The Indianapolis journal., 1883-07-06
KEPP1ER. MAST AND WALES.
Facts About the Men who Draw
for the Funny Papers.

| ior Cte Il unuy Ihpere'
"Ajax," in New York Journal
Mr.. Joseph Keppler, the distinguished
caricaturist, has sailed for Europe, and the
millionaire Puck will be at the mercy of Gil
| lam, Graetz, Opper and Bisbee for four or
| five months When Mr.. Keppler created
Puck he was so poor that he was laughed at.
Now he has become rich and famous. He
can well afford vacation in foreign lands,
and the caricatursts of the country wish
| him a most magnificent reception abroad.
If poor Edward Jump, who killed himself
in Chicago the other day, could stand at the
gateway of the steamer which is to carry
keppler across the Atlantic he would say,
My dear boy, may peace and contentment
go with you." jump was an erratlc genius.
He was Frenchman who fondly loved his
wife. He enjoyed good dinner with wine,
but was never a drunkard, as might be
inferred from the comments made upon his
career by journalists who never saw him.
Like all Frenchmen ne was merry among the
merry, and frantic among the frantic. Tenn
perance folks will find no lecture in Jumps
death if they will take the trouble to learn
of his life and death.
The public generally has little knowledge
OF the famous caricatursts of the present
day, and propose to shed ray Of Light upon
them.
Thomas Mast, it may be said in all truth
fulness, has been retired by Harper Brothers
upon a pension. His work, whenever he
performs any, Is for that firm, and he receives
$4,000 year for pledSing himself not to do
anything for any other firm. The time was
when Mast was power in the land. Like
every other genius he was superseded by an
oSher The Tweed ring was shaken, if not
shattered, through his caricatures, but to-day
his ideas are fiat and improbable.
As Keppler superseded Mast, SO Wales will
supersede Kepper. To-day the colored
drawings made by Keppler stand in public
estimation as the best of their kind, and
! Mast is almost foi 80 Iten with his "black and
white" caricatures. Kepplers entree into
this country was a peculiarly dismal one
He had been an opera singer in Europe, and
when he arrived at Castle Garden he was car
ried, with other immigrants, to the thriving
city of st. Louis. There he suffered what is
generally spoken of as "precarious exist
ence.f He there founded Puck, and it died
an ignominious death. He came to New
York and brought a new Puck into the
world. For nearly two years this one "hung
by its eyelids." Now it is a great property
and Keppler and his venturesome partner
Schwarzman, are wealthy. Indomitable
pluck won the race, and Puck may live for
all time.
After many vicissitudes the Judge is at last
upon paying basis, and that this is so is
owing mainly to the efforts of Mr.. James A.
Wales a young Ohioan, who founded it. Mr..
Wales came to New York from the Western
INeSerNe Iull Ol iueaS, ana DeShu career Ot
usefulness on Wild Oats, weekly publica-
| ton which placed large bank account to the
credit of Mr.. George G. Small. He was quick
ly taken into the employ of Mr.. Frank
Leslie, and made the illustrated News famous
for telling caricatures upon public men and
events. The Judge was Mr.. Wales's creation
and Mr.. Frank Tousey, the irrepressble pub
Usher, became sponsor for it. Owing to the
vast increase in Mr.. Tousey's business in the
| publication of other periodicals he was un-
| able to continue, with credit to himself, the
publ cation of The Judge, and he sold it to
several Philadelphia capitalists. Mr.
Wales still retaining an interest in it MIR
Wales is not yet thirty-three years of age
He has a splendid country seat at Rye, in
Westchester county, and is a generous host
He is looked upon as the riGhtful successor
of Mr. Keppler in the field of carcature. Mr.
Wales has no difficulty in drawing perfect
Licensees from memory. and performs work
with marvellous CELEBRITY.
Thomas Worth is a born caricaturist. 1t
is a pastime for him to draw ridiculous
scenes Oppers style is of the Chinese order,
the caricatures on tea chests being his study.
Graetz would be funny in Germany, but in
America he is far from home. Gillian is a
hard hitter, and is closer to Keppler on the
staff OF Puck than any other artist,