The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-26
1HgtMAKERs OF PUNCH



, ChasevaF1.v ~. M
Frank Beilew writes TO the Trt6une
WAcn IN London l. met several Of. the
paMek artists, Hmong them the Immortal
John Leech, prince Of them all, Kenny
Meadows, and Charles Keeue. Richard
Doy:e only gave me an interview yica-
riously through his representative, Stat
ternly old Irish domestic. l never else
where saw HE CHARACTERISTICS, or at least
one chaws0eFistic, Of the English and Irisn
rsees 30 markedly. Illustrated rs 1t was In
the ahodas Of John Leech and Richard
Doyle. The door OF Leech's house, In
Bedford Square, was opened wide. by q
natty liitle scrvant-gfri, Just Hike one OF his
own pictures. The hall or entry was as
meet ~ o. new pafnt-boS, with numerous
door-mats placed here and there where
they would do most good. was shown
into parlor which was picture In ITSELF
q pocsy grateful 10 four OF the Eve senses
sight. for II was beautiful; smell, for its
sweet freehness and fragrant flowers
touch. for its velvet carpet and numerous
aeecy mats; and hearing, for Its negative
virtues OF silence and repose. Some water
coIors. enlarged copies Of his own sketches
In Punch, stood on the manteipiece, which
was also adorned with statuetses and por-
celain vases. Everything in the room be-
tokened good taste and refinement,
Contrast this with the menange OF Rich
ard Doyle. He lived In fine house in
oxford Terrace. When l called the door
was haH opened by slatternly, bewildered
old woman, who seemed to look on me
with suspicion, and answered me with hes
itnfion that her master was not in. She
looked askance at the card Handed her,
and INQUIRED, swat will l be doin' wild
this bit av ticketf" told her its pur-
pose, and she closed the door abruptly.
From the glimpse ! caught OF the entry
and staiis. / saw that the house was I'M
kemyh, dirty, dusty, and stale.
Doyle Was not at that time connected
with Punch, having left 1t several years
before, sacrificing handsome income and
congenial pursuit rather than continue
his connection with paper which satirlzed
his (the Roman Catholic) religion. So II he
did not possess the second-class virtue OF
cleanliness, he could claim the first-class
one according to his conyictions) Of godli-
ness. After ne left Punch he devoted
himself chiefly to painting church decora-
tions and pictures or religious subjects.
JOHN IEsoH IN aIs WORKSHOP.
But TO return TO John Leech. After
had waited few minutes the artist him
sell entered and conducted me into his
workshop, or studio. In this room moth
ing was visible save q desk, on which lay
one block OF lockwood, pencil, and a
piece Of paper; and, covering two sides
OF the room, rows OF large mahogany
closets, or bookcases, whose dark-panelled
doors gave no hint OF their contents.
There was not print, nor sketch, nor
cast, nor any artists tools to be seen. save
the solitary block, pencil, and scrap OF pa
per. sin t.,5es'
He seemed much interested in hearing
OF the United States, and pleased to learn
that his fame was so widespread in this
country. He had seen several reproduce
tions Of his own works in American jour
mails, and was puzzled to know how it was
done. "They SEEM" he said, speaking OF
his pictures, "to he first very badly pho
tographed. and then very badly engraved,
and so to have lost all their character
and vitality" This was many years ago.
during the early period of the art OF H.
Illustrating in this country, when the Eng
lish wood engrayings were looked upon as
supreme models to he initiated afar of but
never equalled, and when publishers and
experts would have written one down an
ass had he limited that in twenty years we
should, as we actually do now, excel all
the world In the art Of book and magazine
illustration. .l5Iq u.t
When told Leecb that had been dis
ciple OF his ever since was boy, he re-
piled, rather sadly, that ''he was afraid he
had begun too early in life." When
made some Inquiries as 30 the business ar
rangements on Punch, their usual rates OF
remuneration, etc., he became as reticent
as a sarcophagIls, refusing absolutely to
give me any hint or Information whatever.
He said that Bradbury Il Evans had al
ways treated him with the greatest hberali-
ty, but he knew nothing further. He told
me that he rarely or never sketched di-
rectly from nature, but observed forms and
characters and carried them home in his
eye, He added that this might not be the
best way to secure accuracy OF drawing
and detail, but ne found il best for him.
self in obtaining the general effect, the ne
ton. character, and expression IN his sub
jects. He was somewhat languld, or
rather. exhausted, In his manner, with
a touch OF melancholy, and was evil
IDENTIFY OF highly nervous Organi-
zation. So was not so much surprised
to hear, few days later, that the cause OF
his death was breast-pang, superinduced
by the grinding OF hand-organs and the
fling nj carpenters saws. He told me Of
his meeting the Duke Of Sutherland while
out shooting i'm Scotland, when that noble
man, goOd-humoredly, asked him why he
had 80 ierOciously satirized him few years
previously In Punch, when he had turned
large part of his estate into sheep-walk
and elected many OF his tenants. A duke is
q duke In Great Britain. Leech could
not stand the pressure, and so re-
canted, saying: A young man often
does things In this life which his
maturer Judgment leads him deeply
TO regret After that he dined with the
Duke and had the run OF the moors. l
asked him whether his social caricatures
were taken from real incidents or Z" evolved
from the depths Of his own spiritual con-
sciousness." He replied that they were
generally facts, or founded on fact Some
times The germ was very small, and some-
times very complex, aud he found 1t a
greater mental strain than most people
would believe TO build up the one or boil
down the other so that the point would be
Immediately apparent In his picture.
THE EDITOR OF "PuNcH."
BE spoke Of Mark Lemon, the editor Of
Punch, who, he said, often put things IN
the paper which he himself would have
excluded - Too often,v he SAID, sit Is
the custom TO select unsuccessful men
- EDITORS 70 pass Judgment on aud revise
the work OF suecessful ones. That, how.
ever, - not exactly the case with MARI
Lemon, Tor though he has never made ,
n fSsf