Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-12
HILLS OF GEORGIA.
Southern Life Abounds in
Phases That Delight the
Artist Heart.
PENCIL AGAINST RIFLE.
Click of Winchester Interrupted
Lyell Carr's Sketching.
BRONZED AND BAREFOOT BELLIES.
The Caution of the Moonshiners and Their
Protecting Fires.
SNFNFC WnPTUy NITJlJS nP pnU ccEir
PENCIL AGAINST RIFLE.
BRONZED AND BAREFOOT BELLIES,
The Caution of the Moonshiners and Their
Protecting Fires.
SCENES WORTHY MILLAIs OR ROU ssEAU
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH,

Millais? Undoubtedly the task of building
up an American art must be the work o.
American artists. From the beginning o
all effort toward the building up of an ar
sense and appreciation in America, it ha
been the custom to look to foreign school!
for teaching and to foreign sources for in
spiration, as if the keys to the mysteries o.
the arts had, like the keys to the mysteriel
OF religion, been committed to some one
particular apostle, and the people Of al
times and nations thereafter must bow
under the apostolic succession to receive
the genuine article.
Ii is undoubtedly true that our native ar
fists have heretofore sought for material in
foreign fields and in foreign history more
diligently than in our own country, and yet
DO country is richer in historical, tradi.
tional and natural suggestions than is Amer
ica. Its history is worthy the best efforts Of
the hest paiHtcrs and its natural beauties
are rich in the variety of their sublime and
original suggestions of things that belong to
our history. and are of greater initial and
constantly increasing value than any other
style of painting.
Some of our American artists have re-
s1ond d with highly commerdable prompt
ness to the call for more OF the national
quality in their work. as witness the eN-
arsples in the last Academy. New England
landscapcs harhor views, character pieces
cnl narincscapeS were there in pleasing
variety and number. All sections of the
country were vel! represented except the
warm and prolific South. This was renre-
scntei by one solitarr picture, plantation
scene, nv Mr.. Lrclj Carr. And vet no more
invita-. al for ,he work of the American
Grri>- exists on the lace of the earth TO-DAY
than is found IL tie New South" In all
;lat ualles Brittany dear to the French
and Savoy dear to the Italian artist
the new Snu'h appeals TO the American.
Ter cha5actr~i>tic landscapes, with their
rch ard varied hives. not to be found in
equal camhaation III any other country in
luc vo"id; ner primeva forests and rugged,
ecraggv mountains; her bright vermilion
sol ard ieliS ~ snowy cotton and deep
green tobacco and waving corn: her primi-
tive huShan imam and unreconciled remnant
of former condition of caste, with the
MYRIAD eyIdeGces of a languid and listless
civiliZ-tion in slow process of evolution to
soi:l-th NJ better are there in picturesque
and iimitlcss variety.
Nir Carr had but recently returned from
an extended stay among the people of the
highlands of Georgia. and was full of the
artistic beauties OF that section of the coun-
try when he gave me- story of his expert
encaS His portfolio told the story OF the
raSt glory ard present transition of the
ru~al South country better than it could be
told in hundreds of pages is descriptive
type.
Fields for Mi'lais OF Rousseau.
'1 was prompted to go down there, in the
first instance, to spy out the land, as it
were, to see il there were not in nv own
country landscapes and phases of life that
were distinctive types Of part of our ma
tional character and history, and have not
been disappointed. ] have been more than
nleaSed. Within a radius of 80 miles of
Tallapoosa where 1 roamed about among
the country people with my sketch book,
there is material which Nlillais and Rous-
seau would have envied.
"The Southern people are verv peculiar
in some respects; but ihev are Just as nice
people as you would want to meet in gen.
eraL They are hospitable and generous,
and tolerant so long as YOU avoid crossing
any Of their pet prejudices-and they have
a heap of them. If they happen to take Of
tense against YOU they are more likely to
appeal to primitive, not to saw aboriginal,
methods of redress. Starting out with my
wife one dav on trip to the mountain back
OF Tallapoosa, we met young fellow who
clerked in Hackney's Mills. He called me
aside, out of earshot of Mrs Carr, and said
to me, threateningly: Say, you mustn't
get away with that gal down thera'
"'What girl?' asked.
That Hu;chins gal-Verdure Hutchins
I've got mortgage onto her, and 1 won't
have no foolin' about her.
II allayed his fears, and seeing that he
was deeply IN earnest and knowing that he
was favorite with the parents of the girl,
I told him that if he wished would put in
good word for him with Miss Verdure.
"'Well, now, that's right smart nice O.
you. I'd be pow 'iul glad eff yo' would put
in good word To- me, cause that Sam Clay
he wants TO git her to go to the theavter weth
himself to-morro night an 1 got to 90 to
baptizin'.'
"I be-
Arguments of the Moonshiners.
"The people are eminently religious
Even up in the Devils Kitchen on the
mountain, there is a Baptist Church, OF
which the pastor and most of the members
are well known to be moonshners. They
are in state of practical rebellion against
the National Government, In this way:
They sre uncompromising believers in the
right Of every man to make what he wants
out of the products of the soil and to trade
OF sell it without let or hindrance, and the
efforts Of the Government to collect its rev.
enUe tax on the products of the still are re-
seated as un ustitiabe usurpation of au-
thorlty, which they are consistently bound
to oppose as long as they are able. Some of
their rGAGious observances are peculiar.
Feet wAshings occur at some of them at
stated intervals and the immersions of the
Bapt!sts are made in the Tallapoosa river,
wlnier or summer
This old cotton gin and grist mill" said
he, showing q sketch, "struck the fancy o!
visiting poet from Illinois, Mr.. George
Bowen, and he wrote these verses on the
back of the sketch:
Where cross the old red Georgia roads,
Tai pine trees shade within,
"P.antation picked, come wagon loads
OF cotton to the gin.
The native commerce that avails
The "craclerh comforts crude
Provide what luxury prevails
In habitations rude.
The weatherbeaten gin each year
More 'ecbly bales tine crop;
It's old gray form must disappear,
Its life of labor stop.
While mem'ry points with loving pride
To EloricS tnat have been,
In peace and lond affection bide
The Old time cotton gin.
a Hapny and aoad fx-Slave