The morning call., 1894-01-25

The English Royal Academy has elected
John S. Sargent an Academician. This is
an honor to an American artist which
English artistic opinion halls with ac-
cIamation. He has long been prominent
in the annual exhibitions for work of the
highest excellence in vigor, color and
happy treatment of subject. and it was
becoming a positive grievance and slight
that he should be passed by when there
was an opportunity to honor him. Bough-
ton, another Associate, is also American,
and Herkomer, full-fledged A cademician,
may be considered one of Uncle Sans
children, although born in Bavaria. 1t is
an interesting fact that Sargent was a
fellow pupil with II. L. Boomer of San
Francisco in the studio of Car0lus Duran
in Paris, about nineteen years ago. Mr..
Bloomer has not climbed so high on the
ladder If fame, but he is back in his native
California, with a thorough training in his
profession, good store Of sketches and
plenty OF enthusiasm.
The wave that boarded the Normannia
and did so much damage that she had TO
turn back to New York is incorrectly de-
scribed as a tidal. as if it were a bore run
ming up an estuary. The wave was only a
large mass of water formed by coalescing
with one or two others. and rushing on in
the direction of propagation at probably
fifty or sixty miles an hour. Such a mass,
weighing hundreds OF tons, strikes a ship
with terrific impact. At the moment the
NOrmannia had her head dipped ana the
wave boarded her over the bow aud swept
the deck with irresistible force. That no
lives were lost Is remarkable. A few years
ago the CunardeT Servla was swept by
such wall OF water over the bow. and a
group of men who were busy on the FORE
castle were scattered and dashed against
the bulwark and other obstacles and very
badly manned. The officers of the bridge
saw the wave coming and shouted the
alarm, but the onward rush was loo swift
for the men.
The artists who complain OF partial
treatment by the selecting committee of
the Mdwinter Fair have the solution, if
not the remedy, open to them of placing
the rejected works on exhibition in some
hall and inviting the public to judge be-
tween them and the committee. Unless
they are very exceptional and unfortunat e
they will probably not fare better in pub
lie opinion than thousands Of other artists
who have tried the same experiment In
Europe. Such exhibitions of the rejected
OY the detected have been held 10 Paris
dlu 1OUuUH aDu always Will In@ result
that the great majority were only pro-
nounced very mediocre and only a few
regarded with approval. But there are
reasons for rejection at the Academy and
in the Salon for want of space. Only one
picture out of four or five can be hung
anywhere and, good or bad, the rest must
go. If favoritism is shown it is not enough
to justify revolt. To certain extent pro-
fesslOnal art is trades union, and those
who are on top prefer the pictures that
pay homage to their own style and taste
Above all horrors the feeble amateur is
deprecated.
jacksonville made a mistake in kissing
the militia. Whichever private opinio IS
the men may have about the interest of a
fisticuff mill. they are now heartily inclined
to stand by the Governor for the sake of
depriving Jacksonville and the Duval
Club of any possible pleasure. If this
fight is prevented the stoppage will prove
a great victory for public opinion agains st
the brutality of these encounters and the
accompanying decentralization in betting
and excitement. Boxing is good athletic
exercise. but professionalism and betting
tends to raScality and degradation. The
manly art never can be made reputable
under present conditions.
The extent to which football is a favor
lite game in England may be inferred from
the fact that last year, dull in trade as it
was, the professional players of the coun-
try earned an enormous amount, and the
public paid about S25,000,000 in gate
money to see the contests. The theater is
nowhere against this competition.
Cricket maintains its place we'll as sum-
mer game, but does not attract nearly so
large crowds as football This tremendous
interest only dates from twenty years
ago.
There must be reconciliation between
Bismarck and the Emperor. They are
actually preparing rooms for the ex- Chan
cellor in the palace at Berlin. Terms OF
some sort have been patched up with
Caprivi, but it is out of the question that
the latter should retire in favor of the
former guide of the empire. Bismarck,
after these years of leisure and inveterate
grumbling, is little too advanced in age
TO resume active supervision, but he has
doubtless advice TO proffer.
Santa Rosa is having chapter of sensa-
tons. 1t has had a rather bad Jail break,
and now it has suicide of painfully
| romantic character, young woman having
swallowed a fatal dose of poison because