The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-22

agree to relnstate tho Pope in portion OF
his patrimony.
Tho Slupekian Series OF Portraits.
II We could accept unhesitatingly as gen.
uine and final the portrait Of Col. ABE
SLuPsKY said to have been taken last sum-
mer by KIMBALI. the Concord photographer.
and now printed by the Concord Eoening
Monitor. we should at once credit that artist
and that newspaper. Jointly. with one OF
the greatest services yet rendered to the
cause Of School Reform.
The popular demand for An authentic and
artistically satisfactory likeness Of Col. ABE
Is something without parallel in the his
tory Of this country. Every alleged por-
trait. no matter how ridiculous. is seized
upon with avidity by the public Even the
baldest caricatures Of Col. ABE are sought
for and cherished. in the absence Of any
thing better. 1t was only a week or two
ago that an absurd colored Autograph rep
resenting hairless old dufrer on pranc-
ing war horse. and labelled with Col. ABE
SLUPsKYs honored name. sold like hot cakes
on Broadway at the remarkable price Of a
dime or quarter OF dollar a COPY,
We do not remember which. We have al
ready reproduced in these columns about a
dozen different pictures purporting to rep
resent the great champion OF School Re-
form, and varying in aspect from the curled
darling OF society to FAG1N or Hungry JOE
The Slupskian pictures printed from time
to time In The Sun are but small fraction
OF those which have come to our notice. We
have lent our circulation, as q rule. only to
such alleged portraits as seemed to us to be
offered in good faith: and many more that
seemed to be merely malicious in their in
tention. or stupidity improbable have gone
promptly to the Office cat. Our readers
may have observed that The Sun has COM
mitted Itself to no alleged portrait Of COL
ABE SLUPsKY yet published.
This latest picture. the. k1MBALL portrait
OF Col. ABE. is accompanied by very plau-
sible and circumstantial explanation Of its
origin. Ordinarily such statement as the
Evening Monitor makes concerning the visit
OF the great reformer to the Granite State
would carry conviction to any candid mind.
But the public is now SO accustomed to hear
OF cases OF imposture. where mercenary or
vainglorious individuals or childish wags
have attracted to themselves momentary
attention by impersonating Col. ABE
SLrPsKY. going SO far even as to
write his name on hotel registers and
to travel around on his magnificent
fame. that the general attitude toward any
new portrait of the great School Recormer
j. very conservative. not to say cautious.
II the Monitors important story is solid
truth our esteemed contemporary ought to
have no difficulty In procuring efidavits to
that effect from Gen. JOHN EATON OF Sutton,
the Hon. HENRY W. BLAIR OF Manchester,
Major METcALF Of the Concord People and
Patriot. and a dozen other gentlemen who
met Col. ABE and conversed with him about
School Reform at or near the time when 1t
is alleged that Photographer kIMBALL OBJ
tanned his priceless negative.
The internal evidence. furthermore, is
not conclusive. We should say that the
physiognomy depicted in another column
was that OF statesman who had devoted
many years OF patient thought to the study
OF educational matters. But We should
also say that II this face is the face of a
School Reformer. it is a School Reformer OF
a somewhat archaic type. Fortunately OF
opinion Is indicated by the lines about the
mouth. but Is it not IA mouth that promises
to become tedious when once open and in
operation and when was COL ABE SLupsKY
ever u bore. or when were his utterances on
the subject OF School Reform anything but
original. stimulative. and charmingly clio
quent? We think that judges OF character
will scan this very respectable and intelli-
gent countenance in vain for any indica-
ton OF that strongly individual genius
which renders Col. ABE SLUPsKY as differ
ent from all previous School Reformers as
the glorious morning sun is different from
the ta!low dip or tho wick floating in
whales oil.
Let rot the admirers Of tho name and
fame of SLuPsKY DO impatient. The difficult
ty OF procuring an undoubtedly authentic
portrait OF their idolized leader. and the
apparently surrounding his per-
sonal identity. may seem at first glance
little singular. There Is good explana-
ton. however. and at the proper time it will
be made public.