Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-05
A Tale of a Picture.
from he Ds,roit H.. pr.e,

A picture dealer in London told me a story
which illustrated the ignorance of a rich man
IN art matters: The story was told me as
show az that Englshmen could be quite as
cute as Americans " hen they set their minds
to 10. use IL to Illustrate another point, The
firm received M 3lssonier from Paris and it
was to be put on exhibition next day. 1t
was framed and set up on an easel in the shop
and the price of 1t was to be { $500. Through
some error on the part of the clerk tag
marked fl00 was put on the Meissonier while
the t 800 tag went on another picture Be
fore the mistake was discovered and corrected
an American bought the picture and had it
sent TO his rooms at one of the big hotels.
When the head Of the firm found that his
MeissOnler was gone, and gone for fl0O. he
nearly raised the ROOT. He gave the clerk
who had made the mist axe of the tags and the
clerk who had sold the picture to understand
that If the picture was not back by the next
day he would expect their sur etIes to make up
the deficiency The young men were an
palled. One thousand four hundred pounds
divided by two is still IN excess of what the
average young man gets per annum IN a Lon
don at store. After abusing each other
roundly for while they began to notice that
this did not bring back the picture. The cl ERIK
who put on the wrong tag finally hit on
plan
The clerk dressed up in his holiday suit and
called on the American.
II am the art critic of The Daily - he
said, and was told you had bought Meis-
sonier. Would you mind my looking at it?"
Not at ALL replied the buyer, and he in
Got that for fl00," he said, waving his
hand toward The picture.
The critic said nothing, but cynical smile
stole over his face.
Whats the matter! Don't you believe
paid the flo0g"
"Oh, I believe you paid the flOO"
Wei. don you think oFth The money!"
"lf it's Meissonier-yes.
eff? Why the names on the corner"
"Ies, IL usually is"
"ButI bought i from Frames Co. Aren't
they good firm"
''Oh, yes. If you have a certificate from
Frames Co., signed by the firm, that it is a
genuin eMeissonier, then you have q great bar
gain. SJill. Meissoniers are not selling in Lon
don this season for E l00."
Il haven't any certificate"
"Ahn
Don't you believe it's Messonier? II
you think it isn't, why, hang it, say so "
"Now, | won't say whether that is a Mels-
sonier or not, but Twill tell you what would
do il | were you. would take that picture
back TO Frames Il Co. 1 would find the per-
son who sold 1t to me, an | would say
qWetly-I believe it is customary to give q
certificate, signed by the frm-Sig9ed 6y the
Grh,, mlnd-that it is what 1t Ia clam ed to
be- II the young man doesn't remember YOU
the chances are that he will admit such TO be
the custom. Then produce your picture and
say that YOU would he obliged to have that
certified Melssonler. Don't be put of by
his word that IL Ia so and so, or BY any bluff
about he standing of the house, It's reputa-
ton. and all that. Insist on the document.
II he refuses, demand your fl00, and If he re-
fuses that, threaten suit, and imagine you
Will yet your money"
That's business SAID the American.
come with me, Will you|"
Now SAID the critic when they were in
the hanson, II don't care to appear in this
matter Frames is good fellow personally,
and always claims that 1t is his rascal Y clerks
that make these little mistakes. I'll stay in
the hanson while YOU 10 inside"
When Dives, with the pictlre under his
arm, came IN and recognized and was recog-
by he clerk who sold 1t to him, the latter be-
came pale with excitement and almost faint
ed with the fear that he would NOT ACT his
part az well rs the other fellow had evidently
acted his
~ see YOU know me, >" cried the purchaser.
and probably you know why I've come
back"
Haven't the slightest idea. pom my soul |
haven't" said the clerk, with his teeth chat
tering.
ION, yes, YOU have. / can see you have.
Now" p aclng the picture on the easekwth
the wrapping removed and shaking his finger
at it," YOU said that was Meissorier. All
right. want written certificate to that
effect"
~ beg pardon, but it isn't usual to give
that"
~ happen to know that it is"
"Only in exceptional cases, SIR"
"Wel, this is an exceptional case"
VERY sorry, sir. but we can't do it In this
instance"
"Weli, sir, III tell YOU what you can do,
sir. what YOU must do, sir. You give me
back my floo, and be darned quick about II,
When tho American came back to the han
som he sald:
''Sec tuat?' showing the crisp bank notes,
81 got back my Clio ="
Thank God,' said the critic devoutlv, and
doubtless the American wonders to this day
why stranger took such intense interest in
keeping him from being cheated