New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-18
AR PENCH,S JUBILEE.

Fifty Years ago to-day there came fultgrowh
into this "vale Of tears" the laughing, grlnnins
hunchbacl, whose familiar features, maze LII
mortal by the inspired pencil Of Richard Doyle
have shone on us every week of these 20,ooo Id
the famous frontispiece of Punch, or the LONDON
Charivari" Nobody cares for second tltes now
unless. indeed, Mr.. Gilbert who has an odd Iancy
that way, and the good-natured rogue mas lohs
since rid himself of the strange alias he borrowed
from Paris as well as of the rough trlcKs anu
manners ascribed to his Italian original AS
Briton and householder, with MI to his name,
only his solemn dog Toby is left TO remind him oil
the ancient and mythical days and nights Wheh
he cultivated the wild oat on the sunny slope OF
the Apennnes and thought 1t fun to beat MS
wife, the uckless Judy, TO toss the BABY OUT OIL
the window, TO wallop the family doctor, anu
craftily to hang the common hangman, all to the
squeaking of cracked pipes
Since he took up his abode IN historic Fleet
Street where DR.. Samuel Johnson made the sorry
lest In Latin, on the traitors heads, and where his
ghost is still supposed to walk o nights, Mr..
Punch has found or made his fun in other ways.
Four generations of Prime Ministers and lesser
ministers, of ex-ministers and woud-be ministers,
of fops and lunkies, of frauds and fribbles, have
stood in awe of his wit. He kept alive the dis
long made D'Israen impossible and to the last
absurd and theatrical. On the other hand, he
greatly helped to create Pamerston; and how has
he not laughed and made others laugh
Mt Gladstone, without hurting him bit;
at his vast collars, and his yet more
stupendous energy; at Gladstone, who laughs
ot nothing whereas his great rival laughed
at everything Little bonnets and big hoops Lord
MAYORS and stock jobbers, Sir GOrgus Midas and
Jeames Yeowplush, tho Prince Consort and the
stock that choked Private Thomas Atkins, Mrs.
Ponsonby de Tomkyns and the rufian OF White
chapel-all these and hundred more have WINGED
under the wholesome cracking Of that ready lash.
Through it all, like the true humorist he is, he
has ever been the friend of goodness and the
enemy of evil: he has never stopped to bully the
weak or to cringe to the powerful To this conn
try lie has not always been fair; but let that go
twas before lie had the fairness of his latest
pet the American girl"
Ieech made him. Not without great help from
DOYLE and Thackeray, Tennel and Jerrold, Lemon
dozen or q score Of Others, who brought their
good pens and pencils to the famous weekly din
ners where the cartoon was settled over the claret
But Ieech made the success. From the first he
took with the town and tickled the funnybones
of the dull countryside. He founded schoo
of caricature in which to this day he stands almost
| without rival, certainly without superior. he
fore him It was deemed essential that even the
best caricature should be ugly, and almost essen
tal that it should be savage. After Leech, the
artist did not hesitate to draw a good-loolIine
woman or a wcll-bred horse.
OF all these great Ones the founders, Tennie
alone remains perhaps the greatest of them oil
| What work his has been The history of Eng
land for fifty years is in those wonderful cartoons
II is the fashion, especially with men Of faded
tastes. to say that Punch has gone off. But whel
had he anything better to offer than the fare that
| Du Afaurier and Harry Furniss, Linley SambournC
and Tenniel provide us every Wednesday? As
for Tenniel himself, how often has even he sur
passed the great cartoon. " Diminishing the Pilot,
| i'm which so lately he drew the fall Of Bismarck
Thrice it may be, but by any one else it stands
unequalled.
So here's TO Mr.. Punch and his family may
they live long and prospect"