New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-31

in which figure the sending Of bundles OF
comforts TO men at the front and to-
French prisoners in Germany, and local
hospital work, Nine. Herriot is. even more
perhaps than the Mayor, in blessed
evidence.
lmagine an American city of tradition
say Boston growing and prospecting m.
the light Of one energy-radiatinS person
ality-thc personality of its Mayer.
Philadelphia, however, has had It's
Herriot; though that was long ago. In!
Philadelphia one may ask who started any
Of the institutions your true Philadelphia
is proudest of-the University Of Pennsyl-
vania, or the Library Company in Locust
Street. or The American Philosophical
Society, or almost anything else except
the Republican machine and the firm OF
Ware Brothers, municipal contractors
and the answer is: Ben amin Franklin.
New Ben Franklin
SO it is in Lyons. 1t is Herriot who
founded all the civic assets and better
ments except the Roman Wall and the silk
industry 1t is Herriot who conjured up
all the local advantages except the joining
Of the rivers Rhone and Saone. Also. but
unlike Franklin. Herrot is Mayor Of his
city. And, unlike the way of American
cities. it is the Lyons way to reelcct Her
riot every four years.
hor also
where and came in quest of his fortunes
TO the town he was TO make his own. lie
did moi buy a roll near the water front
lyons is proud of its qusys) and walk up
some Chestnut Street munchng 1T and
staring at the fine buildings. but he did
come as a poor school teacher. appointed
to professorshp in the high school-the
chair Of yhctoric Later he taught phi
iosophy.) Already he was Bachelor Of
Arts, Licentiate, Agrege. and Doctor OF
Letters.
az had fifty francs in my pocket and
hat that was worse even than the one I'm
wearing now" is the way NJ. Herriot tells
you about that arrival.
And he is still living in the very apart
ment he occupied as professor at the Lycee
for his theory is that though he has been
Mayor Cor more than eleyen and Senator
for -four years. you can never tell when
public Office may come 90 an end. There
seems no likelihood Of it ending in the case
of Herliot for all Lyons is behind him
and his character dominates all It's quiet
gray streets Of the residential quarters,
and all it's noisy automobile factories and
muntion shops, and the shipping of the
two rivers, even as the roar of its falls
dominates Niagara.
When Herriot came to Lyons the Mayor
was ore Augagncur, clever politician
and. men add. as inscriptions as some
others. VI. Augaeneur yearned to live in
Paris. He has, indeed, lived there since
then; serving also as Viyiani's Minister Of
Marine. Now. Augagneur saw in the Wig
orous young schoolmaster with curly black
hair his proper successor. Doubtless NJ.
Herriot owes his initial opportunity TO the
older man. but il is hard TO believe that he
would have failed 10 accomplish great
deal unasssted. For, next to BRAND, there
IN no public man in contemporary France
who So fils one with a sense OF latent
power
Augagneur realized this power when he
came to know the young professor
rhetoric and philosophy proved no OBJ
stacles; neither was his authorship Of
books on Madame Recamier and Her Cir
Gle" and on Madame de Stael, and other
essays in belles-lettres. a fatal handicap.