The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-22
NATIVE ARTISTS E GETTING JEALOUS A5
 ss.as - Feel That They Are Discrimi-
 mated Against = ; .s ---- IN THE CITY OF PARIS Ex-Premier Clemenceau Discovers That There Is More Money in Lectur- ing Than in the office
 of Premier
 
IN THE CITY OF PARIS

Paris, January 21.-(Special) There is
 a good deal of discussion just at present
 In artistic circles to the supposed undue
 encouragement of foreign singers and art
 lists at the Paris opera and opera conf
 que, to the detriment of natives. It is
 contended by section of these interest ed that foreign artists are given too
 many of the plums at these leading houses I of nlusio-that they get the big salaries.
 and the local people are crowded out, or. | If not so bad as that, are in comparison
 underpaid. It is also maintained that the 1 French people are, to some small ex- tent, responsible forg this as when they
 go abroad they are satisfied with much | less important salaries than Americans or Italians, while even in their own country decoration, or title, such as
 the right to call themselves "of the opera" or of the "opera comique will make up, in their eyes, for poor salary As a. strong movement is, therefore, | growing up to increase the salaries of l French artists and to establish a sort of protection here, though it is very doubt l full what will result from it. The ques- | tion, indeed, is a very complicated one. Many singers of French origin will con- sent to appear in Paris for nothing in view of the reputation this gives them in the provinces, just as foreign artists will pay for their appearance in the French capital, knowing that the seal of Pari- sian approval having been accorded them | they are practically made" for Aneri- | ca. In America and elsewhere it has long been an anxiom that French singers can be had for much less than those of other nationalities-the Italians. especially fknow their own worth; but lately the | former have had their indignation fired | by the splendid salaries given in Amer | iea, and are not unnaturally discontented. l The welcome given to all sorts of for I leign singers of late years in Paris Is quite unprecedented It Is different thing with foreign composers, as I un- 1 derstand they have no end of difficulty l to obtain a footing, or even a hearing I There is money in the featuring busi- | ness, as M. Clemmenceau, the ex-premier, fdiscovereds when he went to the Argen- tstine and Brazil. Fora series of s12 lec- 1 lures on democracy he was paid at the I rate. of 5000 a lecture., But Clemmenceau delivered more than 12 lectures That is | to say he earned more than s24.OOO. He l returned from his tour very well pleased with himself, for he had earned more
 money than if he had remained premier Resides he had had an exceedingly pleas fant time, as he was feted by the notables of the Argentine and Brazil in a man. ner beftting great man Of France. An bother politician has decided that NJ Clem- rmenceau shall not be permitted to have a monopoly of this good thing. He is M IsJaures,s the socialist leader. He too, has I been engaged by a wel-known Argentine | impressario to give a series of not F but 20 lectures in the Argentine next summer.
 | sJaures should prove an attraction in the Argentine, for apart from his, posi- tion as leader of the Socialist party in the chamber he is splendid orator. A versatile old gentleman has been dis covered in the person of M. Felix Fure, I who, though concierge of a house in the Rue de Coetlogan, of which the proprietor is the great painter. Harpgnies, is him self a painter, poet and sculptor in wood
 and also a shoemaker A very happy man is M. Felix Fure. He is proud of his achievements in the arts he has taken up. He carved his own sideboard, de- voting two years to the task It is wonderful sideboard. It furnishes les son in Holy History; for the carver ap- piled himself to the task of uniting the Old and New Testaments. Biblical scenes are depicted on the panels. A wardrobe shows extraordinary floral decorations, and night table reveals marvellous de- signs.
 M. Fure took to painting in a curious way.
 "One day" he says, 'I complained to
 my master. M. Harpignes. of feeling un- well. Take to painting. counseled Har- pignes. Tt will soon cure you He was right" exclaimed the concierge, pointing
 with pride to a landscape. |"
 NJ Fure has also written three acts of a play in verse. He intends to add
 another act later on. The play is entitled La Recontre Celeste" and is meant to prove the existence of God. The charac- ters are the World Love and Sun and so on. The first act passes at Themes, the others take place in Paris. M. Fure is mighty proud of his play '1f you write
 an article about me- he said to an inter- viewer the other day. 'do not mention |my painting After all M Harpignies is is not necessary to hurt the feelings of anyone.'' rtt .4a
 The Figaro has discovered that there is at present in the hospice at ,Ivey lcentenarian who can contradict the asser- tion that the air of Paris and late nights at the theatre shorten life. The centena- rian. M. Schamel by name. enjoys per- feet health. He was a little. boy of five | when Napoleon presented to the people assembled before the Tuilleries the king of Rome. who had just been horn. When he arrived atthe working age he found employment in a theatre. At 20 he went to see Talma, the great trage- dian. To Talma he expressed his desire to obtain employment The actor en- gagged him as his dresser There Is no man living in F9ance who has more in. ] teresting theatre. "reminiscences than M. Schamel He has now reached the age of 10I. s8 .sa a4f .t<s
 M. Henry Pol. the famous bird-charmer of the Tuileries, whom all Paris knows and admir- es has been decorated by tho minister of agriculture. ,
 | NJ. Pol feeds his chirping flock regular ly every morning, to the delight of chil- | dren and grown-up strangers. Better still. The has al least attracted the attention of the minister. of agriculture. who has de- l'doing so. to hold him up as an example to the nation of true lover1of birds and beasts M. Pol has been called the Saint Francis of the Tuileries, and rightly so; | for like the Saintiof Assist, he has to call the. birds from the trees and they fly down to perch son his hand or shoulder. He gives them names which they remem- | Der, speaks to them, and they listen. fsNI have often watched M. Pol in the l'norhing feeding his little friends. and had long talks. with them. His charm over 1.-the birds is really remarkable Each sparrow has it's name and picturesque names, too, they are They range from i the Christian name of Jean and Jeannette l to those of revolutionary celebrities as Mfrabeau and General Hoche. "There is