The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-21
Brilliant English Novelist Making
Flying 1'our Of United
States. (.
DISCUSSES MANY THINGS
Edgar. Allen Poe Sadly Under
estimated Here, lie
Says.

NEW YORK May 21J-ln his enter
tuning occupation OF scientifically cx-
aiming the cogs and crhnltshafts Of
time, and or noting the drift of the uni
verse, H.. 6. Wells, the brilliant English
novelist. has found opportunity to make
Ii lying tour OF the United states for
tic purpose of writing n series Of arti-
..les oil erie Future In America" for
llnrpcr.s Mngazine.
Mr.. Wells gave yesterday the first III
tcrvcw he has granted since HIS ar
rival In this country. Quick In thought,
) fclcitous III conversation, and genial ~
manner, he Is the antithesis OF the
gloomy and mythical dreamer many have
B deemed him. @a
t'ndcr forty yenrs Of age, lie is still
slender and delicate man. with q broad
brow ana Il face fill Of reflection. His
> clear blue cyea CLEAN as lie talks HIS
opinions up4n hi questions are lucid
and entertaining. ". In short, he looks
the quiet transformations man OF genius
that nc In.
AS Mr.. Wells leaned back comfort
ably in his deep armchair, his appear
nncc bcltcd the current stories OF his
III health. His face was bronzed. and
his spare figure had an appearance
OF vigor ana why strength. 1t was
suggested that this might have been
the beneficial result Of the American
climate. 4
New York Known Abroad.
"Pcihaps 1t is,'' lie said. II have
had n good time herc--a very good time.
Quite an cnlightenng one. too. You know
this is my first visit to this country.
J wanted to see the people and the conn-
try. and to see what they were Ike.
think have done 50, rs far as my time
would allow.
"Of course. New York is known
throughout Europe, and for an Eng;
lishman not 10 know It IS quite as bad
AS not knowing the other great capitals
OF the world.
What. has impressed YOU most about
the city, MIR. Wells?"
..Wcll that IL hard to say There
arc 20 many things In my mind about
IT. Possibly my first impression was
the most vivid. This was The mar
velous clcarness OF the atmosphere. i
noted ii as was coming lip the bay
on my arrival from England. II was
astonishing. IVA,
"Of course, this comes from the emil
forced use or anthracite You certainly
z have good smoke consumers and the city
nAwulations In the matter must be we'll
niEh perfect Generally speaking, had
rather hnzy ideas as 20 the city and peo-
plc when landed have been very
much impressed with everything have
seen sit
..Aud the architecture. Mrm Wells-tnc
huge unitarian cigar boxes. the affairs
OF commerciaism, as they have been
called or course, YOU viii condemn us IN
( that respect? III
fic leaned forward OH the arm o. his
chair ind laughed amuscdly.
Now do you know" he replied, there
is not 50 much tocondeTn as one would
think from your question. In fact, there
Z are things to admire. When ] came up
the bay on the ship ana looked at the
Il vast uneven piles OF brick and masonry,
I thought It resembled place where
Titan children had been playing with
blocks.
II "But last night l looked atAthc uptown
Flatiron--I think it is on Forty-second
Strickland found much that was grace
3 ful In 1t. Then / walked down to the
other lutron OH Twenty-third Street.
1t Is not at all unhandsome as you APP
,,roach it from tho sharp end. But stand
ing close beside It, the upward view is
dreadful.
American Architecture.
/. II noticed Il very pretty thing about
your American architecture IN the sub
,lrbs and throughout the country II was
the presence on almost every house Of
little piaZzas. 1 believe you call them,
supported BY pillarst It's effect is charm
ing s.
Are you among the great number Of
Englishmen who visit us who condemn
our commercallsm, our util!tarinnisn, and
our wild rush for wcaltn?" Mr. Wells was
asked 8F III
He shook his, head with faint intro
spective smile.
"No, i cannot say that do,'' he replied
such n condition OF things Is natural
4 In a young. country and among Il rapidly
growing people.
.'But how long will this continue? How
long will it be before the country has
n leisure cass-a class of absolutely idle
families, who will become, In fact. our
aristocracy?"
II do not ...se that expression. leisure
class . was tho rapid reply as he lifted
his head with aPauick flashing glance.
"You. have leisure class here now, IL
YOU choose to call 1t that But why
should there be a leisure class?
,Ono thing that astonishes mo In this
connection is that your wealthy. women
take so little interest In politics. when
ihcy might do so much. do not sec
why" a.,
"poss,bly because of the indlscrimnate
mud-tl rowing and the queer character
of many Of tho politicians, was SUI
gestcd lI
"rhat may be So! he replied though'-
FULLY, "but. Of course, am not COM
netent to sneak upon that point, The
women doubtless have their own rea,.
sons. must say they are doAg sreni
good work In other directions IT IS
Quietly done, but It Is great nevertne-
less. There are many hard workers
among them in behalf Of the poor,
"AIiss Jane Adams In Chicago Is do
Ing wonders with the Hull House, among
the poor people, and YOUR settlement
workers and tenement charities here N
New York are splenddly looked after
BY wealthy ana ohariably disposed wo-
men,
Present Day Literature.
The TOPIC then turned upon present.
day literature and the literature of the
future.
"You have good class of writer's over
here of which we seldom or never hear
In England" Mr.. Wells remarked nm
gering a copy Of n recently published
novel. II believe that many Of them