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TheLibidofortheUglyH.L.Mencken1OnaWinterdaysomeyearsago,comingoutofPittsburghononeoftheexpressesofthePennsylvaniaRailroad,IrolledeastwardforanhourthroughthecoalandsteeltownsofWestmorelandcounty.Itwasfamiliarground;boyandman,Ihadbeenthroughitoftenbefore.ButsomehowIhadneverquitesenseditsappallingdesolation.HerewastheveryheartofindustrialAmerica,thecenterofitsmostlucrativeandcharacteristicactivity,theboastandprideoftherichestandgrandestnationeverseenonearth--andherewasascenesodreadfullyhideous,sointolerablybleakandforlornthatitreducedthewholeaspirationofmantoamacabreanddepressingjoke.Herewaswealthbeyondcomputation,almostbeyondimagination--andherewerehumanhabitationssoabominablethattheywouldhavedisgracedaraceofalleycats.2Iamnotspeakingofmerefilth.Oneexpectssteeltownstobedirty.WhatIalludetoistheunbrokenandagonizingugliness,thesheerrevoltingmonstrousness,ofeveryhouseinsight.FromEastLibertytoGreensburg,adistanceoftwenty-fivemiles,therewasnotoneinsightfromthetrainthatdidnotinsultandlaceratetheeye.Someweresobad,andtheywereamongthemostpretentious--churches,stores,warehouses,andthelike--thattheyweredown-rightstartling;oneblinkedbeforethemasoneblinksbeforeamanwithhisfaceshotaway.Afewlingerinmemory,horribleeventhere:acrazylittlechurchjustwestofJeannette,setlikeadormer-windowonthesideofabareleproushill;theheadquartersoftheVeteransofForeignWarsatanotherforlorntown,asteelstadiumlikeahugerattrapsomewherefurtherdowntheline.ButmostofallIrecallthegeneraleffect--ofhideousnesswithoutabreak.TherewasnotasingledecenthousewithineyerangefromthePittsburghtotheGreensburgyards.Therewasnotonethatwasnotmisshapen,andtherewasnotonethatwasnotshabby.3Thecountryitselfisnotuncomely,despitethegrimeoftheendlessmills.Itis,inform,anarrowrivervalley,withdeepgulliesrunningupintothehills.Itisthicklysettled,butnot:noticeablyovercrowded.Thereisstillplentyofroomforbuilding,eveninthelargertowns,andthereareveryfewsolidblocks.Nearlyeveryhouse,bigandlittle,hasspaceonallfoursides.Obviously,iftherewerearchitectsofanyprofessionalsenseordignityintheregion,theywouldhaveperfectedachalettohugthehillsides--achaletwithahigh-pitchedroof,tothrowofftheheavyWintersnows,butstillessentiallyalowandclingingbuilding,widerthanitwastall.Butwhathavetheydone?Theyhavetakenastheirmodelabricksetonend.Thistheyhaveconvertedintoathingofdingyclapboardswithanarrow,low-pitchedroof.Andthewholetheyhavesetuponthin,preposterousbrickpiers.Bythehundredsandthousandstheseabominablehousescoverthebarehillsides,likegravestonesinsomegiganticanddecayingcemetery.Ontheirdeepsidestheyarethree,fourandevenfivestorieshigh;ontheirlowsidestheyburythemselvesswinishlyinthemud.Notafifthofthemareperpendicular.Theyleanthiswayandthat,hangingontotheirbasesprecariously.Andoneandalltheyarestreakedingrime,withdeadandeczematouspatchesofpaintpeepingthroughthestreaks.4Nowandthenthereisahouseofbrick.Butwhatbrick!Whenitisnewitisthecolorofafriedegg.Whenithastakenonthepatinaofthemillsitisthecolorofanegglongpastallhopeorcaring.Wasitnecessarytoadoptthatshockingcolor?Nomorethanitwasnecessarytosetallofthehousesonend.Redbrick,eveninasteeltown,ageswithsomedignity.Letitbecomedownrightblack,anditisstillsightly,especiallyifitstrimmingsareofwhitestone,withsootinthedepthsandthehighspotswashedbytherain.ButinWestmorelandtheypreferthaturemicyellow,andsotheyhavethemostloathsometownsandvillageseverseenbymortaleye.5Iawardthischampionshiponlyafterlaboriousresearchandincessantprayer.Ihaveseen,Ibelieve,allofthemostunlovelytownsoftheworld;theyarealltobefoundintheUnitedStates.IhaveseenthemilltownsofdecomposingNewEnglandandthedeserttownsofUtah,ArizonaandTexas.IamfamiliarwiththebackstreetsofNewark,BrooklynandChicago,andhavemadescientificexplorationstoCamden,N.J.andNewportNews,Va.SafeinaPullman,Ihavewhirledthroughtheg1oomy,GodforsakenvillagesofIowaandKansas,andthemalarioustidewaterhamletsofGeorgia.IhavebeentoBridgeport,Conn.,andtoLosAngeles.Butnowhereonthisearth,athomeorabroad,haveIseenanythingtocomparetothevillagesthathuddlealohathelineofthePennsylvaniafromthePittsburghyardstoGreensburg.Theyareincomparableincolor,andtheyareincomparableindesign.Itisasifsometitanicandaberrantgenius,uncompromisinglyinimicaltoman,haddevotedalltheingenuityofHelltothemakingofthem.Theyshowgrotesqueriesofuglinessthat,inretrospect,becomealmostdiabolical.Onecannotimaginemerehumanbeingsconcoctingsuchdreadfulthings,andonecanscarcelyimaginehumanbeingsbearinglifeinthem.6Aretheysofrightfulbecausethevalleyisfullofforeigners--dull,insensatebrutes,withnoloveofbeautyinthem?Thenwhydidn'ttheseforeignerssetupsimilarabominationsinthecountriesthattheycamefrom?Youwill,infact,findnothingofthesortinEurope--saveperhapsinthemoreputridpartsofEngland.ThereisscarcelyanuglyvillageonthewholeContinent.Thepeasants,howeverpoor,somehowmanagetomakethemselvesgracefulandcharminghabitations,eveninSpain.ButintheAmericanvillageandsmalltownthepullisalwaystowardugliness,andinthatWestmorelandvalleyithasbeenyieldedtowithaneagernessborderinguponpassion.Itisincrediblethatmereignoranceshouldhaveachievedsuchmasterpie