The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-25
A Fine Art and a Great Artist.

Under this caption the Davenport Dem
ocrat pays very high compliment to one
who is no stranger to the readers of the
DAILY ARGUs-one who may be called a
selfmade man, who, from nothing, has
made his fortune twice over, and, to-day,
stands at the head of his calling, and is
recognized as an excellent gentleman and
thorough business man. The following
notice is SO appropriate and deserved that
we copy it entire -
Art is vast subject, having its differ
ent phases, its various divisions and in
Vulnerable sub divisions. The same spirit
inspires the musician, the poet, the paint
the perfection of beauty, either in sound
or form, is an artist in the broadcast sense
The man who can, with unfailing eye, de-
tect the least incongruity in color, and Sc
lect the shades, the tone, the tints, which
harmonic and blend; who can trace the
most beautiful lines, understand the grace
full curve, conceal defect in form by some
happy distribution of detail, give breadth
by even flow of line. and assist Nature
herself in giving pleasure to the eye, is an
artist. This being so, scientific and
thoroughly educated tailor is an artist of
the highest kind, and his skill aud ability,
if directed in the same channel, would pro-
duce sculptor equal to Hiram Powers, or
painter as great as Healy. Such an ar
fist is Edward Ely, the habilmental mon
arch OF the West. With him his profes-
sion is science, his productions results OF
art, his garments Things of beauty, the re
suit of as>iduity acting in concert with in
, tellect. Ely does not look upon dress a:
merely clothing man, but as some
thing to beautity and refine He sees the
a aesthetic side of tailoring and every suit hi
r turns out is, in the strictest sense, a worl
O of art, as much so as the Greek Slave, o.
' the picture of Phil Sheridan. Some me,
y are born great; Ely was born genius
e Success was certain, for he deserved it
J. 1t was not capital, for he commenced on
: $3.50 of borrowed money, and pawned hi
watch to help to pay the express charge
on his FIRST stock Of goods, but he wa
self: confident of excellence in his profes
sion, knew that he saw beyond tn
' mere cutting and fitting, into tn
n regions of art in dress, and he was no
mistaken. He has been acknowledge,
as the leading mind In his bus
< ness of the whole West. St. Loui
~ and Cincinnati have tailors many an
e. cutters many, but in Ely Chicago has al
re artist in cloth. He not only takes tn
a q measure of man, but studies all tn
d points, and tells exactly the flow of lin
II which will intensity his good points, tn
~ colors which will harmonize with com
n 2; plexion and appearance Not only tn
st body, but the natual entity of the man i
y fitted, aud he is not merely dressed, bu
20 clothed with harmonious beauty as we
as garment. MIR Ely is, in the trues
sense of the word, a high bred gentleman
ie The art he has made a life study seem
y to pervade his personality, and freedor
lie and ease to all his behavior and bushes
re habits. Mr.. Ely was one of the sufferer
N by the great fire. but he Immediately re
at covered from the shock, and all who kne
It the advantages of being artistically al
ID rayed focked round the great tailor. II
As has accumulated fortune, and knows ho
III to use it as gentleman. His bushes
t. is ever on the increase, and at Wabas
to avenue. corner of Monroe street, Chicag
r. may be found the greatest artistic tail,
ns of Western America,