Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in City
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in City is an article published in the Edmonton Journal on 10 june 1914.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in City
I'm here for a rest.
Say, Mister, which is the way to the depot?
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, sketched by "Stan," the Journal's staff artist, as the creator of Sherlock Holmes stood in the entrance of the King Edward Hotel this morning getting a little Alberta sunshine.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in City; Thinks More English Capital Should Come Into the Dominion
Distinguished Novelist Pays Visit to Edmonton and This Afternoon is Speaking to the Members of the Canadian Club in the Empire Auditorium
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle will address the members of the Canada Club in the Empire Auditorium at 5 o'clock this afternoon at an afternoon tea. President Stuart made the final arrangements at noon and declared that the members of the woman's Canadian Club were invited as well as others who wished to attend.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the famous English author, and Lady Doyle are in Edmonton en route to Jasper Park, where they will spend ten days as the guests of Col. Maynard Rogers. Sir Arthur and his wife registered at the King Edward hotel.
Sir Arthur did not bring along "Dr. Watson, of Baker Street," but loitering about is Sherlock Holmes, who is to play an important part in a new book that is to be published under the title "The Valley of Fear." The action of about half of the novel is to take place in England, and Canada is to be the scene of the other half. This story will be a detective one in which Sherlock Holmes will again be the hero.
Of an Inquiring Mind
The first impression one gets of Sir Arthur is that the distinguished visitor is of an inquiring nature. He is always looking about and asking questions about strange things he sees. For instance, as he stood in front of the King Edward hotel he watched two men who apparently had just come in from the grade, and as they passed asked: "What kind of men are they?" Then when it was explained that such classes, garbed in similar clothes, could be seen in larger numbers farther north on 101st street, the author said, "I think I'll walk up that way."
At first it was thought that the author would not be able to address the members of the Canadian Club, but this morning he agreed to give a short address and President Stuart arranged for an afternoon tea to be held at five o'clock. This function will be held in the Empire auditorium.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is known over the entire world, if not in person, by his books. Nearly every man and woman had read at least some of his famous detective stories and his next book, on account of it containing Canadian scenes, should find a big market on this side of the ocean. He is a man who can talk on practically any subject of the day, politics, religion, war, or suffragism. During the interview it was with ease he shifted the conversation from one to the other, first talking about Irish home rule, then criticising the action of the militant suffragettes and winding up with a review of the Mexican situation and giving his opinions on various other matters that are before the public eye at the present moment.
He is the kind of a man that becomes interested in whatever he sees and being the possessor of a wonderful memory, he recalls all things. The hustle and the bustle of the morning in Edmonton attracted his attention and he found it fascinating to watch the men as they went to and from work, and the women as they hurried into the stores to do their morning's shopping.
Sir Arthur spoke very strongly against the tactics of the militant suffragette. This subject, he declared, was dead for a generation so far as party politics were concerned. The patience of the British public had become exhausted with them and it had come to a time when the people would not stand for any more outbursts, and public opinion was now very much against them. He said that the English suffragettes had not only been placed in the disfavor of the rich, but also with the poor, and the most lowly women of England were now against them; they had become enraged at the onslaughts made. It didn't matter the suffragettes simply went ahead destroying everything in sight and when the poor woman found her letters burned she was just as angry as her rich sister.
"Mrs. Pankhurst has not a friend in the civilised world,"
said the famous author, "one would think she had been bribed to do these things."
He further said that the people of the outside world got a different view 1/4 of the suffragettes than they held in London. When a stranger from Canada or the United States arrives, they invariably ask to have a suffragette pointed out to them.
"They are but a small part of London,"
said Sir Arthur "but their proceedings are so mad that they get into the papers and by that way the impression goes all over the world."
Life on the Prairies
The conversation then shifted to the sights Sir Arthur had seen while travelling between Winnipeg and Edmonton. "I was extraordinarily struck with what I saw,"
said he, "and it seems to me as if the life on the prairie must be a lonely one, but if a man has grit enough to stick it out, he certainly will come out on top.
"It is a great pity that more English capital does not find its way to Canada. Canada gets a big portion of it, but if I had my way all of it would be sent to the colonies."
When questioned concerning the situation in Mexico the author said it was only a matter of a few days before all difficulties would be settled. This war, he said, served to unite the United States and England closer together; that there was a little bitter feeling at first on account of the stand taken by some of the Englishmen in Mexico, the Americans became pleased.
Opposed to Gen. Villa.
"No men run greater risks in this trouble than the Englishmen,"
said Sir Arthur.
While on this subject he spoke bitterly against General Villa and said he would be sorry to see him come out on top. "He has blood enough on his hands,"
said Sir Arthur.
Of conditions in England, Sir Arthur said that things were very bright. The lack of English money in western Canada at the present time was due to the black eyes that had been given it through misrepresentations.
