New-York tribune., 1884-03-02
OLD MEMORIES OF AN ARTIST
SOME OF "TIE KNICKERBOCKER's" CON
TRIBUTORS.
sAxF. SHELTON. NORTH, COzzANS, wHFLrLrY,
BRIGGS AND BRENT.


BRIGGs AND BRENT.
To the Edftor ~ The TrtbN"e
SIR: Looking upon Tle Eaictrbockeras the May
flower" of American magazine literature ieel
that good deal of interest attaches 10 every one OF
the Pilgrim Fathers Of belles-lettres who sailed IN
that good ola ship therefore venture TO offer you
short sketches of some of her crew. One OF them
only met once or twice casually, and have con
nectcd with him Lut dim vision A"atns before lny
eyes of large. tawny figure with something about
II suggestive of the benign dignity Of mastlf. lie
bad long been a contributor to The hHickTbockef
and a correspondent of it's editor. before he and that
editor met. One day Lewis Gaylord Clark was
seated in his co>cy library in Twcuty--ccond-st.,
hard ~ work on his pet department OF the maga-
zine " The Editors Table" when stranger opened
the door and entered unamounced. lie was a large
man. whose thick boots and modest raimcnt were
covered with country dust
Hello. Clark" he sid, how ai yoa? Iov''
the folks Wot'- new ?"
Clark, who was the pink of courtesy, arose.
bowed stihiy and begged the stranger to be seated
Wal, old feer hower yer BIN ' resumed the
visitor after he had taken q scat. " Look rayther
yaer bout the dcwlap,. Nor bin hslin' foo Eluch
gin and peppermint hope. ch 90
Sir answered Clark with g1iity, may in
quire whom have"
How, Clara, and the Young folks ,
Sir, /"
All the time the stranger wda piopouudlug these
kindly inquiries, ho was edgug hi, chair bir by BIT
closer and closer to MI Clark. VINO. beginning to
get quite nervous was vainlv trying IN keep his
distance by the same - stem of tactrs.
We'll. Old Hoes. I'm mighty glad 10 see yer
Give a grip Of Yer potato rake extending his
own hand cordially and then bringing it down
with thump on the writing table. which made the
pens and ink and all the ltte articles of yertu jump
again. Say. Lewis. / feel dry You hain't got no
rum round th" shanty, hey yer Ne. bet you've
Din and soaked it all up yourself yo old sinner T;
and here he poked Clark the ribs with the end of
- piece ri -r,ihb.ry which stood tO him in place of
a cane, at the time advancing his "harr two
hitches on Clarh's I,it flank But, say. Clark TIL
tell Yer wot Won lend me- 81 quarter and I'll TIm up
10 that gin-mill the corner and gf yer bottle
filed then we'll hey quiet -ocablc time together.
What dyer say: j. itade :'
Here the stranger threw himself Lack in his chair,
and raising one of his hug. dusty boots laid it con-
ddngly on Cark's knee Flesh aud blood, even
Levi, Gay lord lark gentle lesh and blood, could
not stand this. 50 rising quickly to Liz fee and
dropping the strangers hoof to the floor with .
crash like that of u Sa.at,ca trunk from the hands
Of baega -smasher he drew himself mp with dig
nitied severity and SAID:
Sir have not the pleasure of yoIr acluaint-
ance, and must Therefore beg You to leave my
house both my priyao} and my tlnc are of value
10 me"
Again the stranger throw himself back in his
chair aud laughing heartily, exclaimed Excuse
my Joke. Mr.. Clark. but | am John e.. SAKE |
thought We had known each other long enough by
correspondence aud Ought to make each others ar-
q1antance personally, ~ | have just taken run
down the river 20 sec you.'
When Clark had recovered from hi, first a>tonish-
mcnt he shook his old contributor cordially by the
hand and tradition saith they made a night of i,.'
At all events they mained warm friends til the
day of Clark death.
| suppose the present general on can't repeat
Sayc's jn2l.ng bit of rhyme, Riding the Rail-
which did the same service for ms reputation as did
The Heatheu Chnee for the fame of Bret Harte.
Yet in those d3vs i was quoted and recItod and
sunQ throughout the length and breadth of the
land and not only on this liz native soil but
wherever the English language was ePokcn. The
cockncy on the top of 4 Pod,!ington bus. and the
British officer on the top of the Him@layas, wo1id
hum IN with as much unctiou as Syk~ey in tho
Bowerv or lli., Belinda in Blccrkcr-St. SAKE wrote
much better things. which deserve to De rrmcin-
bercl but this piece of wmblins. buzling Vcis'ica-
tion made him famous and was roe"l advertise
mcnt for Clark magazine"
The Row Nr. shelton WI, contributor 10 Ihe
EpcEeJoel4y for which be- wrote a series oI letters
from hi. parsonaga mp the Iludsou. Ihe-' letters
were full of the growing oi cocks, be- quackinC of
ducks. the smell of hay and the tiutS OF aPpl"
blossoms and all other rural sounds. scents AMI
huc- They treated largely of the lives and deaths.
the trials and triumph, Of fine brrod of shanghai
fowls ol which be had become poe.e--"d. His de-
,crptious Of the ,.ci->itides through winch these
unLapnv birds passed iu their struggle Tor ~ur wal
were iuIl of am.ib,c humpr and playful fancy.
When he finds one lrozrn sti and stands ii upside
down against the kitchen door Ike an umbrella.
Won g,t 70 very fprciblc idea of the longitudinal and
o.,anr,. in poultr, shelton occasionally visited his
friends IN New-l ork when he gently took oil his
ca-so, and careiully Laid it aside, whilst he mildly
uubcnt lis moral bow in the society Of pr'tane
writers and other lay persons
William North, first contribution to Tts Kn.ct,r-
hooker was q tuucttd poem called Biondine be
ginning:
Reader, has thou ever seen portrait of the fair
VI: the picture Is unrajntcl, though ofteutnoes
have tainted
In the trial
Fora short time NE was &n rnthu-ia soldier IN
Clnrk's little army but his ard r soon died out
under lhS chILIhH lllh"''i'' VI 'i''-l'" 'i '' " "
turned 10 tn. SdRd0y fOgjiT and other shoes con-
ducted on different commercial principles.
| well remember North's first Introduction 10
Clark which was on the very day OF his arrival in
this country. party OF rs were dining at French
restaurant in Barclay-st.. kept By one FUoux
whom We used 10 call Fish Hooks, when North
was ushrred in. lie had just landed after long
VOYAGE in the second cabin of sailing ship His
hair. which was stmi ight and light like spun glass
hung in long uuheHpt ulamcnts about ms should
ers. His head was covered with an old narlow-
brimmed felt hat half shade lighter than IN, hair
while his honely going attire was Heeked AL
over with the fluffy ezpoliations Of ship blankets
aud feather pillows. like an illPuckcd duck.
Though our banquet by 10 means magnificent,
still the presence of some bottles Of mcia ordad're