The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1921-09-28
EXPOSING THE MAIN STREET" MYTH.

Me Sinclair Lewis has written best seller" buI he couldn't
he elected constable scavengcr any village
~ The country The author Of Main Street IN bad by
whemng majority IN every Gopher Prairie" America. In
his widely read aud cordially eNecfaied book Mr. Lewis pictures
our iowa life hopcessy provincial almost whuy lacking in
culture and utterly unloye On "Aan Street" lived the susan
ta folks oi the village. bankers merchants lawyers doctors
whose chief interest ~ life the accumulation 81 money and
who N their leisure hours talked motor Vsc and bird
dogs. while the swell danes the swappcd andauu,
gossip held study club meeting, Wceai thS read dfows
listened =" learned papers Weh were erbbed from c'e"eda
Although the Main hoasicd that Gopher Prairie the
best town Minnesota aud prdcd tcmc,c, being the finest
people ~ hc world ~ iac' the homes were horribly ugly anl
the folks living ~ them al loWbows whose existence
made oi the sodd the aud the superficial The men
could tax about their business and crops and politics aud the
could discuss dress bridge and servants and dect the
cafaecls OF their neghbors t. nceN but o art literature
ana inc hgher things o lie they were ignorant rue t> read
popular magazines and few pesed aniquatcd books but OF the
swiftly moving Of modern intellectual life they knew
Aud Mr. Lewis the icmery tell that Gopher Prairie
really Gopher Prairie but the typical American
tons and def, the alligator; How could YOU shamcis
sandcr Mr. Lewis And right here must ask the perms
SION OF the chair TO speak 10 question o personal pege-n
defense OF Chckasha.
To be perfectly candid we suspect that the picture which Mr.
Levi, paints partly life; make positive charges
but opne that there plenty Main Street folks IN New
York Chicago and other villages OF their class and possible
that there may be quite prnking OF them IN Oklahoma CITY
but far Cckasha concerned Main Strees birds
(which the same the expressive praseoogy OF Doc
Poets OF sand Barr fame brings the main point the proof
that thckasha guilty charged in the Indictment drawn
by Prosecutor Lewis.
read the menu of the feast which President
preparing spread Tor the students and the people OF Chcka
sha at the O. { w? Have you the list of artists and
lecturers who coming entertain and instruct during the
winter months There all and with
the OF most OF them nearly everybody the land except
the Main Strecter less familiar Grand opera tera
culre journalism, the drama and other fields have been
drawn upon their best talent For instance there is Frederick
Warde distinguished Shakesperean for half century
and equally popular lecturer and there Ope Reed WHO
he has reached the heights Of literature has least written
entertaining books which read by millions. And there IS
dorado Taft sculptor and authority and lecturer the
University OF Chicago Gregory Mason world traveller and student
OF international problems with whose writings all magazine read
familiar fttIpd LIN tlp 1l uD
sened by the Chinese Mark Twain who however will speak in
plain English Not less imposing the array OF musicians, in
cudng two members the Chicago Grand Opera and
other well known artists.
We have enumerated all the appearing the list
but think have mentioned enough fair mind
that President Austin has gone very from Main Street
find entertain Now do you suppose for
that he would all the heavy expense incident bringing
all these artists and lecturer he didn't have the best
believe that would be Appreciated In other words
do you think he would prepare feast of this for OF
Man StreeeS"? Certainly nohe has much business sag-
city do anything foolish that Mr. Austin knows that the
people OF this community interested i'll the best things in
literature and and what the best minds thinking about
modern problems and that why he offers such of
instruction and Wherefore conclude that Chick
asha Gopher Prairie and that Main Street is myth
far this community concerned Mr. Lewis is advised to
load his gun and shoot agan-he touched