New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-02-18
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petent masters to rank with them.
These remarks are called out gener-
ally by the specimens of poor engrav-
ings SO prevalent in the daily and
weekly papers, and especially by some
samples sent from Iowa for our inspec-
ton. As they are about the worst lot
ever printed since Columbus landed in
this country, brief description may e
in order, but words-mere words-will
absolutely fail to do them Justice.
They should be framed and sent to the
New Orleans Exposition.
First a local cartoon" entitled can
other Mulligan Letter." 1t consists OF
two animals of heroic size, double COL
umn) which may be meant for lions,
butfaloes or Holstein cattle, with an at
tempted likeness to human features.
That they arc Holstein cattle is proba-
BILE, as they are covered with large
black spots on which are branded var
ious words like CHECK, baby act, y
etc. Tncy seem to stand on posts set
into foundation of tine scroll saws,
edge upwards. One animal is step
ping squarely on the word Lucky. -
which means probably that it was lucky
that it was not resting on the saws.
Next are three specimens of civil en-.
cheering relating to a certain bridge
across certain river. The most prom
inent features about these are the three
little islands built up in the raging
stream to accommodate the name Of
the artist, "Hawkeye, Sc The river
in each one seems to be running down
hill at an angle of about As degrees,
and man and horse are represented
as fording the dangerous stream, the
alleged water only reaching to the sup
posed horses knees.
Then we have realistic picture en-
titled ''Duck Hunting" The same
river, made by gouging straight lines
across the wood from right to left, the
banks made by gouging lines at an an
gle, something intended to represent
a log, another something purporting to
be man, half submerged in the rush
ing flood, and grasping the log and his
gun, and black spot supposed to be a
duck close by.
These are the leading features. The
artist, for some reason, omitted the
island with his name on. and simply
put his initial in circle floating away
down stream.
But it is in portraits our Iowa artist
excels. He has one entitled "The Dude
and What He Nose" The dude is
smoking cigar which looks like a
railroad spike driven into his face. Lit
tie pigs tails, or maybe they are pretz-
els, are suspended above the end of the
cigar, to represent smoke, probably.
The eye Git is side or profile view is
set back midway between the top of
the nose and the ear, and looks like an
italic burnt hole in a blanket. The
hair stands seven ways for Sunday, in
stead of being "sleek," as the hair of a
dude should be represented, and the
shading is put on the face hit-and-miss,
being mainly on the nose and cheek,
and resembling pieces of mosquito-bar
stuck on. 1t is too utterly UTTER
There are other sketches, but we for
bear. Each one is worse than the rest.
And yet the paper in which they APP
peared says: ''By combined efforts of
the pen and the artists skill, the -
will flourish, and don't you forget it. y
In various other places ''our artists is
referred to with pride, and now he is
unhappy because he cannot get posi-
ton as engraver on Harper's Weekly,
or some other illustrated paper.
This is an extreme case, of course
He had the disease bad, and was total
ly untitled for an engraver, while, very
likely, he could have done well carving
bric-a-brac and tobacco signs-some-
thing that does not require fine lines
and is not printed from.
There are plenty of printers who can
do little coarse-hand engraving occa-
sionally, to burlesque subject, and do
it well; but they do not overdo the
thing by building little islands to carve
their imprint on, and never hatter
themselves that they are engravers.
There is vast difference between put
ting an outlandish engraving in a pa
per occasionally, as burlesque to il
lustrate funny occurrence, and publish
ing them in every issue, believing them
to be genuine and valuable for their art
istic merit. Therefore, young fellow,
don't fool in an amateur way with
jack-knives and maple; but if you real
ly desire to be an engraver, go to some
city and learn the art in the regular
way.-Peck's San.