The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-03-12
An Arfist IN Esrops.
BY tAs "E'af Confribuior.p ~

JOnn Is. johnson, the artist, VINO mas
recently returned from q trip across tho
water, was not remarkably impressed by
the antiquities Of the old world. In fact
he Is inclined to believe that there Is n
good deal OF humbug about them. We
will let him sum up Europe, Asia, Africa,
&C., In his own words:
I ''Went to Acknowledgement q por-
ton Of the great desert OF camcl's back
easier for rich man to 60 thro' the eye
of a needle, than for camel to paint por-
tralts-desert no great shakes-get bet
ter dessert at an American hotel dinner
throw sand In your eyes In the desert
make you think Il Is big thing. Went
to Damascus-bought Damascus blade
--llumbug-blade made In Ackron, Ohio.
Went to Jeriisalem-hired guide for his
board-a regular guide-hoard-never was
so bored In my llfe-Jerusalem full OF
second hand clothing stores-bought a
fragment of Solomon's Temple-enough
fragments Of Solomon's Temple every
year to build Cincinnati. Visited the
Nile-humbug-no water privileges worth
dam-lon't wonder no one knews the
sources of the Nile-greatest wonder that
anybody cares where they are-Licking
river beats the Nile. Saw the mummies
made In London, every one of them,
by Massachusetts, man, and sent to
Egypt.
Looked at the pyramids. Recollected
that Napoleon said to his soldiers-'From
the tops Of these pyramids forty centuries
hadn't been up there ut all. Saw the
sphynx-capital likeness of Ben Butler.
Went to Italy-bought monkey and
handorgan, and learned to speak Italian
In two hours-monkey died and h'nd-or-
gan exploded-havn't been able to speak
Italian since. r....' .
Saw Garibaldi at Naples. He wept
bitterly on my shoulder-borrowcd hall
dollar, and said he wanted to come to
America, and be second old George
Washington.
He Is coming to Cincinnati next sum-
mer to set up lager-beer saloon, as a
headquarters for distinguished organ
grinders. bought palace In Vienna,
aud am to pay for It In Confederate scrip
Crossed the Bridge of Slghs-no size al
all-sas where the Doge Of Venice mar.
ricd the Adrfatic. There was Mormon
tberesa while ago. He not only married
the Adriatic, but all the streams In the
nelghborhood.
Saw where Canova's heart Is buried.
When Canova died his body was cut mp
and buried all over Europe. All the big
cities wanted q piece Of him. They do II
different now. II an artist gets great
putation-like myself, for instance-they
cut him VI; In the newspapers. Saw the
ruins of Grecce-(depreclated oil-stock
mostly.) Saw the old.masters-vlllanous
daubs. one.of those old masters couldn'l
get a situation at house-paintlng II he
were alive to-day.
Went to Rome; dlned by Buchanan
Reed and Randolph Rogers. Inquired
for Julius Caesar, but he wasn't In that
day-sone to turkey shoot ON the Isle Of
Crete-don't 90 much on the he.-Saw
Hcrculaneum-all humbug-ashes that
buried 1t didn't como from Vesuvius-
drawn OH in carts. All u speculation to
sell relics.
Saw the Hellespont-waded across 1t.
Leander drowned himself purpose, just
to make Hero of himself. Went and
looked ut the Rhine-muddy little dixie
castles all look like stone smoke-houses-
went across it-rather 60 across the
canal Saw eruption Of Mount Vesuvlus,
country exhibition of fireworks on Fourth
of July beat 1t any time. Tell yon Eu-
rope Is humbug. Nothing in it."