New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-29
THE MAKERS OF PUNCH"

LEMON, LEECH, AND THEIR COADJUTORS.
PERSONAL "REMINISCENCES OF AN OLD CONTRIBUTOR
TO "THE LONDON CHARIvARL"
TO he Edftor Of The Tribune.
SIR: Wien IN London met several OF the Punch
artists among them the immortal John Leech
prince of them ALL Kenny Meadows, and Charles
Keene. Richard Doyle only gave me an interview
vicariousl, through his representative, slatterny
old Irish domestic. ney er elsewhere saw the char
scteriscs or least one characteristic OF the Eng
lish and irish races so markedly illustrated il
was In the abodes Of John Leech and Richard
Doyie. The door of Leechs house in Bedford
Square was opened wide by natty little servant
girl. lust like one of his own pictures The hall or
entry was as neat as q new paint box, with numer-
Gus door-mats placed here and there where they
would do most good was shown into paror
which WAS picture in ITSELF a poesy grateful 10
four of the five senses sight for it was beautiful
smell for its sweet freshness and fragrant flowers
touch for its velvet carpet and numerous neecy
mats; and hearing fer its negative virtues oI
silence and repose. Some water colors, enlarged
copies of his own sketches in Punch, stood on the
mantlepiece which was also adorned win sta'u-
cites ind porcelain vases. Everything III 'no roon
betokened good taste and refinement.
Contrast this with the mendge OF klcbard Doylc'
He lived IN fine house in Oxford Terrace When
! called the door was half opened by slatternly'
-bewildered old woman, who seemed to look on mo
with suspic,on. and answered me with hesitation
that her master was not IN. She looked askance al
tia card handed her, and inquired Wat VIII
he dom, wild this bit av ticketW l told her Its
purpose. and she closed the door abruptly. FROM
the glimpse caught of the entry and stairs, saw
that the house was unkempt, dirty dusty anu sVae'
Dovls WAS not at that time connected Win
Punch having left 1t several years before, saerhc-
ing a handsome income and congeninl pursuit
rather than continue his connection with paper
which ,atrlzed his 1.-THE Roman Catholicl religion.
So if he did not possess the second-class virtue Oh
cleanliness he could claim the trst-class one tac
cordinq to his convictions) of goodness. After he
left Punch he devoted himself chiefly to painting
church decorations and pictures on religious sub
jects.
JOHN LEIGH IN HIS WORKSHOP.
Put IN return 70 John Leech. After / had waited
few minutes the artist himself entered and con-
ducted me into his workshop or studio. In this
room nothing was visible save a desk. on which
Law one block OF lockwood pencil and piece OF
paper; and. covering two sides OF the room, rows
of large mahogany closets or bookcases whose dark
panellsd doors gave no hint of their contehts
There was not PRINT nor sketch, nor cast, nor any
artists tool to be seen. the solitary block
pencil and scrap of paper.
He seemed much interested IN nearing OF tine
United States, and pleased TO learn that his fame
was so widespread in this country. lie had seen
several reproductions of his own works in American
Journals and was puzzled to know how 1t was
done. sThey seem," he SAID. speaking of his pic
lures q to be first very badly photographed. and
then very badly engraved, and so to have lost all
Sbsjr character and vitality" This many
years ago. during the early period OF the art OF IL
Illustrating in this country, when the English wood
engravngs were looked upon as supreme models TO
be initiated afar off 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.
When told Leech that had been disciple OF
his ever since Was boy, he replied rather sadly,
that he afraid he had begun too early in life"
When made some inquiries as to tha business
arrangements on Punch. their usual rates of remun-
eratlop ETC.. he became as reticent as a sarcopha-
gus, refusing absolutely to give me any hint or
Information whatever. He said that Bradbury Il
Evans had always treated him With the greatest
iberality, but he knew nothing further. He told
me that he rarely never sketched directly from
nature but observed forms and characters and car
ried them home in his eye. lie added that this
might not be the best way to secure accuracy OF
drawing and detail. but he found it best for him.
self in obtaining the general effect the action char
acter and expression in his subjects. He was some
what languid, or rather Exhausted, in his manner,
with touch of melancholy, and was evidently of
q highly nervous organization. So was not much
surprised to hear few days later that the cause of
his death was breast-pang, superinduced by the
grinding of handorgans and the filing of carpenters
saws He told me of his meeting the Duke of
Sutherland while out shooting In Scotland, when
that nobcman. good-humoredly, asked him why he
had so ferociously satirzed him a few years pre-
viously in Punch, when be had turned large part
of his estate into a sheepwak and elected many OF
his tenants. Duke is Duke in Great Britain.
Leech could not stand the pressure and so recanted
saving: "a young man often does things in this
life which lis maturer judgment leads him deeply
TO regret" After that he dined with the Duke and
had the run of the moors. / asked him whether his
social caricatures were taken from real incidents,
or evolved from the depths of his own spiritual
consciousness" He replied that they were gener-
ally facts, or founded OIL fact Sometimes the
germ was very small and sometimes very compiex ,
and he found it a greater mental strain than most
people would believe to build up the one or boll
down the other that the point would he inimedi-
atey apparent in his picture
THE EDITOR OF "PUNCH."
He smoke of Mark Lemon, the Editor of Panch,
who he said often put things In the paper which he
himself would have excluded. "Too Often" he
said 1T is the custom to select unsuccessful men,
rs editors to pass judgment on and revise the work
of success sful ones. That, however is not exactly
the case with Mark Lemon. for though he has never
made mark with any of his own productions he is
undoubtedly most admirable editor, though do
not always agree with him. Perhaps after all this
editing requires special faculty. and might make
. very poor one if put to the test"
He gave me a personal letter of introduction to
Mark Lemon, whom had never yet met, though
had been one of his contributors for some months.
Indeed, believe this gentleman was more inaccess
IDLE than the Prince of Wales sent the letter.
and received one in reply, appointing q day and