The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-28

battle scenes for various European and
American papers. Then he made a rapid
tour through Switzerland, Germany and
France, sketching industriously for his New
York employer, but getting poorly paid, as
the Illustrated News was then in hard fix.
AT last remittances ceased, and Mast had to
come home. He landed in New York just
before the war broke out here, with only two
dollars and eleven cents in his pocket
He then began painting in oils, and also
continued working for the Illustrated News,
which soon died a natural death considerably
in debt to him. In the fall of 1861 he was
married to a beautiful young lady from Eng
land, whom he won in the teeth of keen
competition on the part of half dozen rival
suitors.
Now came the crucial charge in Nast's life.
He knew he must now either rise steadily or
quickly sink forever. He always was en-
thusiastic, but he lacked stability of purpose.
War had great charms for him. He was
also patriotic from top to toe. So he soon
became drawn into the great struggle
that was raging in the South; and it was the
making of Mast. He began making battle
field sketches for Harper's Weekly, and also
cartoons and caricatures on current political
topics. He was desperately in earnest and
overwhelmingly in love with his work, and
soon his powerful sketches attracted national
attention. The circulation of Harpers
Weekly was doubled. 1t was taken in every
camp and fort, and on every war ship. The
pictures covered vast range of topics of
course-heroic, pathetic, humorous-and in
each department the enthusiastic young artist
welded his pencil with equal skill
When the war closed and Andrew Johnson
entered UPON his political vagaries, Mast was
afire with patriotic indignation. and he flung
off caricature after caricature of the fiercest
sort Nothing comparable with them in
vehemence had ever before been seen, and it
was soon said on every hand that Nasts car
toons welded greater political power than
the polished essays on the editorial page.
His hatred of the South was bitter and unre-
lenting, as was also his contempt for the
ignorant Irish element of New York. When
Grant was elected President he found in
Mast warm and constant supporter Then
came the great exposure of the Tweed ring
in New York. Here Mast found a fertile field
for his fancy, and here he achieved the great
est triumph he had yet known. suppose
his cartoons did more than all other agencies
put together to arouse public indignation
against the thieves Every week Harper's
teemed with cuts, executed in Nasts vigorous
style, holding the Tammany ring and the ele-
ment that put it in power up to the execra-
ton of the world.
Two years later another great campaign
was on hand. The Democrats had NOM
mated Greeley for President. Mast
caught the situation, and brought out
concentrated bitterness toward the enemy,
and unsparing ridicule of the unfortunate
opposing candidate never had been and prob
ably never will be equaled Afterward, re-
viewing the work of the campaign, some one
asked Grant who, in his opinion, had done the
most to secure his reelection. Answered he,
tom Mast"
The artist is still working faithfully for
Harper's Weekly, and his pencil earns him a
princely salary. He is ever ready to catch
the salient features OF every current issue,
and present it in a cartoon more wildly and
more impressivelY than a dozen editorials
could do. His genius shows no signs of fail
ing. He works to-day as rapidly, as energet-
ically and as diligently as when he was poor
boy on SIS week. And his pictures are every
week as original in conception and design as
powerful in execution and as impressive in
effect as ever. Still young man, he seems
to be at the very zenith of success, and his
home life is the very ideal realized of con-
tentment and satisfaction. A popular fellow
citizen in Morristown, a faithful friend, the
brightest and most entertaining of compan-
ions, the most cordial of guests. he is unique
in his art, and unapproachable; and upon the
art history of America, and indeed of the
world, he has drawn intellectually mighty
cartoon of his own merry, manly face, and
signed it as he has ten thousand more perish
able but unforgotten works. 9TH. Mast" -