Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-11-05
ARTISTS OF THE PRESS.
v-be Clever Wen who illustrate the
Daily and Weekly Papers.
Newsletter and statloner.

The carIcaturlStS OF the Illustrated
nspers. have become quite power in
Inc course of the past twenty years
BEFORE the rebellion they were very
few and ill-paid. Probably they were
maid all they deserved, however. for
their work was not very fine. They
managed to exc out a living, although
there was little taste at that tims for
pictorial fun, and the engrayer's art
was only In its infancy. The ante
bellum funny papers were the Picay
rne and Puck, the latter rival and
an imitator.
After the rebellion harper's Weekly
began TO present Nast's illy-drawn but
apropos cartoons. with great care in
the engraving. The scheme made a
stir and Frank Leslie followed suit
bv importing Matt Morgan to furnish
csricatures for his illustrated paper.
Mast, being better acquainted with the
spirit of our institutions, had great
advantage over the new conner, al
though Morgan was by far the better
artist. Since that time there has been
a constant increase in the number of
these fanny skotchers, and many Of
them have made regulations that are
worth much money to them.
The cartoonist OF to day is the means
of applying the scourge to public Of
tenders. Nast's hits" were many
when he had the field to himself, but
now that he has rivals he is not doing
so well.
Mr. Conklin is known by the single
curl on his forehead. This was given
him by Matt Morgan, who was also
the first to make BIN pouter pigeon.
This maligned curl is made to express
all shades of exalted egotism and
proud hate. Its language is never
mistaken. 1t has thinned and straight
ened somewhat with the years, and
now represented in way to exsgger~
ate the encroachments of time. Keep
pier first sent Mr.. COnkling forth as
peacock, form he is still compelled
to use occasionally.
Hamilton of the Judge attached the
horseshoe to Cleveland. 1t tells its
own eloquent story of luck.
Frank Beard Of Puck put the cor
sets on Mr.. Curtis OF Harper's- corsets
which he invariably wears over his
coat. The impish idea came from the
prevalent belief that he was goody-
goodlsh, and also from the humiliat>
ing assumption that he was the
fashion editor of the Bazaar. Quite
frequently they embellish his clothes
with -utties, give him snug feminine
CATERS with high heels, and put gilt
braid on. his coat. The caricaturists
even changed his christian name in
their zeal to make him fill the role
they assigned him. They christened
him Nancy" The first time he APP
peared corseted in public was in the
Judge, IN the cartoon entitled IAN
Independent Movement.
James Gordon Bennett is never per
mitted to appear without his nose
being decorated with court plaster.
This mark of individuality was given
MIN by Puck, and dates back to the
alteration between Mr.. Bennett and
Mr.. May several years ago. By this
ingenious stroke OF humorous art,
neither the public nor Mr.. Bennett is
permitted to forget that Mr.. Bennett
once came in contact with horse
whip in full fury.
The geniuses of the pencil some
times avenge the politicians by carl
caturing each other For instance,
Hamilton drew Mast as the monkey
that accompanied Curtis hand organ,
nd continued it through the late
campaign, Hamilton is the artist who
represented the democratic ticket as q
kangaroo all tail and no head Bis.
bee, fCrmerly of Puck, now Of the
Judge, has made many a hit in his
profession, Beard, Hamilton, and
MeCarry are all on the Judge.
Gillian, of Puck, first brought out
Blaine as tattooed man, in cartoon
representing a dime museum with all
the republican candidates on exhibi>
ton. Somebody afterward asked him
now SUCH an ingenious idea came to
MN. lie laughingly declared it was
an accident Yet accidents may be
inspirations; indeed, they sometimes
prove so. II will be remem bered by
the admirers Of comic art that Nass
made q great hit during the Greeley
campaign by attaching small tag to
Greeleys long gray coat, and labelling
IL y. Gratz Brown" That was an
accident but an inspired one. The
nominations had been announced, the
cartoon was drawn, all but the face
and figure of Graiz Brown. No pho,
tograph or picture OF him could be
found, ard the weekly must go to
press. Mast overcame the difficulty
at the last moment by attaching the
tag. to Greeley's coat. 1t made hit,
and stuck ali through the campaign.
so delighted were the people with Mr..
brown In this form that they wanted
MIN IN no other. SO the tag represent
ed him all through the contest.
Rogers Of Life is responsible for
converting Whitelaw Reid into a
small but very assertive dog. with a
woolly collar ana tail. Mast has prob
ably made more of these hits" in
caucature than any other artist. One
was making Grant lion. Turning
men into ANIMALS and preserving the
likeness is by no means so difficult an
accomplishment as it looks, thc artists
say. Every human being suggests
some animal. and IL is but the work OF