The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-12-24

WASHINGTON. Dec, II, 1884.


WASHINGTON, Dec. II, 1884.
It is common to speak OF our people az
destitute OF appreciation Of works Of art.
Comparatively and critically speaking this
is true. As mass they are not familiar
enough with works Of fine art TO enable
them to Judge Discriminatory and critical.
lv. But they are not destitute Of the love
Of art. The constant stream Of miscellane-
GUS Americans coursing through the nails
and apartments Of the Capitol building y
animated scarcely less by desire TO gaze
upon it's architecture than by an inclina-
ton to visit the seat Of national power, the
throne of national law. And with regard
to It a. work Of art, they express the ex.
tremeSt satisfaction, not being at all likely
TO esteem it below it's proper merits,-nOr,
indeed, believe can truthfully say,
above its merits, for travelled Americans
are quite as content with its general char
acter and style rs any other class. Nearly
all the people who enter the portals Of the
Capitol direct their steps Immediately to
the Rotunda, where the great pictures are
mostly placed. 1t is true, that is the east
est and most natural entrance to the build.
ing. But it is the apartment which they
generally first wish to enter and for which
they first inquire. This is as true of the
bum blest class as of the highest; perhaps
more true, for the cultivated classes, being
to degree familiar with such works, have
|
the less tutored. And for the new picturej
alone. Leutze's painting of Immigration"
there are almost rs many inquiries as for
the halls of Congress; while any one who
has occasion to pass frequently back and
forth, has very sensible impression of the
obstruction at the great bronze door which
10 caused by the interest of bis countrymen
in that exceedingly meritorious work IAN
obstruction. which would be very annoy
ing we're it not overbalanced by the salts.
faction one takes in seeing his fellow-citi-
zens delighted by the creations Of taste and
Touching the picture of Leutze, let me
make q remark, in passing. While ] have
heard 1t often praised. and sometimes c1itt-
cised by those whom presumed to be
competent judges, and while confess my
own incOmpetency to speak OF 1t from q
professional point of view, as western
man, who is not unfamiliar with the scenes,
natural and human, which from the basis
of the idea which the artist has worked out
upon his canvass. can say, that in typi-
cal point of view, nothing could be more
faithful to fact. That much know. And
no class of people are 80 well qualified to
Judge of its general merits as those from
the border region.
This much can say touching American
love ofart. And my facilities for observa-
ton are such as enable me to Judge cor
rectly.
Passing from the works Of the artist to
those Of the artizan. let me cay few words
concerning the product Of paper:
1t is known that experiments have been
long making in this country reproduce pa
per from wood. It is also known that for
some time the Austrian manufacturers
have been making paper from the husls
of Indian corn. Not long sine the Austzi-
AN patent was purchased for this country.
A friend largely engaged in the manufac.
ture Of paper, has impaired to me some
facts with regard to those two points with
which was before unacquainted. The
manufacture ofpaper from wood, both Of
strated and practical success. A great
proportion Of the printing paper consumed
by the Eastern daily press is made from
pulp, of which wood is the principal ngre-
dent. And good share of the writing
paper now consumed is also mad from
fourth as high as three-fourths. and the
paper is good. The printing papr, espe-
clal]y, is not inferior to that heretofore us-
ed by the same presses. For this purpose
all the soft, white woods are uset, the pref
erence being generally given, however, to
hemlocF, which has an unUually long
fibre. s
In every respect wood seem, to be pref
cradle to straw. It is cheaper TO reduce,
and makes . better article.
The husk paper is good. small inter
mixture Of linen stock make most admit |
rable article. But the difference In the
quality is too little, and th, expense Is top
n uch to render it speed, and successful
rival OF wood. At the mills East, wood Of
proper quality costs but nine dollars per |
cord. A cord can be Clipped up ready for |
grinding in less than an hour, and yields |
nine hundred pounds ofpulp-one cent per |
pound. Husks are so light that the ex-
pense of gathering makes them worth |
At the mill, three cents per pound, and one !
hundred pounds Of hisks yield bnt thirty
three pounds Of pulp making the expense
nine cents per pOunt. So stand those two
classes Of material It present, as related to
the paper interest. Iowa.