The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1886-09-27
PRICES OF PAINTINGS.
A HARD MATTER TO FIX A FlNANC lAL
EQUIVALENT FOR PLEASURE.

Eighteen Thousand Dollars Seems n Big
Price for Mrs. Morgan's Little Peach
Blow vase-How the Cost Might he JUS
tined-Profits of Dealers.
made by the late Mrs. Morgan, and com
prising pictures, silverware, porcelain,
bric-a-brac, etchings, books and Oriental
oddities, is the talk of all the studios at
ut present, and exhibits the phases Of a
nine days wonder People ask IL Jules
Breton's commandments" was really
worth over S44, 900, and IL the little peach
blow vase had an actual value Of $4,000.
Well, they must have possessed those
values to their buyers, suppose, or they
would not have been bought. Forty thou
sand dollars worth of enjoyment TO rich
man is no more than $40 worth TO poor
man; indeed, l question If IL be often rs
much, and 1t is hard matter to fix
financial equivalent for pleasure-especi-
ally the higher pleasures that are con-
ferred by poetry, music and art
SEEMS A RECKLESS USE OF CASH
Much has been said and some things
have been written about the actual crimi-
nality of paying $4,000 for the little
peach blow vase in Mrs. Morgan's collec-
ton. II does seem reckless use of cash
to put in the value of a first-class city
house and lot into little piece of Chinese
pottery. People are prone to observe
at such times, "What a shameful waste of
money, when so many people are in rags
and suffering from hunger" That is true,
but If the buyers of these high-priced dain-
ties forbore their purchase, do the philan-
thropists imagine for moment that the
money they did not spend in that way
would be given to the ragged and the
hungry Not bit of It, The rich are
usually stingy and selfish. There are not
dozen rich men in this big city of Brook
lyn who are otherwise The more they
get the more they want. The more ia con-
coded TO their tastes and appetites the
more they demand
Even II they did bestow their charities
on the poor it would not abolish poverty.
The conditions that admit of excessive
riches and excessive want are to blame,
and not the facts of wealth and poverty.
II you wish to know why $4,000 can be
spent for little bottle whose maker got
about s. for it and thought himself well
paid, inquire of John Swinton and Henry
George. II anything so precious Is bought
at such price 1t would seem just to place
II in a public museum where 1,S00, 900 peo-
pie could obtain from 1t a cents worth of
enjoyment each, and thereby justify its
cost.
To many people painting is thing of
as definite value as n ton of coal or tub
Of butter. confess that l never saw
picture that thought was worth over
$4,000. and, il the matter was thoroughly
canvassed, think it would appear that
not half dozen pictures were ever painted
for more than that sum. Whatever they
have brought more than this has accrued
to the benefit of spectators and dealers.
II had $44, 900 that was willing to give
for an example of Jules Breton would
spend less than 81 600 of that money in
trip to France, and, going to M. Breton.
would hand him 10000 and say, "Paint
for me the master work of your life"
which haven't doubt M. Breton would
try to do. Then would put $685. 600 in the
bank, or buy other pictures with it.
PROFITS OF THE PICTURE DEALERS.
A story was related the other evening by
gentleman who Is in position to know
whereof he speaks. He was in Paris at
the opening of the Salon, and in wander
ing through the vast gallery he encoun-
tered Mr.. s., well-known New York
dealer, looking critically at picture
"You ought to buy that, s." The dealer
answered, "Perhaps / will" Before the
exhibition closed Mr.. S. did buy it, and
paid 81 500 for it. He brought it to New
York and sold it Immediately to Mr..
George l. Seney for $4,000. When Mr..
Seney heard what the picture had cost
originally he waxed wroth and asked Mr..
SIS representative IL that wasn't q pretty
stiff price he had paid for 81 800 picture.
The representative sent message to Mr..
s., and received this answer: "Cfive Mr..
Seney our check for $4,000, and tell him
that hereafter the price of the picture will
be SOS, OO0.n Mr., Seney kept the work, and
IL brought about $1,000 at the sale of his
collection.
A speculative American saw picture
in q shop In Paris that he liked pretty
well and asked the price. II was $3.50.
He went to his hotel to sleep on 1t, and in
the morning returned to the shop to see If
he could beat the proprietor down to 500.
man never disputes a charge of 80 cents
pound for oleomargarine, but he seems
to think 1t duty that he owes to society
never to pay more than half price for
picture, If he can avoid it. To his surprise
and regret, somebody had bought the
picture while he was thinking about 1t.
On returning to New York he visited the
well-known shop of Mr.. A. and, behold
there was the picture. "What do you ask
for thatS" he inquired. The dealer said in
confidential tone: ave can afford TO
make that pretty low for you, Mr.. b., and
Wen sell it to you for 81, 500" And profit
of 900 per cent is not deemed extravagant
by many of the dealers.-"C. NJ. s." in
Brooklyn Eagle.
An Elephants Death by Consumption.
We had an elephant die this winter, a
few weeks ago, Of consumption. Factl
That elephant kept gettin thinner an
thinner, an a-coughin' an a-coughin' till
you'd thought he'd kill hisself; and
finally he died Nobody'll ever make me be-
lieve It was anything else than consump-
ton Anyou just ought to a'heard the other
elephants take ON over him. They just
whined around for week Just like hui
mans. t.-"Lion-Tamer" in Pittsburg
nianatah