The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-05-17
tn: MAST AT home.
M Of the ideal Artist with Dirty
Vest and Vile Pipe.

Vest and Vile Pipe.
| the Cele brated Caricaturist q,
His Home at Morristown, New
Jersey-Working Out His
Ideas-Women's Work.
There Is a football on the stains, and
| almost Immediately q gentleman Of
medium height appears, and says, vi
| he grxsps the VISITORS baud, "YOu
are welcome" There are no indica-
lions of the old paralysis that some
time ago forced him in.O retirement,
nor has his recent attack of pneu-
| u,onia left anv traces on his hand
some face. His ha,r il as carefully
trimmed to-day AS it Was once per-
nitled to grow wild. His beard is
naltlly dressed, while his moustache,
WON q Ia Napoleon, gives him that
commanding air Tor which he is
noted. A full suit of Scotch tweed
constitutes his entire dress, and the
only article of jewelry seen is a small
scarf pin that shows just Lver the top
OF his f%Our-buttOn tally-ho.
'.tome o SET how 1 work? Well,
co me right up stairs. You know l
ne yer talk to newspaper men as u
rul 10 but this time I will make an
ex ception."
Out through the wide hall. and up
q winding staircase, which .1s also
remarkable for its Ornamentation,
an the great caricatuist's workshop
is reached. 1t is a large room i'm
mediately over the parlor. 1t is q
grand combination of studio, sitting
roo I'M, and play-room. A lady of
col mmanding presence, attlred in q
ne atIy.ftting dress of dalk color,
with a jaunty little undress cap sur
mounting her peculiarly gray hair,
rise ca to welcome you. This is Mrs.
Mast, the wife of the famous Toms
On the floor, at the foot of the low
rocker, where Mrs. Mast has been
sitting darni g stockings, a baby is
bus 81 with a pair of scissors and a
piece nf brown paper. At sight of
the father he starts up with a cry
and submits 10 him a badlv-cut paper
Zig ure of a dog. A glance at the coz
ner of the room, and it is seen that
the child's model is from nature.
For two noble specimens of the
Ir lsh greyhound are there stretched
GU at lull length fast asleep. 1t is in
this room that for years Nj. Mast has
worked out those wonderful cartoons
and illustrations that have struck
such terror to the souls of evil doors,
and helped to formulate opinions aud
develop ideas that have moved the
would. Mrs. Mast is his constant
companion, While he draws, she
sews. All immense cylinder . top
desk STANDS at one end of the room,
and it Is here that the great artists
work Is done. There are no restric-
lions as to noise or interruption. The
children q come and go, romp and
carry On all they please; it matters
not 10 Mr.. Mast. His desk is q ver!t-
able gallery Of celebrities. PhOto>
graphs of kings and queens, priests
and popes, lords and generals. actors
and actresses, and persons of every
walk of life that are at all noted can
be found herein contained. A pecu-
llarity Of Mr.. Mast is that he has
AWAY been lOnd OF collecting photo
graphs of persons whose faces pleased
him, and niany are the cards Ut per-
SONS now celebrated that were picked
up by him when comparatively un-
known. For instance, he has q
photograph Of Mrs. LangtIy. taken
Twelve years ago. A head OF Henry
Irving. also taken years ago, is
among his collection. A large glass
case, within which stands q human
skeleton, occupies III corne OF the
Room, together with old scimeters,
cutlasses, and shields.
II am nol the ideal artist, with the
bedaubed jacket, vile pipe, etc. etc.,
am l? MOI is my den u Ger OF
picturesque confusion"
mo, indeed" interrupts Mrs.
Mast, II attend to that"
People say" continues the artist,
that Mrs. Mast does my work. She
wrl tes my letters; l only sign them.
My drawings are my own work,
however. Where do 1 get my ideas?
From bright newsl .apers. l read the
daily newspapers through very care
fully. AS ideas come l jot them
not in the form OF notes, as
you men of letters dc: but in lines
aud curves. l will show YOU"
Here Mr.. Mast tovk down several
scrap books filled with sketches
made during his Italian tour, when
he was with Garibaldi. Also, sketch
es OF his Eugllsh tour, when he went
to Europe 10 reproduce the great
Heeuan and Sayeis campaign. The
ous war book, Containing the
original sketches of his trip with
Lln coin, and his subsequent life at
the flOut, were also shown.
"Do 1 ever receive hints or ideas
from other people? Oh, yes; thou
OF them. / never Use them.
Not because they are not good, but
1 have to keep up with the
times and always have under way
enough original ideas to work on.h
"Do you follow any system as 10
lime or manner of work?r
mot at all. / work when I feel
ike it. That is generally after my
When / feel tired I quit. |
Is my work arduous? No, l am not
Ike you newspaper men. 1 cannot
1raw contrary to my convictions.
You can write your leader in a strain
Il accordance with the salary you |
for it. I must feel I am in the
light to do intelligent work."
what are your ideas as to the fu-
ure of American caricaturists?"
II believe they will take a place
mo g the first in the world. You
NOW we rise to the top in other mat
ers: and l cannot e why in matters
to art the same rule should
lot follow. The trouble is, Ameri-
ans are too impatient. They do not
70 az foreigners do. They are not
ontenc to go into things at the
commencement. They are too super
Art has made most wonderful
'rogress during the past ten years,
however, and / am sure we shall see
AMERICA among the first in matters
f this kind"
els there the chance for fnmo nc q