Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-03-25
ARTISTS WITH SOAP.
Erratic Gentlemen Who Mirror Their
 Fancies tn Art Saloons.

Erratic Gentlemen Who Mirror Their
 Fancies in Art Saloons.
 Of all classes of art and artists, from the highest to the lowest, from Michael Angelo down to the brush wielder who whitewashes the back fence, there is probably no class with whom the public IS more unfamiliar than that known in every day phraseology as mirror dec- seen decorated mirrors. They abound m saloons and places of public resort, and, though so common, it is a rare thing to catch the artist at his work, Elaborate scenes, graceful flowers, ferns and figures, or an advance notice' of some coming theatrical attraction stand out on the polished glass, but how they came there or by whom they were done is mystery to the passer by and the man who tarries before the bar.
 P "Who does it?' repeated cocktail dis penser on Madison street to Mail repre- sentative, looking up at huge mirror which exhibited foreground of reeds half concealing a meditative stork, al- lowing the spectator to gaze over lake upon which a boat was sailing, and bringing his eye against range of moun- talns in the distance. "Well, lots of fellows around town do the work as a steady job, and any number of seeds tramp the country picking up drinks, grub and occasionally a quarter, because they know how to handle a pencil-or, rather, the soap-in this kind of work.
 its done with soap, you know-pure, white soap. The man who did this piece of work was a traveller, and from the way he looked when he came in the other morning and struck for the job, should judge he entered the city in one of the side door palace cars. He had pocket full of soap, and told him if he would apply little of it to his face and hands, in conjunction with some water, he could use the rest on the mirror. That's the result of his work. Looks like quite a job, doesn't it? The fellow did it in about an hour, and thought himself amply paid with three or four drinks and 25 cents."
 The art of mirror decorating, like every other specially of the kind, appears to require peculiar knack for just that kind of business. The drawing is done with soap, and while the lines must be boldly marked, there are opportunities for delicate shading and requirements of correct perspective which cannot be neg lected If the sketch is to be success. And while the decorating of mirror in a barroom with a piece of white soap cannot be called very high art, it is stiil an art ill the sense that many a poor tramp who is working only for drink, can turn out a better piece of work in has had his picture displayed in the academy.
 The mirror decorations commonly seen are ill only one color-the white-al- though many of the ''soap artists attain to higher flights and indulge in colors. What the mixtures they use are con- posed of they consider trade secret, but not few of them can, with their white soap and their little pots of tinted paste, produce really artistic results, initiating flowers in their natural colors and ob- taining a perspective, with the aid of the mirror itself, that is well nigh perfect. The work is done very quickly by those who do it, at very low price. The ma- terials used are inexpensive, and the artist is generally satisfied to mako 50 cents or S1 an hour for work which comes so easy for him.
 There are two or three of these mirror decorators in the city who make it a point to spread the merits of theatrical companies through the medium of their soap. The manager pays them for their work, and the owners of the mirrors re- ceive complimentary tickets in consid- eratlon of allowing a neatly lettered an nouncement to appear for few days upon the glass. And in this connection a pertinent story has been heard. It is awell known fact that the men who handle the paint brushes, and especially the sign writers, arc decidedly reckless in the matter of photography.
 Once, when Hearts of Oak" was to be given at the Academy, Col. Dan Shelby, then in charge, concluded to work the mirror racket" and hired a man to do the job. When the colonel went after his matutinal cocktail the next morning he gazed at the barroom mirror and saw ''Hartz of Oke' inscribed thereon in large letters. It was that way all over the west side, too. The bartender said he should have corrected the soap artist in any reasonable error, but he so effec- tually disguised his words that he SUD- posed the play was new one-some- thing about MT. Hartz, of Oke. Chi cago Mail.