New-York tribune., 1880-02-08
BOSTON TOPICS.
ACTIVITY IN ART AND POLITICS.

/
| PUBLIC AND A SOCIAL LFAILURE-MAoHINE MUSIC
AT DEMOCRATIC HEADQUARTERS.
lFRoM OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUEE.l
/ BosTOS, Feb. 5.-The sale of William NJ. Hunts
| paintings and drawings yesterday and the day be-
| fore at Horticultural Hall was great success.
wrote you last week that lively bidding and good
prices expected; 50 far as hear antlci-
pated such large sums as were generally realized.
There were four Of the Niagara pictures. each 81
by AZ inches in size. and all painted in the Summer
of 1878. Of these, the Rapids between Luna and
Goat Isands " sold for ST 050; Horseshoe Falls
sold for $500; and American Falls
sold for $4,000 One Of the charcoals was
"study of "Sister Islands" and for
this some admirer paid the sum of $33o. The
great painting of Niagara" 62 by 102 inches,
was withdrawn, nobody being willing to start it at
$4,000. The story is told that private offer of
$4,000 for Il has been refused, aud that 1t goes
| with the "Batherss to Europe in q few weeks for
| exhibition. For the present decline to believe the
first half of tbs tale. The sketch Of the "Flight OF
Night" in the Capitol at Albany, same size MS the
| Niagara" was also withdrawn because
nobody would start it at $4,000. These
two works are so large and so much
appropriate for public than private collec-
tion that it was not supposed there would be many
competitors for either. The Might" is hardly
white chalk at that but the Niagara " is thor
onghly finished in every part, and confess to some
surprise that it had bidders at the upset price
The unique and highly characteristic Batbers,'
only % by 2S inches in size, also withdrawn be-
cause of failure TO get start at $4,000 There was
much comment throughout the hail upon THIS
action OF the managers, the general Judgment Delhg
that the picture would have sold for more then and
there than can be obtained for it anywhere else
| hereafter. / sat near n gentleman who wished to
start 1t at 81 800. and il probably would have gone
| to 81 900 By quick bids. What was known as
| the Gloucester group OF paintings included three
pictures which sold for Sl,G75j the North Easton
| group. four pictures, aggregated q total of
| S4,O25 the Naushon group-Naushon being
an Island off New-Bedford for many Years
owned by John NJ Forbes-realized S3,95O; and
the Magnolia group Magnolia being a Summer re-
sort in Essex County-nine pictures, ,broughtS SlsZo
There were also an even dozen Magnolia charcoals.
which sold for ~ $50. The striking painting Of
lady42 by 80 inches in size, called At the Matinee
went ostensibly to a Fall River bidder at 5000 an
| impression prevailed in my neighborhOod that the
picture was going TO the Art Museum. and
that competitors few on this ac-
count. Fall River certainly struck bargain
| if he bought for himself. Surprising IA were the
prices obtained for of the works IN OIL, It was
| all but bewdering TO see how the charcoal draw
| ings went OF The buyer OF tho " drummer Boy
Al 500 got the worth of hs money, for 1t is care
fully finished and wonderfully spirited work. But
one cannot say az much for many Of the ladies and
gentlemen who paid anywhere from $50 to 5000 for
| crude studies, eight 10 fifteen inches square, OF
trees and animals and old houses and sand banks,
| and matters of that sort. To buy something
| of Hunts, because il the proper thing to
do seemed 10 be the spirit behind good
many bids. To sum up; Three paintings were
withdrawn at $4,000; while 90 paintings were
! sold FOR S5J. .Gi0 and l0l charcoal drawings were
sold for 277. There was such crowd Of pei
sons at tho sale and so much bidding in fictitious
names that il is quite impossible just yet to tell
where the principal pictures have gone And it Is
equally uncertain whether half dozen well-known
gentlemen who figured ms purchasers we're buying
for themselves or the Art Museum or the Hunt
Memorial Society.
| One Of the IontTues OF our Legislature this year
NOT 10 be set aside except by a four-lfths vote OF
each house - that all new business proposed after
the first Wednesday Of February, to wit, yesterday
shall be sent over next year. The rate at which
business has come in during the last three days
would seem to indicate that = certain proportion
Of the people of the State fear we shall never have
another General Court, AS near as can make out
| from careful examination OF the record, 112
|
by order. have been brought INTO one branch
or tho other since Monday morning last. The two
presiding officers being stout upholders Of the JOINT
rule to which have referred 1t is now possible to
90. a fair general view of tho legislative field for
this session. Very lttlo has been finished in these
| first fonr weeks Hardly single ore OF the lupor-
tant matters IN respect TO which something OF con-
test I. expected has yet been reported to the calen
dar On several Of them the usual hearings before
committee have not even begun. The leading
chairmen of committees natter us with talk
To the effect that hencefprth business VIII
be driven right along at an uncommohly rapid rate
But have heard great deal of that kind oi prol-
ise in nv time IL does not now MI me with antlc-
pations of o short session aud a speedy ADJOURN
ment. OF course one-haf to throo-quarters Of the
subjects now in committee will be disposed OF 10y
reports of leave to withdraw" inexpedient to
legisaier or ought not TO pass But the consid-
Grafton of the other fourth or third will axe time.
and a session of at least four months Is every way
probable
One Of the important pending questions that
it ought not to take long TO settle relates to the
union of Brookline and Boston. Originally the city
was not very large in territorial eXtcnt. 1t has
grown by the annexation of suburbs until now 1t
covers an area Of about thirty-six square miles.
The annexation OF East Boston and South Boston
took place long before there was any such t'ile rs
q city here. Then came Roxbury III January looS'
and Dorchester in January, 1870, with Brighton
| Charlestown and West Roxbury in January.
| 1874 An enabling act with respect to
Brookline was passed by tho Legislature
of 1878. Boston voted in favor OF the union' @ nus
Brookline voted against it by yeas 2OJ; nays ioo'
Notwithstanding this decisive vote. CERTAIN por-
ton of the ctizens Of the town have Thought IL ex-
pedIent 10 keep agitating the question Oh ahheNA-
| non ncrhaps thinking they could ultimately van
qnish the opponents OF the project by t'ring them
out. The movement for union with the city mas mas
been regularly ana with 10 very great dhncully
defeated IN the Legislature for three Years past
bat tins year some real estate owners TOOK hoI" oI
in such way that the opposition Jaw snaiP usIu si
| ,Io A fnxyu me-