The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-29

10, THE WOODEN INDIAN
THE ART or MAKING FIGURES FoR
CIGAR STORE SIGNS.

CtVfnDeu C1r1c8curcS-Ihe Labor and
Cost OF the Statues OF wood
Thetobacconists' figures have Undergone
many changes since they first came INTO
use They have sftsined a very respectable
degree of .eScdleace ID, certain directions.
and considerable inventlveness aud great
variety of'desigh hPve been shown IN their
production Most or these agdEes are made
Of wcod- Some however. ara OF metal,
cast tn molds. These, of course, are much
more expensive, and the designs are limit
ed IN numbe.
The wooden figures being more wiAhin
thereach of most dealers naturally offer q
greater variety in design The wool used
ia generally white pine, which is bought In
logs of variOuS lengths st the spar yards
The artist begins by making the roughest
kind OF an outhne-s mere suggestion Of
what the proportions Of the figure are to
be In tins he Is guided By paper patterns
The log is blocked out with shs az into
appropriate spaces for the head, the body
down 70 the waist, the portion from thera
TO the knee. the rest OF the legs (which arc
at once divided and the feet. In its pres
ent embryo State the figure to be ia not
very apparent to the eye. The fealing for
form in the chopped block is SO very ele-
mentary as to have complete suggestive
ness only for the practiced artist.
Row TILE 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 che body hangs free, The
carver new goes from The general to the
particular The surface Of the wood soon
becomes chopped up by the chsssl. 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
arately and Joined on TO the body BY
screws. Then the various portions Of the
figure are appropriately painted. the whole
is set upon q stand running ON wheels, and
it is ready for delivery. Old figures that
have become scratched and broken. that
have split and cracked with the grain, or
are dingy and dirty and need to be fresh
ened up with new coats of paint, are also
brought to the shop and doctored and
patched up into respectable semblance
of newness
Time changes, and so does the popular
taste. AT first the red man ruled the mar
ket almost completely. Then came heavy
sprinkling of other fgures-fery Scotch
men, English officers with small fatigue
caps or high bearskins, and heavy swers
of ante bellum times and the war period,
with marvelously wide pantaloons and
waving mutton chop whiskers, ogled hnn-
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
lngly short skirts. Punch, with rubicund
nose and protuberant chin, was a favorite
figure. There was alse the conventional
plantation "nigger, with striped panta-
looms and great expanse of shirt collar.
Few Of these old figures are seen nowadays.
ORIGINAL DESIGNS.
Meanwhile the spirat 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 exempli6ed in the
metal figures of Indians and Pucks The
artists" advancing in technique, grew
more variety became the watch
word. The dude, who had occupied the
zen Of the writer and the pencil of the
Irtist, was now perpetuated in wood. Ef-
,ies of baseball players gave sign of pub
ic spirited nature, and there has been quite
n eruption of Pucks, good, bad and exc
rable 'Vaultin' ambition" strove even
o portraiture.
The priOc Of fhacn
You can get a small Indian for SIG, or YOU
an indulge your artistic taste ND 10 the
une of s125. Metal figures run as high as
175. Most figures that are ordered are
imply copied from existing ones, the same
esign being often repeated. Such work IL
in certain forms and types that |
ave grown conventional and are familiar
0 all. But some dealers, with discrimi- |
sting and fastidious tastes orspecuIiar |
obbies and with the money TO indulge |
hem, have special figures made to order.
One old gentleman in Third avenue, near
'inth street, had himself cut out N wood |
i the uniform Of some military company |
} which he belonged Another gentleman
! Broadway put"up a figure Of Edwin For
st in Roman garb, REDUNDANT Of muscle,
/ front Of his store. This figure has aimee
one to Philadelphia Still another, up
Jwn in Tenth avenue, ordered the couD-
.rfeit presen tznsnt Of Boston's shining
ght. John L~SulliCan, in bis baseball
lit. Another Tenth avenue 1nan had an
ephsut and the.aoiden calf made fOrebis
70 salooDs, One western man ordered
CURES Of the Goddess u IfbeFey and Of
artholdRs. statuessomeEbsf altered nom
lie original. Thecsrvef naturally n Glad
get out OF the rat Of wearisOrne conven-
onahty sometimes, and puts bis best foot
renost when flBsg such orders.
SOME OPT sEES FIGURES.
But the tobacoonist IL not by any means
e only customer that the sculptor IN
God has 70 supply ChnropoAsts want
rye white or Eilt feet to displzy before
eir doors, glove seliers hang up wooden
owed hands as signs Of theiy c6a1ns, and
7ery stable owners call for heada Of
,rzes. More than that. our artist % wood
At times called upon % exercaSe bis cum
ng in manufacturing wooden hands for
oh persons a. have had the r1isforeuDs
lose one Of those that Dasurs PROVIDED
en- with. a down town firm puts springs
70 these, 50 that they can be used % Some
tent By abe wesTsr.
p r. Bssnuzn has been supplied with a
lmber Of vo0drn Agures whscb appear
be parsSes They are all nfs size or
rgsr, and inchlAe Bfustea-d. Cinderella,
other Goose, S8nbod the SAILOR, Red had
z Hood and the Ojd Woman That Lived
a Shoe Roreraugh has IN equestrian
vgre Of ST George and tie Dragon. The
r1res on BsrDum's vans are also carved
wood
DIE ErTn that deals IN wooden rags bad
a1ure q rag1nan nine tset hlsya PLACED
TOP o. IL 51ikHng IN Eran zfo street.
az Csuner. Wien u novs5 20 itsFs-srnt