Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-10-04

inders. shall have rolls Of canvas a mile
long, like the paper on which our great dailies
are printed, and the machines shall do every
thing; cut off the picture, when 1t has passed
among the cylinders, whereupou fresh canvas
will be rolled in for new one; another ma
chine viii stretch them; and they will pass
through yarnish bath in the twiBkiing OF an
eye. But this is in the future What want of
you. sir, and of other men Of influence in so
ciety, is to let our people know Of the great
good that IL ready for them now, and Of the
greater benefit that is coming. And, more than
that. you can do incalculable good to our
artists. Those poor tollers on the solitary can
vas should know how to become prosperous.
great and happy; tell them to 60 into some
other business. And now, sir, must see what
| can do for You. We will return to my gallery,
and will show you exactly what you want"
When we reached the back part Of the
show room. downstairs, he brought out an
unframed picture about three feet long and
There" said he. lis picture which will
snit you 1t is what we call reversible land
scape, and is copied from the only genuine
picture of the kind in the world. 1t is just as
good as two pictures. In this position, you see
line OF land stretches across the middle of the
picture, with trees. houses and figures. with
light sky above, and q lake. darker in hue,
below. Everything on the land is reflected
accurately in the water. 1t is landscape in
morning light. Turn 1t upside down. So and
light water beneath: the morning star, which
YOU saw family glimmering in the other pic
ture is now the reflection of the evening star"
l do not pretend to be judge of pictures
but / fancy / appreciate an original idea when
] see it, and thought that this picture might
answer my purpose.
''What is the price of the painting?" asked.
''Weli, SIR" said he. Ito you. as man of
influence. l will fix the price of this great
painting. from comparatively unknown work
nf of fpr,r doll E,Ik
In spite Ofwhat / had seen of the facilities
possessed by this establishment for producing
cheap work, must confess that l was sur
prlsed at the smalness of the sum asked
for an oil painting of that size: l had expected
to give forty or fifty dollars. But, although |
am not judge Of paintings. am a business
man, AID accustomed to make bargains. There
tore said:
Il will give you two dollars and fifty cents
for the pictures"
Done" said he, ''Where shall send it,"
l gave him my city address. and paid the
money. As he accompanied me to the door
he said: If you would like more Of these
pictures, will sell you one dozen for eighteen
dollars, or the whole lot of one hundred
just fnished.-and there wilt be 10 more of
them painted.-for one hundred dollars l
told him one was all / wanted. and departed.
! carried the picture home that afternoon. and
III the evening exhibited it at our club-room.
and made known my scheme for raising the
money we needed by getting up a rattle with
this painting as the prize: one hundred tickets
at the low price of two dollars each. The re-
yersibie landscape was set up. first one way
and then the other, great many times and
created quite sensation.
Il don't think it's worth the half two hun
dred dollars" said Mr. Buckby. our president,
but as the money is for the use of our Associa-
ton, don't mind that. But my objection to
the scheme is that. if should gain the prize. |
should be laughed at by all my fellow-members;
for, TO tell the truth. think that painting is a
good deal more funny than otherwise It's not
what call high art.''
The other members generally agreed with
him They We're very much amused by the
picture. but they did not care to possess it,
Imagining that those who rdiculed it might
also ridicuie its owner. This opposition dis
couraged me- and retired to reflect Ia about
five minutes returned to the company which
had now greatly increased, as it was one Of our
regular meeting nights. and asked if they
would consent to this rattle if would engage
that the winner of the picture should not be
laughed at by any other member
How will you guarantee that asked Mr.
Buckby.
IL Will put the matter i'm the hands of the
Association" | answered. eff after the rattle
Is over. majority of the members shall decide
that any of Us have reason to laugh at the VIM
ner OF this painting, | will refund all the money
paid for tickets"
which aroused the curiosity Of my felow-fire-
men; and when the meeting was called to
order. resolution was adopted that we should
have the rattle. and that the management of it
should De placed in my hands, subject to the
conditions mentioned above. There were
good many surnises as to what was going to
do to keep the people from laughing at the
priZe-winner the general opinion being that
intended to have the picture altered so that it
would be like an ordinary landscape and not
Iltttt no
and promised to put much-needed money into
our treasury; and several gentlemen assured me
that they would make it their business to see
that every member took ticket ore generous
man promising in the interests of the Associa>
ton to present them to such of the few absent
members as might decline to buy them for
themselves. This offer was made in conse-
qUence OF my insistence that every one of us
should have chance in the rattle.
The next morning ! went to the art-factory
and told the proprietor that would take the
lot OF revers:bles he had on hand, if he would
include the one already purchased, and receive
ninety -seyen dollars and a halt as the balance
due.
''All right" said he. 81 have the ninetv-nfne
stu on hand Are you in the tea business. sir?''
ION, no. said i: THE pictures are intended
for large Association"
NO better way of extending the influence OF
art. sir, he said heartily. u shall charge Won
nothing for boxing. fbe same address, slr?i'
no, they must be forwarded to nv resi-
dence." and gave him the needfal directions
and check
Tie next day the ninety-nine pictures arrived
ard were stored in my barn. Ny wife. to whom
had told my plan, made some objections to it.
saying il did net seem right to use half the
money paid in in buying so many pictures; but
| tod her that no one could expect in n rattle
TO Clear all the money subscribed. and that
although We should not gain as much as I had
hoped. we should clear a hundred dollars. and
every man would have q picture This wnz
surely far, and the fact was that the unsyui,a-
tnefic state OF mind of our members made If
necessary for ME to do something Of this kind
II expected to raise the needed money at all
The rufiie was announced, and on the an
pointed evening there was q full attendance
The prize was won by Mr. Horter. an art COL
lector OF nervous temperament who had OBJ
jected to the rattle and who had consented to
ouy ticket only after repeated solicitations
Now. mind" he said to me, you promised
that the other men should not laugh at me. and
hold you to your Contract"
/ answered that intended to stand by IL and
that the painting should be sent to him In the
morning from my house, whittier it had been
removed. Every member present announced
his intention Of calling On HOMER the following
evening to see why he should not be laughed at
All the next forenoon my man, with horse
ana Dght wagon, was engaged in delivering the
reversible landscapes, one TO every member of
our club These gentlemen were I'm almost
every case, absent at their places of business
When they came home in the evening each
found his picture, with his name on the back of
it, and a printed slip informing him that i'll this
rattle there had been no blanks, and that every
man had drawn prize.