The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-06-18
AMERICA MAY HAVE
4 SHAKESPEARE
II. G. Wells Believes We Will
Develop Great Author.
DECLARES POE Is UNDERRATED

For an American Dickens - Finds
Our Women Doing Noble Work For
Betterment of the Poor-Does Not
Believe In Oslerism.
In his entertaining occupation Of sci
entifically examining the cogs and
crank shafts of time and Of noting the
drift of the universe, III. G. Wells, the
brilliant English novelist, has found
opportunity to make a flying tour Of
the United States for the purpose Of
! writing a series of articles on The
Future In America" for Harper's Mag
azine.
Mr.. Wells is described by LangdOn
Smith, who interviewed the novelist
for the New York World, as follows:
Under forty years Of age, he is still
slender and delicate man, with 4
broad brow and face full Of refiec-
ton. His clear blue eyes CLEAN as he
talks. His opinions upon all questions
are lucid and entertaining. In short.
he looks the quiet, transformations man
Of genius that he is"
So far as his impressions Of America
go Mr.. Wells thinks the skyscrapers
are not necessarily ugly and may even
be graceful, and in speaking Of Amer
lean houses he said:
Il noticed very pretty thing about
your American architecture in the sub
urbs and throughout the country. 1t
was the presence ON almost every house
Of little piazzas. I believe you call
them, supported by pillars. Its effect
is charming"
Mr.. Wells went on to say he had not
been upset by the scramble for wealth
which so many Englishmen have found
in American life. He thought such
| conditions natural and to be expected,
| for Mr. Wells Is not at all a believer in
the development Of leisured class.
Mr.. Wells paid the following tribute
to American women:
II must say they are doing great
good work in other directions. 1t is
quietly done. but it is great neverthe-
less. There are many hard workers
among them in behalf of the poor.
Miss Jane Adams in Chicago is do
ing wonders with the Hull House
among the poorer people, and your
settlement workers and tenement char
tiles here in New York are splendidly
looked after by wealthy and charita-
| bly, disposed women"
In speaking of American literature
Mr.. Wells said he thought the time was
ripe for an American Dickens. and in
| the future the conditions might easily
develop Shakespeare and Milton.
The greatest poets, he said, did not
necessarily come from the nOnwOrking
| classes.
Shakespeare was poor man who
wrote for his bread; Milton, as every
| one knows, was not only poor, but
| blind as we'll; Burns was plowman,
and many other English writer's, nov
elists as well as poets, were poor men.
l believe that when the poet is born he
will work out his destiny on that line,
| whatever his fate or his fortune may
| be.
You have had many poor men over
| here who have been great writer's.
There is one man in particular whom l
UcllcNc W OC oduiy -
| this country. That Is Edgar Allan
| Poe He is known quite as well in
England and France as in America.
| You seem to have taken sort of aver
sion to him over here. l can account
for it in no other way than through
what has been said about him by Ru-
fus w. Griswold, the custodian Of his
effects after death. GriswOld said Poe
was q drunkard, and that seemed to
settle it with the American people.
Perhaps he was, but that fact should
| not be connected with what he has
written"
"At what age do you consider writ
er's mental powers at their maximum
Mr.. Wells was asked.
"The age varies vastly with different
| men," he responded.
"Then you do not believe In the gen.
eral proposition advanced by Profess
| or Osler that men above sixty years
| Of age should commit suicide"
by no MEANS" laughed Mr.. Wells.
"a day laborer might not be of much
use, but many men are bright mental
| " as long as they are alive. Why. half
Of our politicians do not begin to cut
their eyeteeth in that art until they
| are away past forty. l believe that
mankind's age of usefulness extends
much beyond Professor Osler's figure"
Referring to the works Of magma
! ton Mr. Wells has written, he was
asked If in his belief interplanetary
communication would ever be estab-
lished.
why notY' he replied quickly. "Can
! we in this age say that such a thing
will be impossible in a future age?
! In talk with a noted scientist in Bos-
ton was shown things and told things
about Mars which were astounding to,
the Imagination. 1t seemed to place
the habitable condition Of that planet
almost beyond a doubt. The mere
| thought Of communicating with the in
habitants Of another planet is ire
mendously stimulating to the imagina-
ton. Who shall say that 1t shall not
take place in the futurer'
BaIlooning ~ Aid to Weak Eyes.
Dr Robert DaulnOv a French Ocu.