The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-10-02
HOLDS ! AN OFFICE.
De Young as a Customs
.. Inspector. S.:
HE" WAS. cARLIsLE's CHOICE.
Makovsky's Famous Painting
:. Well Guarded. &.
'PALATiAL BONDED WAREHOUSE
How the Director-Generaf Fell in
-. Love With a: Beautiful
: Work of Art.


tits more. than likely that Collector of
Customs John H. Wise will have some
irouble so6n with one of his subordinates.
Mir. NJ. ID. de Young, well-known local
customs Inspector ..whe guards by night
and by day the banded warehouse at 1919
Callforniastreet. OF course it Is difficult
to tell just who will get the best Of what
threatens to- be IA long argument, but as
Mr.. de Young Is a warm personal friend
OF Carlisle, the Secretary Of the Treasury
of the United States, and was <appoin ted
a custom official at the solicitatio of the
Score tary of the Treasury. it is likely that
he Will not getthe worst of the war which
Mr.. Wise is. about to-. begin. Another
thing that. streng thens Mr.. de: Young's
case is the fact that he works as a custom
+ in spector entirely free:of cost to the United
States and consequently. should be permit
led to enjoy few liberties in the way of.
refusing to pay the duty on. bonded paint
ings, ETC.. =. -
The causes which led up to Mr. de
YOung's appointment were Numerous, and.
would occupy great deal Of space; but
in brief the story is that some four years
ago the professor OIL painting at the In
perlal Russian Academy, whose. name was.
MakOvsky, created magnificent picture
which he called "The Toilet OF the Bride.
and valued at $4,000 : The fame of his
work went throughout the land, even to.
the uttermOst points of the earth, and in
1891 the gem was exhibited in the Paris
Salon, where the meu of critical eye and
delicate sense Of color bowed down in ad-
miraton and praised the Russian in all
quarters. Truly" they exclaimed, 'this
man is a marvel!"
When the Midwinter Fair opened in San
Francisco some months ago the building
of Fine Arts was graced by this picture
and many artists fell in love with it. One
day Nj. de Young. while strolliog through
the building, his cultured eye fell on "The
Toilet of the Bride" land he exclaimed,
81 must have that picture at any cost"
From that tine on be was a constant
visitor to The Fine Arts building, and
stood before this work of art in mute ad-
miration for minutes at a time, drin king
In its beauty and color, feasting his eyes
on the delicate tints in the maiden's lovely
face and carefully studying the wonder
full depth and expression which seemed t.
surround the entire creation. The days
passed by and his love for the picture grew
to a mad desire. Nothing else would DO. the
painting must belong TO. him. Time sped
slowly by, and one day as the fair was
totterng to IFS close the Russian Commits
sioner carefully took the picture from its
corner and packed il up for shpment via
Panama. 1t had hardly been taken from
the wall before Mr.. de Young noticed its
absence with horror.
This blow was too much for his artistic
soul and he at once began negotiations for
its purchase. through the Russian Commits
sioner. L. NJ. Hamberger, who. acting
upon the advice of Nine. Makovsky, 'au-
thoriZed its sale at something between
$4,000 and $1,000. 1t was then returned TO
its place in the Art building and hung
there for some weeks or until the passage
of the tariff bill lifting the duty on oil
paintings. Mr.. de Young then concluded
to remove the picture to his home. but the
customs officials protested that the duty
had TO be paid before the painting LETT
their charge.
This is what precipitated the appoint
ment of MIR. de Young, who telegraphed
to Secretary Carlisle in regard TO the
matter, and Collector Wise was instructed
to make Mr.. de Young's residence
bonded warehouse to permit the removal
Of "The Toilet of the Bride" and also ap-
point its purchaser as a customs Inspector
to take charge of the same, without sal
ary. The necessary red tape was nm
rolled and Mr. de Young is now a full
fiedged Government official
Since the duty has been removed he
claims that there is no duty to pay, but
Wise, on the other hand. holds that the
paintings at the Midwinter Fair we're per-
mitted to enter this port under the old
law and are still liable To its provisions
and are still in bond. Pending the settle
ment of the discussion which is now going
on between tha customs authorities and
Carlisle. Inspector de Young keeps his
official eye on his bonded warehouse and
takes care of the goods in his charge
The duty is 15 per cent of the price paid,
and viii am cunt TO nearly $1,000 if the Gus
tom authorities arc supported by the Gov
arnment