Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1883-12-01
ARTISTIC TATTOOING.
A Professional Tattooer Giveg an
Account of His Work and
It's Utility.
Chicago Herald.

Chicago Herald
Among the various professional shingles
swung TO the breeze at a crowded portion OF
klnzie street is that of Professor Edwin
Thomas, the "Artistic Tattooern With the
view of cleaning something Of interest i'll
decorative art, reporter interviewed this
Raphael of India ink proclivities. He is a
modest gentleman of the New England per-
suasion, and talked readily. "There are but
three professional tattooers in the United
States, lie remarked, land they are Martin
Hildebrand and Stephen Lee, of New York,
and myself Hildebrand and l established
ourselves i'll business in New York, as part
ners, thirty five years ago. / have recently
arrived in Chicago. After hating here
awhile | shall locate in San Francisco. l am
doing well here. My patronage does not
come from sailors entirely as you may sup
pose. tattoo more citizens than seafaring
men. | am now making about $40 day
Here is my book of designs The professor
exhibited a volume of Illuminated figures and
emblenls, which contained something adapted
to any fancy. There were patriotic, ma
tional, religious and aInorous designs, as well
as emblems for various kinds of clubs and
societies.
From time imlnemorial sailors have tat
tooed," he continued. 'The custom proba-
bly, originated in desire to furnish some
means by which disfgured corpse could be
identified. This is the principal motive of
most of my patrons. A great number of
dead DO les have been identified in New
York by tattoo marks, in cases where men
have persisted by sunstroke or by railroad
accidents. l can cite you an in
stance near home. About three weeks after
the large schooner Wells Burt, was lost near
Evanston, with all On board, three bodies
were washed ashore. They were SO disfg
ured that identification would have been i'm
possible had it not been for the tattoo marks
ON the arms of each These marks Were
more distinct than when the persons We're
living. A travelling salesman, a soldier, or {
sailor are equally interested in having some
distinctive mark on the person. During the
war did large business among the sol
diers of the Army Of the Potomac
Often regiment would owe me hundreds
Of dollars on pay day. 1t is no egotism for
me to say that rank as the first tattoo artist
of America. | learned the art-that is, l
took My first lessons at tin the United
States navy, while serving on board a man
DIVA. | was on the first American war YES
sci that visited Japan, and the Japs took
kindly 10 personal decoration. understand
that tattooing has grown much in favor
there. While among the South sea islanders
l studied their methods, which found to be
very crude. They have no eye to the beauti-
full. They are not aesthetic by any means.
They disfgure instead of identifying. have
been all over the world, and whenever /
could perfect my skill l have sought to do
So"
''How many colors do you use, professor"
1.-TWO; India blue and Chinese vernillion.
The first is SO harmless that you might chew
a cake of the ink without danger of being
poisoned The verIniilion is not SO harmless.
can tattoo any design in my book i'll an
hour. The operation is painless. prick the
ink into the flesh with these half dozen curl
GUS looking needles For a day or two the
skin simply feels as though it had been sun
burnt, and slnarts little. The vernillion
sometimes makes it feel a little sore for a day
or two. Ny greatest business is in society
emblems. The members of the Ancient
Order of Hibernians, Grand Army of the
Republic, the Odd Fellows and the Masons
patronize me largely The practice of tat
tooing is growing steadily. Educated people
attoo only after little reflection. They
perceive the advisability of it,"