The Washington times., 1904-09-18
WAGNER
IN THIS COUNTRY
Writer of Simple Life" to
See Roosevelt.
TO BE PRESIDENTS GUEST
Distinguished Frenchman Has Risen to
Prominence From Shepherds
Lonely Calling.

NEW YORK, Sept. 1I-When the
French liner La Lorraine. six days out
OF HHvre, reached her pier early this
morning, she landed 1.025 passengers.
SsI OF which we're IN the saloon. Among
them was a former Vice President OF
the United States. members of foreign
diplomatic corps, society women In the
gayest OF Partisan froclzs. scientists and
travellers.
Away in one corner Of the pier guard
ing a small trunk and a couple OF valfses
stood a French pastoral once the most
modest and most interesting person. who
arrived He had been standing on the
pier only few moments when around
him gathered a group which had come
there expressly 10 see him--persons who
avoided the great persons whose names
appeared on he passenger list.
Among them were reporters. editors.
publishers. men OF letters. and artists
The first person to shake the hand OF
the quiet passenger was John Wanna
maker, former Postmaster General
To Visit Roosevelt.
The man who caused all the excite
ment was the Rev Charles Wagner
famous in a dozen lands as the author
OF The Simple Life" He has come
TO this country to lecture and 10 VISIT
Theodore Roosevelt. author OF The
Strenuous Life"
Despite the apparent difference OF
their doctrines as suggested by the titles
/ OF their most famous books. Mr.. Wagner
insisted today that their ideas were
much the same.
President Roosevelt says he breaches
my books TO his countrvrnen. % said no
/ And 1 have come over to see what kind
Of a man he Is"
Dressed in a rough suit Of coarse ma
/ terial. with a black felt hat heavy
/ tTamping boots, and a small satcbel
slung over his shoulder. Mr. Wagner
sLoqd 4y MS baggage and shook hands
ehlhusIaStlcaliy with those who came
10 meet him. To the reporters he had
( something TO say about his life
Born a Shepherd.
Il was born in Alsace." said he. in
/ broken English. In the Vosges Noun
tains. where 1 lived for years the life
Of a shepherd. and laid the foundations
for my future teachings. Not until after
the Franco-Prussian war did / 20 To
Paris.
Il was thirty-eight years old before ]
wrote a book. l am a preacher rather
than writer. 1 wrote my first book be-
cause I found that in my tramps about
/ Europe my conversation with the people
I could reach only a fraction OF the
total. found that only by writing
down my preachlngs could ] reach the
/ greater audience. And so I started 10
write. And / have been successful nv
/ books have been translated into all the
/ tongues Of the earth.
Il came TO America a stranger. but
| through the letters ! have received from
Americans who have read my books
/ feel that l already have thousands OF
/ friends in the United States.
Guest Of Wanamaker.
Il shall visit Mr. Wanamaker at Lin.
1 denhurst. and on September % shall be,
/ come the guest of the President OF your
/ great country al the White House IN
/ Washington.
/ Il became an author in the most sim
pie way. / had been a boy tending
sheep on the AlsaCe-LOrraine Mountains
before the outbreak of the hSrancO-Ger-
man war. And when my little country
place Meurthv, was taken over by the
/ victors. l decided 10 so TO BOsges. Swift
zerlaud. I had become impressed with
! the simpler ideas OF life when ] was
| Obliged 10 lie down in the fields like
I the cattle 10 sleep.
/ so. when I got 20 Paris at fourteen
years of age / was impressed with the
| artihciality Of civilization, and de
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