Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-06-27

4 ~POT.BoILER" AT WORK.
New Oh Paintings are Turned ON
I'm Ten Minutes.

IN len MAMWAC8e
"A spot-boiIerY Certainly / know
what pot boiler Is"
Thus said the stranger, regarding his
interlocutor with almost q resentful cir, as
II an imputatlon Of ignorance had been
cast upon him. The two were standing
in the doorway OF. State street mock
auction room regarding, with mingled
feelings Of curiosity and amusement.
AN unrivaled collection of oil paintings, y
whereof the putative authors were among
the most celebrated artists of Europe.
The stranger had been moved by the
spectacle TO mention the above-namcd
subject. He went on to say:
"All this stuff is the work Of pot
boilers ?; and with discursiye sweep
Of his right hand, he took in hetero-
geneous group of bad marines, hand-me-
down tropicals, and unforgivable copies
Of Bonheur and Landseer. There was
one sacrilegious caricature of Turner.
ssAll that stuff, SIR the indignant critic
repeated, twas done under great stress
by pot-boiIers. And now will
tell you whM that term means.
"A pot-boiler Is not, as you idiot
ically suggest, ono who boils poes. He
is q species Of mechanic Tor artist, as he
would prefer TO be called) who manu-
features paintings for this and similar
markets BY the yard, piece or dozen, &C
cording 70 contract. lie is Of two
kinds, gregarious or solitary. The
former work in groups at large factories
in New York and Philadelphia. Here
they string up row ofcanvasses in con-
venient light. Then one pot-boiIer goes
over the lot with pot of blue, another
with green, third with red, and so on
till the canvases are all covered with
landscapes, etc., according as it happens.
The result is the very lowest grade of
work, which sells at wholesale at from
sixty TO eighty cents copy. These here
seem to be OF rather higher grade.
They were done by the other kind
tho solitary pot boiler He is genius
in his way. think can find you one
Of those fellows at work il you care to
come. +"
The answer was a prompt expression
Of willingness, and the stranger led the
way to tall building on Randolph
street, at the top of which was found
little, dingy room containing the para
phernalia of paint-shop, and parti-
colored jacket enclosing q man. The lat
ter was hard at work on
10 < "a inch canvas rapidly approach
ing completion. Around about
were numerous completed works OF art,
some Of them not yet dry. In the corner
was a placard inscribed paintings in
oil while you wait, the uses of which
were explained later on. The artist
knew the stranger, aud was willing to be
seen and heard while he worked and
talked.
Eyes, " he began, II am what they
call pot boiler, and it don't make me
feel bad TO admitit. Time was, though,
when stuck out for the name Of artist
and had yearnings like all the other be-
ginners. But only few see their am
billions realized, aud ! was one of the
many. Thank God. had sense enough
to sec it before starved for the want Of
glory and bread, and turned nv time ex-
clusively to the latter. / am making
money now, but with an involuntary
sigh suppose will never be an artist. .
During this monologue the speakers
hands were as busy as his tongue. With
incredible rapidity he had planted fine
forest "a the edge Of q blue sheet of
water and caused the foreground to
blcssonias rose of several hues He
used his left forearm for mahlst and
sc0rned the use Of more than two brushes.
The cololT were mixed as they were
needed, without the aid Of pallet knife.
Al pine tree was achieved by single
downward stroke, and two more
rapid motions draped it
IN the graceful hangings of woodland
vine. A primrose in the rivers brim, q
blotch of ocher was to him, and it was
nothing more. The stranger remarked
that he worked without the aid of copy
u crayon sketch.
"Oh, certainly, was the careless re-
joinder. II don't need them. carry
nv designs IN my head; two or three
flores, as many distances, and skies,
and miscellaneous, and there's my out
lIt. The difference is in the combina-
tions. Now, in this picture, say, have
No. 1, sky, No. 8, distance, No. 2, fore,
and 50 on.
The artist had already begun work on
another canvas.
THAT psacard / see you looking at is
one often use when make my trips.
1es, 60 20 State fairs and expositions,
take booth. hang that sign out, and
literally paint pictures while my custom
ers wait for them How longg Well,
say ten minutes, on q small canvas. That
sort Of work brings 81 q copy, or 81 with
frame. Money in ito Well, ratherl
Five people out Of ten think they've got
bargainaat the price. I've made SIS
A day, with clean profit of 500 Two
81 my friends did even better ct the New
Orleans exposition last winter, and there
wasn't any crowd 10 speak ar, either.
Where does most Of mr. work 20 tot
That's one Of the secrets Of the bizg
Maybe you know 10 the stranger.
The stranger indicated BIZ his conduct
es re led his companion out that lie did.
Chicago Ifibaas