Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-12-30
10, THE WOODEN INDIAN
THE ART or MAKING FIGURES FOR
CIGAR STORE SIGNS.

How Taste In tire Matter OF Images Has
Changed The Indiaa Displscsd BY Moro
civilized Caricstures--The Labaa and
Cost OF the Statues Of Wood.
Thetobacconists' figures have undergone
many changes since they first came into
use. They have attained very respectable
degree Of excellence In certain directions,
and considerable inyentiveness and great
variety of design have peen shown I'm their
production Most OF these figures are made
cast In rnolds These, of course, are much
more expensive, and the designs are limit
al In number.
Vhe wooden figures being more within
ths reach OF most dealers naturally offer
gresker variety in design. The wood used
81 GENERALLY white pine, which il bought in
logs o. various lengths at the spar yards.
The artist begins by making the toughest
kind OF fn outline--a mere suggestion of
what the proportions OF the figure are TO
be. in this he Is guided by paper patterns
The log is blocked out with the AK into
appropriate spaces for the head, the body
down TO the WAIST, the portion from there
90 the knee, the rest OF the legs (which ara
at once dividedl and the feet. In its pres
ent embryo staxe the figure TO be il not
very apparent to,the eye. The feeling for
form In the chopped block is so very ele-
mentary az to haze complete suggestive
ness only for the practical Hrtist.-
HOW THE INDIAN Is MADE.
A hole is now bored into each end of the
prepared log about five inches deep Into
each of these holes an iron bolt is placed,
the projecting parts of which rests on sup
ports, so that the body hangs free. The
carver now goes from the general TO the
particular. The surface of the wood soon
becomes Clipped up by the chisel, and the
log generally takes on more definite form.
Then, when the figure is completely
evolved, the finishing touches are put on
with finer carving tools.
Detached hands and arms are made sep
arnteiX and joined ON to the body by
screws Then the various portions of the
figure are appropriately painted, the whole
IN set upon stand running on wheels, and
IL In ready for delivery. Old figures that
have become scratched and1broken, that
have split and cracked with the grain, or
are dizzy and dirty and need to be fresh
ened up with new coats of paint, are also
brought to the shop and doctored and
patched mp into respectable semblance
OF uewness.
Time changes, and so does the popular
TASTE At first the red man ruled the mar
kef almost completely. Then came a heavy
sprinkling of other figures--fiery Scotch
men, English officers with small fatigue
caps or high bearskins, and heavy swells
OF ante-bellum times and the war period.
with marvelously wide pantaloons and
waving mutton chop whiskers, ogled sim
pering Dolly Vardens, with short cut
skirts, bustles and hats tilted forward over
the eyes. Then came grave Turks, gor-
geous sultanas and columbines with alarm
ingly short skirts. Punch, with rubicund
nose and protuberant chin, was favorite
figure. There was also the conventional
plantation "nigger," with striped panta-
looms and great expanse of shirt collar.
Few OF these old figuresare seen nowadays.
ORIGINAL DESIGNS
Meanwhile the spirit of realistic art en-
tered more and more into the work of the
sign sculptors. The wooden Indians grew
better. quite artistic in some instances.
Even the half nude was attempted with
success. In the latter respect the best work
has undoubtedly been exemplified in the
metal figures of Indians and Pucks. The
artists" advancing in technique, grew
ambitious; more variety became the watch
word. The dude, who had occupied the
pen OF the writer and the pencil of the
artist, was now perpetuated in wood. Eli
gies OF baseball players gave sign of pub
lie spirited nature, and there has been quite
an eruption of Pucks, good, bad and exc
CRADLE ''Vaultin' ambition stroye even
to portraiture
The price of these figures varies greatly.
You can get a small Indian for SIG, or YOU
can indulge your artistic taste up to the
tune OF SIPS. Metal figures run as high as
$40 Most figures that are ordered are
simply copied from existing ones, the same
design being often repeated Such work is
exemplified in certain forms and types that
have grown conventional and are familiar
to all But some dealers, with discrimi-
mating and fastidious tastes or peculiar
pobbies and with the money to indulge
them, have special figures made to order
One old gentleman in Third avenue, near
Ninth street, had himself cut out in wood
in the uniform of some military companv
TO which he belonged. Another gentleman
In Broadway put up figure of Edwin For.
rest in Roman garb, redundant of muscle.
in front Of his store. This figure has since
gone to Philadelphia. Still another. nm
town In Tenth avenue, ordered the conn
terfeit presentment OF Boston's shining
light. John L. Sullivan, in his baseball
suit Another Tenth avenue man had an
elephant and the golden calf made for re
two saloons One yvaatarn ,,nn osa,s1,
w SoioonS' Cne western man ordered
p ss y. one oouuess OF Liberty ana OF
Darenoiuis s'tIue somewhat Uttered from
the original The carver naturally is glad
to get out Of the rut of wearisome convep
tionality sometimes, and puts his best foot
foremost when filling sncb ORDER
so,,r orr 49, ,,,S,,,r,,.s
H.. $500. 9nhN rloohhs'
Du. Sne eoo.'cconise Is not by any means |
tne only customer thai the sculptor in |
wood has TO supply. Chiropodists want |
large white or gilt feet to display before |
their doors, glove sellers hang nm wooden |
Rloved hands as signs Of their calm, al |
livery stable owners call Tor heads of
Is nj times called upon to exercise his cum