The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1899-10-28
Great People.
New Orleans Picayurr.


In it, in Imagination, at least, we
reach up TO greatness, and it is the
one white offering, unsullied BY
greed or sclfishness, that we lay
upon the altar Of valor or genius
when we burn the. incense of our
alteration before it. The sacred
fire may never have touched us, the
song that thrilled, the words that
inspired, were not for us; We were
never permitted to tread the path
of glory that led TO some great deed,
but the hero, the bard, the orator,
live in our fancy as gods in world
of men. But admirable as hero
worship in its purity is, there is no
other way in which poor. weak,
vain human nature cuts SO sorry
figure as when we see some one try
ing to- borrow kind of fictitious
distinction by standing in the
shadow of somebody else'S glory,
as If the robe-Of fame was ever cut
big enough to cover two people
In popular song the hero sets
forth his claim to notice on the
ground that he saw the man, who
knew the man, who broke the bank
at Monte Carlo. He was not the
only one. There are others whose
claim to distinction is every bit as
flimsy. They are great, so to speak,
anything remarkable, but they know
somebody who has. We all know
people who, starving poor them,
selves, are never weary OF d'scours
ing about some rich relative, as if
the shine Of his money g'lded their
poverty. We know families who
kind Of halo distinction because
great grandfather happened to be
in the revolutionary war, or came
over in the Mayfower. 1t is on
these scant aud himsy foundations
that enterprising people are at
tempting to erect an American aris-
tocracy The most ridiculous feat
ure of all, however, is the man who
thinks he gains distinction by pre-
tending to know all distinguished
people. Mention a-popuiar actor
and he says. "Oh, yes, he is de
Iightful on the stage, but you should
just know him in private. Charm
ing, I assure you. So witty, such
a delightful! story teller. Inc last
time Mile Soubret,e was here |
gave her a little supper after the
play-just few congenial friends.
you know, and he, ETC., etc Or,
81 met Mr.. Jefferson, or Mr. Skin
ner to-d day and they said: Why.
--, old fellow, etc, etc" Of
course, it is all humbug, but h.:
thinks he casts an atmosphere of
distinc tion about himself by pre-
tending intimacy with people who
are noted. The past year or two
has been made grievous TO us by
the "reminiscences Of people who
have known, or have seen a man
VINO knew, one OF the P1he1 VI t'S
heroes in the late war. The man
who went t., school with Sa psOn
has proclaimed it to the world by
the thousand; the man who was
trashed by Schley at school has
risen up from his ooscurity and
called attention to himself by boast
ing Of it; even the fool women who
helped kiss Hobson into oh
security have gone about parading
the fact. instead of being ashamed
Of it, The very climax to this in
fatuated nonsense, however, was
given in New York at the big Dewey
celebration, when an enterprising
photographer rugged up dummy
wax figure that looked like the hero
of Manila and hung out big pla-
card that said, :sCome and have
your picture taken, showing you
shaking hands with Dewey. Twenty
photos for 10 cents" 1t is said he
did d land office business and was
unable to accommodate the crowd
Of chumps who meant to go home
and no, only brag about the init
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