Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-07-24
Especial Correspondence

! r ONDoN, July 15.-Shakespeare
| excepted, 1t is doubtful if there
is another great writer of the
| past whose personality appeals
as strongly to6readers fon. both sides
Of. the Atlantic, and to Americans in
particular, as does that of DIR. Samuel
Johnson, the irascihle scholar and poet,
renowned photographer" and hero
Of the most remarkable biography ever,
written.
| DIR. =JOHNSON's FAME GREEN.
That DR.. Johnson's fame Is green in
the United States is evidenced yearly.
by the thousands OF american visitors
10 London who go to see What4iS said
to be the former .hometof the philoso-
pher in Cough Square. just off Fleet
street. This done, the travellers gen
orally step around the cornerfto par
take of bcefsteak pudding at''Ye Olde'
Cheshire Cheese" the ancient tavern.
which claims to have been Johnson's
favorite inn and. IL possible, to sit in
the seat which is declared to have been
his. On the strength of this legend
and largely because of american rat,
ronage,e the old hostelry.in Wine Office.
Court has, been for years n littlesgold-t
mine tosstsGowners.H but ms "a matter{of
cold fact, therefisl no actual evidence,
whatever3to connect the Cheese with
Dr.iJ Johnson. Boswell q doesn't men,
ton 1t. So I
On far surer ground are those Amer
lean admirers of DR.. Johoson who visit
Lichfleld, the little city in STAFFORD
shire where he was born, and which
was his home for over 80 years. ,Lich-
field, by the way. is fast becoming a
good second to Stratford- on-Avon. as
asmagnet to visitors from the United,
States, and next September Is likely to
seesit thronged with our countrymen,
for in that month 3Johnson's city will
celebrate. in a way worthy Of his
fame. the 200th anniversary Of its great
mans birth.
BIG CELEBRATION THIS YEAR.
According to al! accounts, the John
son Bicentenary Celebration, as it is
called, will be unconimOnly interesting
and should not be missed by any
American who Is planning to he in
England this summer. Preparations
for 1t have been going on for many
months. DR.. johnson entered this mum
dane sphere on Sept, IS, 1909. and on
Sept. 16. 1909 the commemoration ex-
ercises in his honor will begin at Lich-
field with an exhibition OF relics Of the
grouchy old philosopher in the ven-
cradle house in Market Square where
he first saw the light of day.
OLD HOME is NOW RESTORED.
Unlike a good many other literary
shrines" there is no doubt about the
authenticity of Dr. Johnson's birth
place. Luckily for the photographers
admirers the quaint, two-storied house
with pillars where old Michael John
son kept his book-shop, became the
property of the Corporation of Lich-
field few years ago. 1t then was in
sorry condition, but has been rever-
emily restored and now is practically
as it was when Samuel johnson lived
in IT. Part of the exhibition of John
soniana" which visitors to the house
will see next September is perma-
nent collection which has been formed
and placed in the building since its ac-
QUESTION by the corporation, but other
relics OF the sage are to be forthcoming
from many quarters. While examining
these, and going through the house.
visitors Will be able TO use their i'm
aginations- and picture the famous
noralist-first as Juvenile poet. apos-
trophizing good master duck" and
what not other pets, and later as
studious youth filing his head with the
contents OF the tones in his fathers
Johnson. who was described as "the
best qualified for Oxford of all the
young men that had ever gone there
home again without his degree because
of insufficient means to continue his
studies: and finally they will figure
him. after the failure of his Inflated