Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-27
A New SEad,, I'm Art

At the American art exhibition in yice-Presi-
dent Morton's house yesterday a crowd was
attracted 10 a specimen of burning or etching
on wood with hot iron. The idea is not broadly
new. In olden times artists Of renown. as thew
made their flip with hot pokers. would burn
pictures upon wooden obi cts near them. There
Is in the Musee de Cluny at Paris a chest orna-
mented with designs burned on wood The
Japanese have also used burnt wood in house
decorations. The first TO exhibit any of this
work In America was Mr.. Ball Hughes. the
English sculptor, but up to within a short time
II has been rather experimental than other
wise. Within few years, however. Mr.. J. W.
Fosdick, young Boston artist. brought the
work TO the notice of New Workers as a novel
and beautiful style of house decoration and il
has already been adopted by several leading
architects there. The effects which can be
produced in this way are quite wonderful. The
wood is French poplar. Tones and values are
gwen to the drawings by the fat side of the
iron. and by using shellac and pumice-stone in
finishing. Uneven line work and fiat tones of
the hot iron make it possible TO give the pic
turesque qualities fosnd in Albrecht Durer's
etchings and wood-cuts. and in the wood carv-
lngs OF the old masters. Ceiling panels are
effectively decorated with this work.
The original design of Mr.. Fosdick at the ex-
hibition, loaned by Mr.. A. G. Wilkinson, is
called Strategy, or The Butterfly Catchers"
Two little cupids steal up under cover of
through its mouth. The hot iron gives gradu-
ated tones from cream to black, and in a side
light the work so nearly resembles carved ivory
as to deceive those most familiar with such
work. In direct light il resembles a metal
plaque; and in other lights, glazed tiles.
A PLEASANT ENTERTAINMESr.-Ad delightful
entertainment was given last evening at Nc
Cauleys Hall by Potomac Council No. l6,
American Fraternal Circle. Supreme Secretary
M af Rolf
John n. Ehle, of this city, explained at length
the scheme and various features of the enter
tainment, after which the following program
was rendered: instrumental solo by Miss
krepps, songs by Miss Ada Ober, Miss Jennie
Adams, of Georgia, and Prof. Ii. W. Beebe. Of
Wisconsin; recitations by Miss Adams, Miss NJ.
McCutcheon, Miss Simonds and Mr.. Charles L.
Milligan. Refreshments we're served at the
close Of the exercises.
STOLE Books FROM LAWYERS OFFrcEs.-Ser-
geant Byrnes of the first precinct yesterday ar
rested John c. Stevenson, a colored class-leader
in South Washington Church, and locked him
up because he had fallen from grace. John
was employed as janitor of building No. COS +
street, in which are a number of lawyers Offices
Books and other articles were stolen from the
rooms. but Stevenson was a trusted employee,
and was not suspected until Sergeant Ryrnes
traced the robberies to him. When arrested,
he admitted having stolen books from the
Offices of A. b. Clarke and John c. Pennie. The
books were recovered in a secondhand book
store. This morning in the Police Court the
prisoner plead guilty TO a charge of larceny,
and was fined $40 or thirty days in jail
The POLICEMAN WAS "ABRUPTIoUs." A
neatly-dressed colored citizen, named Melvin
Butler, was in the Police Court to-day charged
with dsorderly conduct. Policemen Trainor
and Daley arrested him near 5th and NJ streets
about o'clock this morning. He had been to
a ''parlor social" and was returning home with
his wife. and Mr.. and Mrs. Brown. When tax
ing leave of his friends the officers thought
Butler was too noisy. The colored quartette
appeared and attempted to show that Police
man Daley was responsible for the disorder.
Mrs. Brown told Judge Miller that the police
men was "abruptious." The judge took But
ler's personal bonds.