, 1880-11-14
TIE MAY0a'S PICTURE.

is lust a little vain. lie IS vain Of his w.t.
for didn't lie make a speech in Congress
about the Marine Band that sat the galleries
in roarc-aud of his prowess III arms.-for
didn't he regnIe delegation of sharpshoot-
ers in front Of the Grand Pacific few
months ago with an account Of how he SHOT
SQUIRRELS In Kentucky, in emulation OF the
great Daniel Boone himself ?-and OF his
oratory.-for hasn't he delivered an address
Of welcome to everything that has come In
sight Of Chicago for the last TWO years? But
he is also vain OF his personal appearance;
and "this particular vanity" as MT. STIFF
aims might say, is what has brought MIN 10
grief.
Now, man of good carriage, with pre-
sentable figure well rounded out IN the SID
pectoral region, and a handsome face, with
the intellectual portion amplified by just
becoming degree Of badness, naturally
wants his picture taken. It was unfortunate
for Mr., Harrison that he did not come into
the municipal chair in that golden age when
the Mayors had their portraits done in oil ut
the public expense. for then he might have
ioined company with Ogden, Morris, Kay
mond, Lloyd, Sherman, Garrett, Curtis,
Woodwortll, Gurnee, Gray. Ml1llken, Boone,
Dyer, and the great Long John himself, and
so looked grl1nly down from the walls Of the
Council Chamber upon the doings OF unnula-
b. red Boards Of Aldermen from generation
to generation. But the great fire destroyed
that valuable collection Of framed Aae1s-
trates, and the art-preservatlre OF Mayors
faces has not since been called upon to deco
rate the rooms of the Municipal Legislature;
SO the best Mayor of all has had to content,
himself by distributing photographs
with q few OF cabinet size for spe-
cial presentation, with autograph attached.
This was indeed slow and troublesome way
| of making his visage familiar to the people;
but what better could he do? The city was
not in the habit Of striking coins OF medals,
| or eiee his profile might have appeared in
| low relief upon discs Of brass and bronze, or
| even Of silver and gold. He might then have
| Looked like one Of the Roman Emperors with
| f. wreath around his head, or like George
| Washington with an inclpitnt pigtail stick
| Ing down over his coat-collar. as 1t was, he
| might have had his portrait bust worked
into the wall of some hotel, as Mayor Sher-
man's was, or his full-length statue in grant
! might have served as q curyatid to hold up
| nothing on the east end Of the new Court
| House: but none Of these devices for i1nmor-
| tality appear to have occurred to him, and he
seemed destined to go through his official
life without having chance to put his true
efligy in such permanent shape that the ft1t-
ure mothers Of the country could point to it
and say, "There, my child, study the features
| If Harrison. lie was great and good
man.
but after q while proy1dent1al way
opened ont of all his trouble. The Alliance,
after the fashion Of religious newspapers,
had q space wholly given over to the MAN,
| mon OF unrighteousncss, and especially a
fine-art department on the initial page Of its
| cover, where, fur a consideration. man
might have his portrait printed from all un-
doubted engraving Oil wood. TO be sure,
lager-beer sign astri.la a barrel as in such a
place, but then our Mayor always had a
speclal liking for the outside Of religious
papers, and, besides, what other chancu was
there open 10 him? So, when the persuasive
emissary came around with an offer to put
him iu. as near the size Of life as the page
would allow, and With halo of advertise
ments Of pills and velocipcties, the photo
graph was cleerfully handed over, from
which the cunning worker in wood could
surely execute his cut, with possibility thai
the Mayor, would be drawn and executed b,
the same process. No direct payment fo.
all this was demanded, but there was an in
| timatfon that it would be the proper thing fol
the Mayor to buy about 5000 copies Of the
paper containing the portrait, which he
could send to his friends. These, ut the
usual and reasonable rale, would cost a mat
ter Of $3.50; but the willy Harrison declined
to commit himself until he knew whethe
the accompanying biographical notice hat
been written up in proper style. 4 brie
autobiographical sketch would have been th'
: thing, but somehow none was written, ant
when the great illustrated paper came OH
with portrait that was true to the life, ant
a life that vas perhaps TRUE tp the portrait
the Mayor would not receive the 5000 copies
, although an order for that number was ex
! ! hibited, signed by his clerk. lie said tn
. clerk had been deceived ami misled by th