Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-03-21
G0THAM'S FAKIRS.
SOME HUMBUGs OF THE GREAT
METROPOLIS EXPOSED
The High-Art Auctioneer and Ills
Hired connoisseurs- The Leaping
Statue Seller-The Man who Seems
to Give Watches.

TO Give Watches.
The place is long, narrow, hallway
like room on Broadway. The walls are
hung with the crudest oil paintings az
the sort that have papier macbe oilt
frames and sell for 81. 70 in the peddlers'
stores. The auctioneer stands in a IT.
tie pulpit All the louneers ON Broad
way know him study. He has amused
them often. His is pure type of the
Bowery tough-thin, why, yellow skin
ned, Ratchet faced, and in seedv attire.
When he talks he thrusts out his chin
and waves a long, gaunt hand at the
person he speaks TO, always keeping the
fingers of that hand close together as
though it were fiipper.
''Dat dere's picture you wunt see
every day. Der frame alone is worts
eight dollars; I'VE understand he saws.
as he points his hipper-lika hand at one
OF the pictures and then shoves il ont
at the faces of the men who stand close
together in front of him and his pulpit.
They are studies also. They have a
sort of family resemblance to hini-a
Bowery kinship with him. They look
hungry and eager, with faces like new
sharpened knives and eyes like little
polished buttons. The coat of one is
buttoned tight to his neck and looks as
if it had no vest beneath it. The but
tons of the trousers Of another are f1ayed.
Another has no cuffs, and vet his com
panion has cuffs big enough for two men
and striped collar that would serve for
the sign of laundry. They all listen
with looks betokening intense interest
to what the auctioneer is saying. They
seem to forget that they nre playing the
parts of so many art connoisseurs. to
whom money is no object, come in to
pick up treasures at bargain.
II say der frame alone is wort eight
dollars. See? Now, what am ] offered
for der painting. It's der work Of one
of Americas finest artists, and it's lin
BILE fer to 60 at d bargain on account Of
der time of year when everybody get
ting ready fer to go to Europe. What
am / offered"
"Give yer a dollar fifty" SAYS the
man with the frayed trouser bottoms
"A-a-a-h, said the auctioneer, with
manifest disgust; "brush der flies of
yerseH Didn't tell yer der der frame
alone is wort SSl"
"Twenny shilling, says the man with
the acreage Of cuffs.
Two dollars an a ha'f; two dollars
m ha'f-now OATS something like
two dollars an ha'f-goin' goin' goin',
GONE-to Mr.. Mailer, of Melrose.
Two men about town, who have been
directed to make an experiment, saunter
into the place. They are elegantly
dressed, and look well fed and com
plncent They saunter in a few steps,
and suddenly IL seems as If one Of them
was charmed with one Of the daubs he
sees en- the wall near by. 1t is a picture
of a river Of blue ink floating between
two hills Of yellow cheese under sky
which resembles an omelette.
THAT'S a stuuing sky effect" one of
the two handles whispers to the other.
Before any one would believe it pos
sible, the alert and why auctioneer has
stepped from his little pulpit He
pushes his way past all the art connois-
seurs and men Of means he has been
addressing. 1t would seem as though
he regarded them with contempt, in
spite Of the fact that he has been assid
uously calling upon their taste and
Judgment to bear witness to the merits
of his pictures, and also despite the fact
that they have been buying whatever he
offered as fast as be could knock the
goods down to them.
DISH be der next picture We will sell
gentlemen. Its 'tracted more attention
and praise from dem what knows art dan
any picture in the colleekshin. A man
wot amt no SLOUGH of a painter himself
an intimate fren' of mine-says to
me yesterday, he says. Mr.. Storms,
dat dere's a lola, dandy Jist see der
eroun. tones an der effect of light and
heat saws he. san' der-what yer might
call der nature-in der whole business.
He'd have bought it right off soon as
he seen it-see only he iist picked
mn a half a dozen other fine works
afore he came to it. Now what am
offered for der work OF art, gentlemen
The will-dressed men about town
saunter out ut this point and one Of the
hungry lockers on has the pictures
knocked down TO him at 81. The we'll
dressed men 90 away convinced OF the
truth of what they have been told, that
the sutIlDlttI uNttHAlA- t-On0 = l-tANe
to stand around and 70 make believe
buy pictures Just to give the place an
Appearance Of being alive, and that ne
viii not miss the faintest sign of a look
Of interest in any picture on the walls
If such look is bestowed by any per-
son not in his flock Of hired attendants
1t is said that this picture seller dis
appears for weeks at time IN the sum
,,,sr IN order to work another original
nlan he has for disposing Of works OF
high art. He and partner go out IN a
wagon with the paintings on the wagon
bottom hidden under the straw. They
ston ~ the fa.1nhouses and say they are
,,o6r artists Who have been sketeillng
nearby. Each offers thepicture he car
rios as n sketch Of some place IN the VI
cinitv. very vaguely located. They are
arr o q earnest and depict themselves as
80 willing to take anything IN exchange
Co. tbe PAINTINGS that they nearly always