The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-05
DUNBAR ON LONDON WAYS.
THE YOUNG NEGRO POET TELLS OF
HIS VISIT IN ENGLAND.
ne Found the Coior L,ne There. but tho Ne
gro wns on the Right side and tho East in.
dian on the wrong Side OF It-i1is Very
Cordial Reception by the American Coiony,

gro vyas on the Right side and tho East In.
dian ON tho wrong side of It-iIis Worry
Cordial Reception by the American Coiony,
Paul Laurence Dunbar, tho young negro
verso writer and author OF Lyrics OF IoNly
Life" has returned from London with an inter
esting collection Of experiences among the ing
nsh and'a second collection, moro interesting,
gathered In tho American colony in London.
Dunbar takes himself no more seriously than
another young man, white or black. would tako
himself. had he been takon to Europe as n piut-
form reader by q professional manager Of such
expeditions. 1t Wouldn't do, truly, for him 10
treat the matter altugcther lightly, While
talking with Dunbar. hcwcvcr. one gcts the Inn
preston that there Is something like n chuckle
undertonlnG everything he says about himself.
Everything he says Is touched and limited by
hard horse sense.
Two years ngc Dunbar was an elevator boy in
Dnytoa, u. He had the training OF tho Dayton
public schools. H!A first book OF verso WIS
printed during the Worlds FR!- ut ChicaEo,
with the assistance Of friends. HIS second vol
uiio, also privately printed. appeared a year or
Two later. Just before hs departure for Eng
land. Iodd, Acad & TO. undertook tho publ
cation Of "Lyrtcs OF Lowry iifo." Up to that
time, although he had not been worki"g 1t
Dayton for y long tine, he continued TO receive
q salary from tho city. 1t WAS IN tho way OF n
subsidy 10 his ed literary ability.
With tho receipt OF $500 ss q first payment
from his publishers. the young man felt JUST.
fci In r~esign.nS the place OF q nominal public
servant. Ho Is now earning n very ~satisfnc-
tory living by his writings and readings. he 10
Mt work upon Il novel. lie does not know. he
says. whether II IS n good move! or not but II he
sells It for a good price he will be inclined TO
think that 1t hHs Ntterary'valuc. TAis ttrewd
rezervation Df INDIGNANT IL clt.. .nn4.atap,
with all the youhS mans views Of a world that
he regards AS n very satisfactory one 20 1.-Two
in without regard 10 sex, color, or previous con.
di,ion OF servitudo.
Thers Is not q particle In him apparently
that longs for II white kin. 1t "a plenty tor
him that 10 has written verses OF sufficient
literary value TO be appreciated by a non. sent.
menta! publishing house.
What were my impressions OF tho English
mans attitude toward the ncgtol didn't have
any when l was IN England. II was not until I
reached New York that my I'm, ressions OF Eng
land began TO make themselves known to me.
The contrast betw cen my social conditions here
and there couldn't DO fully realized until, know
ing how the English regarded my people, 1 was
suddenly reminded OF tho American view.
Folks who say that there Is no color line in
England are all wrong. There is a very de-
c!ded color lin. over there. but, ridiculous as It
may seem, tho negro Is on the Inside OF 1t. The
poor outsiders are the East Indians, tho Hin
docs. and the like. Natives OF India, I found,
were regarded in England verr much as tho
descendants Of Africa are regarded in the North
here in America. The explanation OF the con-
tempt IN which the English hold the Hindoo is
one OF caste. He Is a servant, for the most part.
lie is known TO them as q mental, and as q
c%ringing. inferior sort OF meuial. They look
down on him. IL a more intense way, Of course,
1t is the samefcelinS that Is Mt the root OF tho
white mans prejudice against the black man.
"on the other hand, tho English regard us
with an interest or curiosity that Is almost OPP
rresslve. Ems iishmen travelling or even Mt
home are additionally reserved. Everywhere
in England ] found people OF railroad trains. on
omn!buses. and In shops making advances TO-
ward acyuaintGuCe.nip. They Almost quar-
rc'ict with one another in their anxiety 10 point
out place. OF iutor"s'. II was "A somewhat en-.
hagrasslns experience. | can assure you.
But serhaps the oldest feature Of my life
ever there was the way tho Americans acted.
Now, II or any reason tho quests NJ a fashion.
able New York house were. 10 md a negro
among their number, doubt II they would
Almost certainly thoy would not recognize the
he.ro afterward. on thc street or in a Theatre.
various literary dinners nid tea, and at the re.
cert'on given me at tie Savage Club. wen. out
afternoon a. w leaving a ~lUncheon Y:here
had met II Georgian well known for his literary
"?F! M he b f9.iS%s+ me- n. s a2TH arc ,rS you y,sps going down
for your maiit'
x RAID t1st ! was.
" Get Into my cab be said. and go down
After Wa had talked a little on our way
""":' Good 5r Lord: he ,T7f'p % mo, .vha, do you
suppose my friends IN Georgia would say II
the{ could see me riding N "A cab side By side
"Ane.Wagi he invited mo TO his chambers 10
dinner. HIS was not an unusual case. The
: 49, - "a. nNA= Fhara n.lrIV FAE ~ tf-,A n -
sn5 rate, the attitude OF the EnglishnAn toward
the negro"
interest in your racol Is II a surYivuI OF tho
o'9 r sn.hus;"stn Tor iSeeiFS slayss',
be .T .npla1 %. GiEHF' Srt "2Hi nave Ss tho no mos Plant IA +
From my study. Of tho facts as / found
them came 70 This opinion: The neEr2es who
part been abnormal. They have been. AS q
class ye:y much more publi" characters than
ways, 1t is painful TO admit. In n way creditnblp
10 my race. Our preventative in England
knowa in England tv' maine, are ali unusual
mon. Some have beon orators, some mu.
s!oians, some preacher. and some p'rlae lighters,
Methodist Church, IL not AL unusual or n re-
markable man in their eyes. Over here wa
They take ii for granted that a coiored mar
who goes over must have some unusual gift.
when n man Who sat beside mo Oh an omni
fore he asked: And what do YOU dor Wien
HnsWcf"l tnht ! Wrutc verses he WAS never fht
least bit surprised. He would have accepted
my saving thai ] was a prize tighter with JUS
think their interest in n negro j. sentimental
When | Was at Tie SAVAGE Club ! was aston
i,hcd by the Interest they showed in some o
the ycG 5cs | read to them, particularly In thos,
written in dialect. ! didn't believe, you know
that they could understand the dialect. Blu
they fr!t the spirit OF Il, understanding II o
not. took a man whom knew pretty well t
one side aftcrward and askod him about It.
" l. it pure poljtcnoosf | askcd, that make,
these people receive mo so kindlyr
'Po.itcnessi he said. No. Why, man, tina
crowd Is just brutaily frank enough to hay,
.crapel It's feet and coughcd untilit stopped you
II you had bored it,
England Is n very nice place to visit. but
am glad that ! am American. There is II grea
deal to he dono here"