian, who was sent over
from Paris by the New York Herald to
mike sketches of the worlds fair, has
been interviewed by the Cautious.
Here is a translation of part of his
talk:
fHkilo. here's I'Orian. Why, l
Thought you We're at Chicago
so / was, the other week. 1t is only
yesterday thIt | returned to Paris. l
arrived by the Bretagne. We had the
Archduke heir of Austria on board,
who incogalite was all the more respect
ed because he made a point Of being
very agreeable and very simple"
May | ask you for some details
about your soiourn in the far west?
What impressions do you bring back
with yOu|'
Il saw a great deal Of New York. My
first impression is that the races over
there are not fashionable gatherings
as with us People only attend them
in order to gamble. The Jockeys jack
ct is working garment. Between
ea n event an orchestra plays variety
OF airs. People 90 to the thcater
dressed any way they please 1t IS
charming. The drug stores are very
brilliant. 1t is the custom to exhibit
the portraits of popular actresses IN
the show windows between cats
skin for rheumatism and medicine
bottles People go there on Sunday
for drinks. These druggists do not
think themselves, you feel this at once,
as of the first class. 1t is delicious. NO
one ever climbs Il staircase III New
YOrk-0nly elevators ;lmd the very
rautdity gives you confidence.
AS for IN artistic atmosphere there
is none They have great painter
however Whistler. The NanderDiItS,
the Rehnouts have rich collections OF
pictules. where. alongside Of common
place work. you find subuetieS when
charm YOU. The New York picture
dealers are accustomed to re@IVe
visitors who buy nothing. You are
as free to enter their stores as to 20 into
our big shops. 1t is easy to find III
Them Monets and BeSnardS, because
the Americans have no artistic preJ1-
dices. as they are yet without tradi-
lions.
This particular fact is to be noted,
that those busy people who Jostle you
in the streets in order to hasten TO
their work are very polite toward WO-
men, In the elevator it is their custom
to take off their hats if women are IN
it.
II went to Newfort (sic), which is,
as it were. the Deanyille Of New York.
1t is there that people lead a life OF
elegance. You see there the finest turn
outs that can be dreamed Of.
: when | went to Chicago the hotels
We're crammed with people. The expo
sition was in all its brilliancy and
perceived nothing of the lack of success
which | had heard. This exposition
is something enormous. The Amerl-
cans have the sense Of gigantic. The
artistic portion greatly interested me.
| was especially struck by two pictures
by q modern Japanese, whose name
+ escapes me, which are absolute WON
derS.
Americans never smoke in restau-
rant except il a room set apart for
the purpose and into which it would
lie in bad form to take a lady.
81 saw Monets 'Toreador, some
fine Corots, DeldcroiXs, and Melsson-
iers which Americans had lent, L saw
again there Bennat's superb layIgerle,
two horses by Besnard, a fine Duez.
should also mention the German por-
traits by Lembach, one of which is
Bismarck, which is painted III the
style of Rembrandt
i What else can / tell you: l also
saw a pretty detail. As we We're re-
/ turning to New York We had the SauS-
| faction to admire at our ease the re-
mains of a railroad accident, cattle
train which had left the rails. 1t al
most seemed as though it had been
done to give pleasure to the foreigners
who were travelling over the road.