The times., 1897-05-09
The End.
PAUL DUNBAR IN LONDON.
The Negro Poets Impressions OF
the Metropolis.

The Negro Poets Impressions OF
the Metropolis.
I had expected to find about London
greater air OF cosmopoIitanisin than have
yet perceived. Perhaps L do not make
myself quite clear. l thought that in
this gathering place OF all the nations or
the world a foreigner would attract little
or no attention Perhaps such an atti-
tude is directly traeeabie to my schooling
at Chicago during the World FAIR, where
one was liable 10 turn corner and come
face to face with anything, from Parsee
a Patasonian. But in London dark
race is tile obseFvetsof all observers. IL
is gazed at not only with curiosity but
with amusement. The small boys look
unconscious az they approach. and then
suddenly cry, "Blackie, and scUttle away.
Men, apparently intelligent. and at least
or the middle classes, are no better. They
DO not cry out, but they take pains 10 let
one know that they are greatly amused.
They proceed upon the principle contained
in boyhood's philosophy What's the
use OF laffin' at a fellow, if he don't know
you re 1affin' at hiIn?''
But hereiscompensation in all things If
they laugh at me openly, their very laughter
fills me with secret amusement, W hich sen
at so much a line. What self-centered, self
satisfied children they arei j was COM
placently asked the other day by an inter-
viewer, who did me the honor OF making u
very pretty interview out Of the things L
didn't say, If / WASH t good deal dazZled
by the rush and hustle Of LONDON. had
70 gaze at him sadly, as / said. Il haven't
seen anybody here yet breaking his neck
to catch a cable car with another one thirty
seconds behind it
There was a young woman in the room.
She is an actress and an American. Some
times she is iIreverent, She was then.
for she laughed. 1 didn't 1t was al
together too serious a matter But She
told the reporter aboutN New York, ard then,
being Western girl, she went to her eli
max, and told him about Chicago, AMI he
said OH The oh meant yoluiueS
one cannot be provoked with these
people They are so civil and frank. straight
forward and good natured. They are OBJ
stinate, but once win them. and they are
as stubborn in your behalf as they ever
! could have been against you.
have said that they were civil They
are But there is class of them whose
civility 1 despise 1t IS those who are
tftiilS lOA ItftIuC dttttS- tdhtut-A-
porters and sweepers, who grin and nod
and touch their caps in hope of winning
from ones vanity a penny or two 1t
may serve the purpose or guiding those
! who are contemplating a first visit here
! to give q scale OF the prices at which
| civility comes. 1t is about as follows
| of course il may be found to vary in in
| diviGuaI cases: For one smile, LaIf-penny;
4 .. hot I
| for touching hat without smiling, half
! penny: for laying hands on a box and
grunting while the porter carries it in,
penny; for making stroke with the street
| broom as one passes. half-pcnny; il the
stroke is made with one hand and cap is
touched with the other it costs half
| penny extra in recognition OF superior skin;
for directions from policeman, tup-pence-
This is about the maximum for minor civil
tiles. There are others OF greater inpor-
tance. but rare happening, which, for idek
of space, cannot be herein specified
/ had the pleasure not long since Of
being guest at a club dinner given BY
the Savage Club" where I sa V and met
a number of prominent workers Of London.
There were painters and sculptOrs, actors,
| musicians, authors and scientists / 90
not remember about the dinner. 1t was the
post-prandial feast that was the all in all
From the tine the chairman. Mr.. Thomas
| Mason. struck his war club on the resOund-
| ing table and said, Brother Savages
1 you NAV smoke" there was Continuous
| stream of good things TO be listened to
| and seen. The informal program began at
| 1850 and ended at 1f:30. 1t would tie
| impossible to name the partic pants There
was NicoI- the Scotch tenor, who sung like
/ a bird in his native heather. and there We're
pipe playing and sword dance by two
! members of the Scottish Grays. great,
bronzed. brawny fellows, but as bashfBl
| as girls. There was the dra wing OF Nor
row. an excellent artist, who made
4 portrait of Nansen. the guest af the club,
4 and picture of The girl of the century"
which is inmy possession. There were reci-
| tatiOns from two of the best old actors
4 of the London stage (bOth retircdJ. Odeu
4 and Fitzgerald. and some very creepy card
4 tricks by Or. Burke-Page. a very clever pres
4 tidigitator. Later in the evening l met
| and enjoyed a pleasant chat with Phil
/ May. Du MauTier's successor On Panch.
| He is a delightfully."- free and uneonven-
/ tional young man He is very slender
/ bang of brown hair falls straight down
4 his forehead over pair of KEEN small
| eyes But Phil May needs no description.
/ His friends and those who are not his
i friends say that he is the best dranghtS
| man in Europe--Chicago Record