The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1888-12-14

Hot Flanagan Flanagan Got Three Hum
dren and FIFTY Doiiars for Eievon.
This is the age Of barn-door art-that
kind of art which represents a powder
horn. Il rabbit and II lot of other things
hanging against n barn door in such
way that no one would suppose they
were painted at all, but were really
hung there.
Over such picture some people go
wild with joy. The naturalness of u
naiI-head, or the folds in felt hat
carry them away, and make them feel
better satisfied with themselves and
every thing else.
Flanagan Flanagan had painted many
landscape, to which he conveyed the
subtle impressions made upon him by
nature. You could feel the crimson
leagues of calm in his twilight marine
as keenly rs you could the musical
rustic of his silver birches.
But so great was the rage for photo
graphic painting that Flanagan Flana-
gan, in spite of his self-respect and pro-
fessional pride, felt that he would for
once have to give the public what it
wanted, because he was in need of the
ever potent shekels of silver that en-
able man to step out into the gloam-
ing through the front door, without
stumbling over the wolf.
So Flanagan Flanagan sent canvas.
representing an old one-dollar bill
slightly crumpled, TO a well-hnown an
nual exhibition.
The papers began to rave over il in
half-column notices. People who went
to the exhibition stood and looked at
this canvas, as they looked at no other.
''How natural the eyebrows Of
Washington look. said one enthusi-
astic young lady; land the lace on his
collar is just perfectly lovelym
Il never saw any thing like that be-
fore. said a bald man, who looked first
at the canvas and then at a one-dollar
bill which he held in his hand; "now
that's what call painting"
And so it was with every one. One
would become entranced with the hair
lines. and another over the signature of
the Secretary of the Treasury in the
lower corner.
After while it was so much talked
/ dDOut III WIS COLc1QSTC0 NllC pEOpGf-
thing to see, II only to be in fashion.
Flanagan Flanagan ran the price up
until it reached three hundred and
fifty dollars, and it was nip-and-tucx
between three bar-rooms, four prune
merchants and several capitalists TO
see who should secure the prize.
There Is nothing like barn-door art
| for the United States of Chicago, said
| Flanagan flanagan TO a brother painter
at the fifty cent table d'hote a day or
two later: "they don't want the 'Keene
Valley or the 'Murmurous Megallo-
way or Near Gloucester or .Twi-
| lights Soothing Hush or any thing
| that breathes nature in every line.
| They want pictures Of beer bottles hang
| ing on antlers, or any old vest painted
in such way that the buttons look as
| though they were about 10 fall on.
They viii go wild over a neatly painted
grease spot on the lapel, or buckle
showing the steel thro 4gh the japan
ming. After awhile, instead of visiting
Milford or the coast OF Maine in sum-
mer, we shall all be making studies for
future triumphs in old junk shops and
secondhand clothing stores. The
banjo is our national instrument, and
we must paint TO suit banjo people,"
''But did it not cost you a good deal
of patience?' inquired his friend.
Not Bit replied Flanagan: lit
only cost me ten dollars for the frame.
stretcher and all. The one dollar bill
was genuine one. ingenlously stuck
on the background of gray paint. That 5
how got three hundred and fifty dol
/ lars for eleven.-Puck