St. Paul daily globe., 1889-06-27

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send an account of this to ever! paper i'll
America
The sister returned. having been
promised by her sister an interview the
following day. Early Monday morning
the faithful woman returned to Chan-
tilly with the necessary toilette articles
for the girl Mrs. Hitchcock left Paris
last Monday night to sail with friends
on the City of Paris from Liverpool yes
terday. She will remain with the fam
lily of Hitchcock's brother at Narragan-
Sett.
THE HANDSOME BOHEMIAN.
Hitchcock's Artistic Career in
Chicago-How He Became the
Rage.
Hitchcock has had quite a career in
Chicago, and the publication there OF
the story from Paris has set tongues to
gossip in recalling him and episodes
of the Bohemian life he led. Exactly
what we would expect that man to do"
was the universal comment of those
who had known him. Ten or twelve
years ago, says the Tribune, Mr.. George
Hitchcock was a we'll known young
man in Chicago. He was moving in the
best of society and talking most learn
edly on art. He was painting few
pictures which his brother artists were
inclined to laugh at and his social adj
Mirers inclined to buy. George Hitch
cock first appeared in Chicago
in 1877 or 1878. He came here from
Boston, and he gave it out that he was
a Harvard man. Before he came here
he studied law for a time in New York.
Whether he abandoned this profession
because of an uncomfortable yearning
for art. or because his older brothers
tired of settling the bills which he con-
tracted at the lively pace he Travelled,
is not clear. He at last abandoned law
and took up art. When he came to
Chicago he was nothing more than
clever amateur. He first had studio
with Mr.. Walters, on State street. He
Immediately obtained the entree of
some of the best families, and soon be-
came quite a social lion. MI. Hitch
cock
WAS so ENGLISH.
Anglomania had not at that time be-
come the virulent disease which it since
developed into. Mr.. Hitchcock was
about the first real English chappy that
got so far West as this. He ad never
been across the water then, but had in
some way acquired a thorough mockery
of what some Americans popularity sup
pose to be the English tricks of pronun
citation, gait and manners. This was all
quite fetching with the ladies. Hitch
cock was really an exceptionally hand
some fellow, too. Standing full six
feet and well proportloned, with a
fine head of dark hair and hand
culated to make a striking impression.
And then his ideas on art were new.
He knew all about art in those days.
To be sure he couldn't then quite salts
factorily illustrate all his ideas, but he
could talk. The new era OF art had
then taken but little hold here. People
were oid-fashioned enough to think
that painting, to be of value, must be
a picture. Mr.. Hitchcock had many
ideas which were new to Chicago pa
irons OF al t, and he talked them so we'll
that he had half of the art lovers-the
younger half-sitting at his feet drink
ing in wisdom. Hitchcock early showed
that he had truly artistic disregard
for financial affairs. He
NEVER PAID A BILL
till he had to. He had studio in Pixies
building at the corner of State and Mon
roe streets, then spot where many art
lists clustered. The old Academy of
Design was there. Mr.. Pike. however,
| was not renting the building simply for
his health, and after a desperate strug-
gle Hitchcock paid his rent. He told of
the incident as great joke, giving MIR.
Pike the reputation of the best col
!ector he ever came in contact with.
| They used to tell a story on Hitchcock
which we'll illustrated his '.nerve" in
the way of bills. He allowed his wash
erwoman'S bill to accumulate till it
amounted to some s45. He was about
to leave town. The woman modestly
suggested that her account be settled.
Taking a quarter from his pocket
| Hitchcock handed it to her with the air
of lord. saying: ''Here, my good
woman, take this. I'll owe you the
rest" And he still owes it. In 1879
| Hitchcock had studio in Stevens gal
lery. He was painting bits of land
| scapes and marines in water color then,
| and taking lessons from Mr.. Spread.
| His work was crude, but had in itmuch
strength. He could paint what he saw
| before him well, but was quite without
| Imagination or the power of invention.
! time. He stayed in London for awhile
and then went to Holland. There he
made great number of characteristic
Dutch sketches-windmills, wooden
shod girls, and fishermen. These he
brought back and placed in Stevens
| gallery, then at the corner of Wabash
avenue and Adams street.
THEY WE'RE QUITE THE RAGE.
Other artists ignored them. but the
public bought. Mrs. Samuel Allerton
| purchased several hundred dollars
WORTH Hitchcock bOaSted of getting
$50 for sketches which he had spent but
half an hour in making. After his re-
| turn with the Dutch sketches he re-
manned here about a year, and then left
suddenly, once more going abroad. He
went to Holland again and later to
France. Word of his success as an
artist soon reached here. 1t was evil
dent he was doing some good work.
His pictures were admitted to the salon
and his bed of tulips received honorable
mention. His old admirers here felt that
their taste was being vindicated. A
number of his canvases came to Chi
| cagO. Several were exhibited at the eX-
| position. Potter Palmer purchased a
| tulip picture much like the ''honorable
| mention" salon canvas. When Mr..
Palmer wanted to donate picture to
| the Art institute, and lett it to the di-
rectOrs to select something fit, they
picked out one of Hitchcock's Holland
pieces-a Dutch flower girl-and it now
| hangs IN place of honor on the insti-
tute walls.
His old friends here felt sure that he
had put aside his youthful follies and
had settled down to earning reputa-