The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-02-05
: WILL SEABROOK'S TRAVELS
(By W. B. Seabrook.)

AVlgnon, France.-Penny neWSpa-
pers, free schools and cheap travelling
facilities have rendered it possible
for even the humblest citizen Of ev-
cry enlightened nation to form a more
or less intelligent concept Of the most
striking characteristics and the lead
ing contemporaneous events OF every
other civilized country. The newspa-
pers, especially the cheap illustrated
journals are the greatest Of all edu-
Gators. For example, the French
gamin, who has just cleaned my boots,
knows that "Monsieur Taft the
newly elected president of the United
States of America, is one Of the fat-
test men in the world, "weighs near
ly as much as a horse,' and likes
Georgia possum. He knows this just
as the plow-boy in Kansas or Iowa
knows that President Fallieres Of
France has a Santa Claus beard and
that Kaiser Wilhelm Of Germany
wears a fiercely pointed military
moustache. When arose for break
fast on the morning of January 18th,
although I happened to be III a tiny
Hsher-village on the Mediterranean
coast, far from any railroad line, l
read in the. columns of the ''Petlt
Provencal" published at Marellles
and distributed by the rural earriers)
that Hon. Benjamin R. Tillman, on
the morning Of the 18th, had attack
ed Roosevelt on the floor Of the Sen
Ste.'
The wide circulation of such news
papers, the possibilities Of self-edu-
cation offered by the inventions and
institutions Of the present day, rem
der all the more astonishing the gen.
eral idea that the word "Ameriea'
evokes in the mind Of the average
adult peasant or working man in the
south Of France. Among the lower
classes, with whom I have recently
been minging and whose life I have
been trying 20 study, I find that the
mere words "Etats Unis" almost IN
variably awaken in their imagination
the picture of a primitive, half-sav-
age, partially explored continent,
yielding enormous products Of fruit
and grain, but teeming with naked
black slaves, warlike redskins, sky
scrapers, trusts, grizzly bears, and
other monsters equally bloodtbirsty
and dangerous. They have a vague
notion that the territory III the en-
virons of New York has been reclaim
ed from savagery, and that colossal
fortunes are to be gained there by
work on railroad section gang or by
peddling oranges.
Nearly decade ago, Col. William
Cody buffalo Billy and his Wild
West show made triumphal tour OF
France, with real Indians in warpalnt
and feathers, herd Of buffaloes.
gang of rowdy cowboys, armed with
six-shooters, which they discharged IN
every direction upon the slightest ell
couragement, bucking bronchos, de-
speradoes, "bad men, and long-hair-
ed trappers Of the plains. The peas
ants are still talking of that show. 1t
was the event of their peaceful life
time, second in Importance only to the
fall Of the second empire. They be-
Ieved, and still believe, that this
bowling, bloody massacre-on-wheelS
was the mild and faithful portrayal
of daily life and manners in America.
Judging from what l have seen and
heard. it will take two or three gener-
ations Of schooling and newspaper
reading to get that impression out OF
their system.
Furthermore, these bizarre notions
are not always confined to the Hitter
ate peasants. In totally dlsslmllar
surroundings, in a different social
and intellectual sphere-in club
room at Avignon-I made the ac-
,ouaintance of Frenchman whose
views on the subject Of America We
no less. curious, and who caused ME
NJ little embarrassment in calling up
,on me one evening, to bear witness 10
the truth of the remarkable state
ments with which, for the past forty
years. he had been regaling the ears
of his fellow club members.
This gentleman is nearly eighty
. wears old, but still robust and ex-
tremely talkative, especially when ne
has absorbed three or four success
sive tumblers of absinthe. FIFTY
~ oo h. ,rac q n,i,,ino SpeculatOr