Daily Kennebec journal., 1922-01-17
Artist De Gogorza
Praises New England
at City Hall Tonight

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Il like New England because il
seems to be the backbone of the
country. We speak of New England
and then we think of the rest of the
United States. New England towns
have more real character to them
than anywhere else. The cities are
the melting pots, as you call it. Eut
there, we must have foreigners in
this country or it would not be the
great country that it is" Emilio De
Gogorza, who is to sing this Tues
day evening at the City hail. arrived
and as he chooses to call 1t, is most
comfortably located at the Augusta
House.
The air, the lack OF smoke and
noise, the nice houses and the air of
refinement, all are reasons why this
great singer likes Augusta. While
he has neve~ before appeared here in
concert, De Gogorza says he has vis-
tied here a number of times and he
has always liked the city. He recalls
with pleasure his visit to. this city
q few years ago, with his wife, En-
ma Eames and with Harold SeWall.
| 1t was when Carl Milliken was gov
ernor
| De GogorZa declares that he likes
Maine better than a great many other
places and that he likes to come here
when the snow is on the ground. 1t
would not be Maine to him, if there
| Was mo snow on the ground in the
cold months. 'In Boston and New
York there is no snow and it is grand
| to come here and see the snok all
about, so clean and fresh"
| Canned music is a wonderful
| thing for the people. 1t is especially
/ good for the younger people as it de-
| yelops their powers OF preception,'
was what De Gogorza said when the
topic of conversation drftod around
| to music, the nearest it got to the
'real reason for his presence in the
| city. "Yes. it is Il fine thing But
III believe that in few years they
will bring out inventions that will be
even more wonderful. The player
piano is another great invention. oh,
| they talk about the good old days,
but the present day is a pretty good
day to live in. Let them who cry for
| the good old days, have them. They
| can have the good old days if they
so desire. And there are people who
| do stick to the good old days as much
as possible. I have friends who drive
a horse when they go out to ride.
! When they are going for long drive,
a trip across country, they use a mo-
| tor. But they ordinarily>use a horse.
| Of course, it is fine to have the feel
| ing of something alive and spirited
before you. But the present days are
good enough"
Naturally, in speaking of present
day conveniences and the like, the
talk ran into airplanes. "I have
never been up in an airplane because
my wife would not listen to it. But
I have great desire to go across the
channel, from London to Paris in an
hours and half when by water 1t
takes eight hours
What do the people here in Au-
gusta do for recreation? Do they go
away for the winter?" He piled the
reporter with questions, being much
| interested in the city. Il like it here
so much, the air is so good. In New
| York one has to take several days in
order to get used to the air, the gas
and smoke" When he was told that
many of the local folks went to Cob
| bosseecontee lake for the summer, he
answered back in surprise, But '. ny
should they want vacations, when it
must seem like vacation all the
| time to be here?"
'Bath is my home, although I will
not get a chance to go there this time
No visit. My wife is not there and our
home is closed for tho time" He has
Just come from Chicago and later
Boston.
He was asked why he came to this
city day before the concert and he
replied at once, that he knew the
weather in Maine and it might be
of the concert, he would run into a
snow storm, the trains would De Le-
layed and the concert would be han
dicapped.
"One of the. greatest disturbances
Of the war has been the social dp-
heaval. which we are now undergo
ing. Even though the people across
the water do live near together, they
do not seem t get along very we'll
together, do they?" and he smiled
little, with a tolerant twinkle in his
eye. "They have been fighting with
others and now are fighting among
themselves. That is the way. 1t will
take long time. It is different when
but two men are fighting. They
quickly adjust themselves"
How is my name pronounced? In
the north Of Spain, in the provinces,
from where the name came it il pro-
nounced 'Gogortha.' Then in south
ern Sprain they pronounce il. 'Gogor-
TIA with the hard sound. But it is
more commonly called .'Gogortha',
with the tn sound IL
"Your people in Augusta impress
me as bei1g a very cultured people,"
and he paid the compliment in anmn-
assuming manner. He asked about
the City Hall where the concert is to
TAX, place. inquiring as to the seat