The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-10-16
Mast.

| AS might have been expected, this distn-
guished caricaturist filed City Hall to overflow
| ing last evening. Mast is a short, thick-set,
black haired, full-faced man. with rollicking
good-natured expression, properly toned down
by black moustache and chin whiskers. He
bears stronger resemblance to German mu-
sican than he does to the commonly accepted
ideal of distinguished artist. AS a lecturer
apart from his drawings, he is decided failure.
But with the understanding that the drawings
are the real lecture, and the manuscript from
which he reads contains only the connecting
links of thought out of which he evolves his
pictures, a new basis of criticism is presented,
and Mast, illustrating his own lecture, reveals
himself to the audience as the greatest of living
caricaturists.
He began his lecture by promising that no
creature but man laughs, or is able to enjoy a
joke, and the best nations and people of the
world are those who laugh best Wit and hu-
NOR are most powerful weapons in the discus
sion OF all topics, and many deep laid scheme
and project have been fairly drowned out of
existence by the laughter of the public, excited
by some stroke of pen or pencil. Caricaturing
dates SO far back that its origin is lost amid the
mists of the deluge, and its early history is of
course little known, but we have many instan.
ces and relics which show that it was employed
by the ancients with great effect
If nature loads man with nose, the carica-
turist overloads him with proboscis. He rap
idly sketched a face of Dane as drawn by the
rude Britons of early times, illustrative of his
point The lecturer traced the progress of Carl
caturing in later times, and modestly relatedto
the delight of his auditors, how he accepted it
as profession-accepted, because his early am
bition for high historical art was severely snub-
bed, and he was forced into new field of art
Here he sketched the scene, to the delight of
the audience. In his younger days he delight
ed in depicting the humorous phases of what he
saw, and this inclination had never deserted
him. This he illustrated by sketches of the ia
nous comedian, Burton. His first political car
feature was on the Hcontraband,' soon after
Gen. Butler declared the negroes to be contra
band of war;" and its success led him to work
in this direction. A caricature of Gen. Butler
was then drawn upon the canvas and the audi
ence roared with laughter. He told of his war
with Tammany; how he was alternately threat
ened and coaxed; how the ring attempted to
bride him, and how they failed-narrating
these matters ia quaint style that was ire
sistble. The American people he said. We're
fun-loving and quick to catch a point made
on any humbug, always ready to laugh down
imposition and pretence, when shownsup by
the wit of the journalist or the ridicule of the
caricaturst
Tweed was sketched and shown side by side
with well-flled money bag, which having 5
mark drawn upon it, assumed startling like
ness to the head centre of the Tammany ring.
His idea of the proper garb of all such charac-
tiers, was expressed by sketch of the State
Prison dress. Finally, the lecturer himself, ar
rayed in night-shirt, with cap and candle in
hand, appeared on the SCREEN and intimated
that the lecture was closed.
SACRED CoNCERT-Tickets for the sacred
concert Sunday evening at City Hall can now
be obtained at Halves music store The fol.
lowing is the
PROGRAMME:
PART I.
Glory to the Lord (ATessiah). Handel.
Chambers Brass Band.
This is the Lords own day. .Kreutzer.
Amphions.
In1ammatus.. .R0ssini.
Mrs. Halves, Brass Band and Panoforte.
Rest in the Lord. .Mendelssehn.
Miss Carrie.
He who is Upright .....................F Fleming.
Amphions.
Chambers String Band.
PART II.
Mrs. Halves, Miss earle and Mr. Morgan.
Cavatina-Tosto Abbondona. ......... .Mercadante.
Chambers String Band.
Let thy hand help me. ....................H Handel
Miss earle.
Amphions.
Christmas Song. Observation-Disclosures. Adam.
Mr. Morgan
Seleetion-Mount of Olives .......... Beethoven.
Chambers Brass Band.