The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-09-17
v erdict of ar Heel
Preachers on New York
TOO BUSY TO THINK
AiIment of Dcnizens of the American
Metropolis Diagnosed a Insane
Activity Day Devoted to
Seeing High Art and Low
Art In Gotham
Art in Gotham.

Art-high and ow--receivci a
boom yesterday afternoon, SO far as
rigid criticism is concerned, such az
has not struck little old New York
since the classic descent Of Saint An
thony" Upon the Art students League.
This time High Art was put through
it's paces-not forgetting low art either
by ten visiting clergymen from
North Carolina who supplemented
theF Saturday at Cone Island ana
their Sunday in the MannatlaI
high art at the Metropolitan Museum
and samples of low art as Rev. Nj.
Holmes put it, at the home or Faude-
willie. the New York theatre
Rev. Mr.. Holmes confessed that he
hurried past the Venus di Medici at
the Metropolitan so fast he didn't have
time to notice whether she was prop
erly gowned or not, but he didn't miss
any of the details of the Spanish
dancers at the theatre, n II ad-
vanced vaudeville could hear the
things the Rev. Mr.. Holmes had TO say
about high class variety shows, *. &
z" and "k. & p" and Percy Williams
and Willie Hammerstein and all other
connoiseurs on vaudeville fine art
would feel all cut up about 1t.
First View of Theatre.
According to the clergymen, they
saw all sides-and were ScandaliZed.
Consequently the the-ay-ter has been
given Internationally the Caroliniau'
blackball by some of the clergy.
Its the first theatre | ever enter
ed" said Rev. Parker Holmes. of
Thomasville, and it'll be my last
There is more need of a Mothers
Society in New York to look after the
girls thar there is for a temperance
union to look after the boys. What
l saw this afternoon is a form or In
toxicatiOr-and the worst form. 1t
was moral intoxication. 1t soon de-
stroys the appreciation of youth for
good"
Its against our church rules to
enter a theatre" aid another reverend
North Carolinian. w Methodists
don't believe in it,
What viii your flock think when
they hear about you?" [ asked with
some timidity.
Right there I wish you'd make my
position plain sad Mr.. Hoimes. 4
went for information"
The descent of the clergymen upon
the home of vaudeville was not with
out d detection in the ranks for the
Rev. j. W. Bradley of Troy and Rev.
=. I. BYaTl of COoieemee were among
the missing when the ministers with
tncir red badges labelling them as
guests Cr tins Davidson Dispatch left
the Broadway Central Hotel for the
t~he-av-te1
Three Wouldn't Go.
8y the time the party had reached
the portals OF advanced vaudeville the
Rev. j. W. Clegg had ''backslid." No
amount OF c~oaxing could induce him
to enter the prescribed place.
There may be good plays said Mr..
Clegg, when questioned as to his at
titude in ccndemning all forms of
theatre-going, but there never was a
Christian theatre. / am a Christian
and l could not enter a theatre. I
don't doubt that sometimes there may
be good in the plays found in your
theatres, but sometimes it is necessary
to aVoid the good in order to avoid
the evil. There are good things in a
filth evil.
What impressed NE was the diff
ference in the crowds leaving the
theatre and those I saw Yesterday
the theatre were not in harmony with
Christian principles" he said later.
The return of the ministers from
the theatre through the Great White
Way gave all hands a chance to
moralize further upon the difference
of New York from the peaceful re-
treats in North Carolina.
The broadway peach crop especially
appealed to Rev. Mr.. Holmes horticul-
tural science of criticism. .
nds 90 L mink OF New York WO-
men he said, as the inevitable ques-
ton was thrust upon him. Il think
most of them look like Carolina wo-
men, and they're fine looking"
For q diplomat on the beauty uues-
ton Rev Mr.. Holmes could not be
surpassed. The variety of New York
women found on upper Broadway he
could not quite liken to the Carolina
species, although he confessed there
were lots of pretty girls.
Up to date what are your strongest
Impressions of New York ?" [ asked
Mr.. Holmes, as we rode down Broad
way.
That New Yorker haven't time to
Rev. A. w. Clegg, Rev. w. L. Hutch
ms, of New London; Rev. J. w. Ingle
and Rev. R. Coram. all described the
Metropolitan as grand"
AnG none of them was half as
shocked at the ladies clad in the
"scandalous garb of the Greek save
as they were at the Spanish dancers
and New York's prime favorites of the
vaudeville stage.
Suggestion is worse than plain
facts" said Mr.. Holmes. Now. /
ala not see anything particularly
shocking at the Metropolitan, for we
were hurried considerable.
4 don't believe in nude statues and
hurrled through High art ought to
keep its clothes on"