The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-16
DE REsNIER ON AMERICA.
All Our cities and Towns Are UEiy-our
Railroad Accommodations wretchsdi

Railroad Accommodation wretchsdi
Travelling impressions, like figures. are
-mercenaries that can be taken into any ser
vice, " and. as the wide world wass. tho oppor-
tunItles to pick out the good and the bad features
In every land present only the assment
Of the choice. That choice, unfortunately, Ia
seldom made with sound judgment and good
taste. Aud here we must put upon the stand
NJ. Henri de Regnier. the poet who in this coun-
try recently delivered some interesting lectures
to our college students. In the GduIos ho
prints some queer criticisms OF America ana
things American. The death OF Mr.. {, y.
Huntington. the multi-millionaire, gave NJ.
do Rognicr this golden opportunity, From
nothing" he says, "he obtained something
which in America Is ever ythins-
America is proud Of her rich mon because
they nre a sort Of national product, the visi-
bic evidence Of common effort. In a country
whose ideal IA money the possession OF IT In
great amounts Is almost a dignity OF at least
an example and an encouragement. Ger
many glories IN Goethe or In Wagner. Italy
in Michael Angelo or in Dante. while France
has many selections in the domain OF genius
where the spirit of the race can be honored.
America follows in the same line but she knows
very well that the few great artists she pro-
hl'Fu uio OilN lFiH ~ ~"
quontly her national pride turns to those who
best represent her veritable aspirations, to her
mighty men Of money. To them alone she
renders her most sincere homage.
when a stranger crosses the Atlantic one OF
the first pleasures that Americans promise him
Is that Of being able TO travel immense distances
in perfect comfort. Railroad travelling In
America. they say, has none Of the inconveni-
ences that II presents in Europe. You are not
shut up in a wagon without air and without
room. You can sleep as you would In your own
bedroom. You can eat and smoke In comfort
and enjoy every luxury. Our enormous loco
motives will bring you rapidly across the plains
Of the Union and over the mountains, You VIII
travel from the lakes to tho forests, from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, and enjoy the chang
ing scenery. and climates
1T was after Just such promises that twice
crossed the American continent on inherent
railroad lines. Certainly American scenery
is not without its beauties. One feels In us
i4termlnable plains and In its vast Prarlss
tude Of the sandy deserts Of Arizona Is not
without its grandeur, The mirage enables
which appears distant and fugitive through
the innumerable bushy trunks OF the virgin
cactus The Iyiiolet,eolored m9untains close tse
yellow yellow wa Waters Of The Mississippi rush along,
i,r cue ana sna s Rsy''fiG lake I Aic5 fss4' d SH5i I"h he
formerly must have been grand and beau
t5e4 forests SsT and tho thns lakes had sole possession Of
t. SO II Is wherever one sees II in ia primitive
solitude But the towns have spoiled T. The
towns are the ugly, disfglirinE spots OF Amer
Some ~ them. only ten wears old, have become
Example OF these sudden and vSondrops srowths.
II dates from Yesterday, and already IL seems
eternal. II is the Rome of business, just as
A. VI i NhA nnn hA
ueller than New York or Chicago, because they
have not that provisional air which makes ne
fcrEiye our European cities v Their d9c * ana nd
the docks and the factories constitute the cities
proper, with the smoke, the noise, the n,othod-
lcal numbering Of the streets and the q yision
by squares Of the houses. Evidently all this ia
intentional. as can easily be seen from the way
the same disposition IL reproduced all oyer the
and even 10 the little village. 90 from the East
to the West and YOU will find this same condi-
ton always in evidence, the same %uglinesI due
TO hasty and unitarian construction Even
Washington itself, the Official city, the most
'architectured' town in the, Union. can please
nobody who admires anything better than a
ingtonian Capitol.
ITO all these disappolntments another must
In America are not what they. are represented
10 be. How can one sleep on the horrid little
s tsih. th az l sas 't thlrty Of s tS.m m al fs SoC S = 02 Ss-
cause the tr'in called limited, is ordinarily
full from And 10 end? You are half smothered
behind a heavy curtain. When you get up
you nnd the wash room occupied BY q. gentle
man who takes his time You will find the
same gentleman In the smoking room and In
the dining room. or IN his seat before his little
p~ortative table, drinking soda and whiskey
or playing cards with a partner.
Surely the narrow French railroad car,
with only eight persons az most. is far, more
comfortable. There you have 20 deal with
your travelling companions. only. But on
American trains you have the entire crown
Of travellers for companions. That lasts four
or five days; and toward the end OF the journey
the Niger waiter lie bound 70 become quite
familiar with. you. il you are weak. enough
not TO treat him In the American fashion. that
Is to say, very rudely.
"of course there is a parry for all this misery,
II consists In hiring a sort OF cabin car whore
a rich man can be alone or take with him the
ever faithful vls-a-vis Of riches. ennui."
NJ. de Res nier Is a very nice gentleman, and,
although ne seem 10 be in 4 hurry, we will tell
a little story, the moral OF which must be
left 10 his own kesn perception. Once upon a
time there as an English traveller, He came
TO this country remained here a whole week and
then return ned 10 England with an American
friend. Landing on the docks OF Liverpool. he
tapped his Yankee chum on tho shoulder. pointed
proudly TO the heavens and excl aimed triumph
antly; Hare you will nnd none OF your damned