Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-02
PARIS ART STUDENTS
MISERY AND DESPAIR THE POR-
TION OF THE MAJORITY.
An American Girls Graphic Picture
of the Suffering I'm the Art Colo
MES, Especially Among the
Women.

paris correspondence OF the Globe-Demo-
craft
The time has arrived for the boulevards
and the Quarter Latin TO swarm with
American art STUDENT. men and WOO
men. in many cases boys and mere slips
of girls. What are they to do for their
dinners. six months hence?
on the perilous route to success by
brush and the sculptor's chsel the crowd
is greater than on any Of the others. Al
lists. especially painters, have been the
chief characters Of novels for many years.
Thousands OF young fellows who would
nave made excellent engineers. sales
clerks. and farmers and almost "s many
girls. destined by nature 70 become wives
and mothers, began handling mahlsucks'
instead Of plows and soup-ladles. The hrst
let their boards grow and buy CATERS
the others paint their faces, as wei as
their canvas. TO hide the traces Of irregu-
lar Iivesin garrets. and the effects of still
more irregular meals in restaurants
where dog-steaks and adulterated chemi-
cal COMPOUNDS figure under high-Soundlhs
names as food and drink.
Boulangers Lefebvre's, Mersons, cas-
taignes, and other renowned teachers
lists are not yet full, but before the IlIst
Of october. ! am sure, we VIII nave wv"
or 5000 female art students among U.s.
and Of these at least $40 VIII han from
America-New York. Chicago. PlttsDurG'
81 Louis. Detroit Milwaukee. and the
western parts generally l am a western
girl myself. and a pupil Of one OF the
masters named above. This is my third
and last season; my little fortune of N,ao
viii be wiped out in the spring of the
year. when. perforce, | return to America
TO begin the battle Of life in earnest Like
the majority OF people. ! am not "A genus
We: | will be able to make my living
among my own cOmpatriots, with brush
ana pencil Most American girls coming
here to study Will be able 10 DO that-H
they can hold out long enough. But no"
many can? Not one half Of those 49, Tor
the majority goes to Paris, hoping TO exc
ont a more or less imaginary income from
home by the products Of work done mere
SOME STATISTICS.
II is 10 warn these unfortunates that !
have set up the following bit OF stausucS
gathered from official sources: or the 80
women who have graduated as iuh-
dodged artists from the Paris StuuioS
within the last five years. 40 succeeneu
i'm bringing their pictures 10 the attention
- tho nublic bv means of the salon.
or the 80 - make an honest living ny
naintine- women's and chiliren's portraits
a, Tho rate of lri to 1000 francs apiece
Their less fortunate colleagues eAhiolt
wear after year. but very fareiy sen "
canvas If they do not marry, the i"i u
knows how they live. once in great
,rhilo a woman Will receive a prl%e-h
cold medal-after twenty years OF 81 %
hard labor ! know only OF one or 'Wo
female artists below the age OF ~ WIZ
GAINED the medal WITHIN lne last nv
years The one Is exceedingly pfetiy'
!, u,ost successful portrait-panter. an
.I,,carian nv birth: the other, Eliza oe'h
Go,d,ner. of New Hampshire. is younger
but besides being genius. she was
,roteee Of ROugucreau. fhat may ef-
MAN her signal success. Wi'hout btcf'
nc of either kind. the other salon cA-
,,litors from America. Mrs. Went"o. n
Geraldine Reid, and Miss Bachelor, were
hardly noticed in the crowd. ..o 49,
n. sc are the naked facts; OF Low" -
v no gained a livelihood by their efforts
two became famous IN their way An"
ne rest. Some are painting dants for
their daily bread; others do worse. with
ART uupils not financially independent,
ate deals even harsher. Last ''inter IVA
a., three died of starvation in this city %
n.,,s,re ard there Is no 10 ,bt tho fams
r,fodful doom awaits others durInS tht
coming cold season. Paris IS Used TO II;
her arts: colony knows all about II.
Yet not a voice IS raised 20 warn thf
enthusiastic, TO stop the mob OF sanGuiAs
fools Of fortune that IS about u break III
upon us
~ moi nr loss -
sur.d income OF at least 100 francs
maj Is 500 per north. This guarantees
her a bare uving-no more, no less. the
Girls unless they have at least 80 francs
nar month. occupy seventh or eighth
story bathrooms, under leaky ROOFS
with struggling artisans or quarreiIIhg
Robemians for neighbors. They buy
tboir own furniture-a bed. mattress.
hair and table-and provide their
own meals. doing their cooking on an
ul-smelling oil-stove that sometimes
serves two or more parties Food Is
about one third higher in Paris thah
in New York. and two thirds higher thah
in tho western cities. You can imagine
the size of the portions mat growing
nirl may allow herself oil s. per week
ofter paving rent, laundry. car-fare, and
tuition.
Naturally. | have very wide acquaint-
,ucc among my COuntrywOmen so STU
tod How healthy, hopeful daring.
when they arrived; how broken down.
Ustless. tmid. they become after SIX
months of this misery. or course they
would not admit IL to any but their com
rades. but know the time when hair a
dozen of US were willing 20 do almost
anything for a square meal.
FROM HAND TO MOUTH.
M American, artist or otherwise has
over starved to death in Paris TO my
knowledge. but am sorry TO say that
numerous Girls whom their fond parents
and friends on the other side imagined
IN he comfortably settled here. are
iiviug from hand to mouth in such
fashion as TO lmperil their health. They
came from wel-provided homes, out oil
Gentle surroundings; they have never
1,own what IL is TO wish for piece Of
steak. for warm cup OF tea ior
inicv ME Suddenly, they find themselves
i'm a strange country; the language OF
which Is TO them a sealed book; the peo-
nile upon whom they must depend are con-
scienceless sharpers, prying Tor every OPP
portunity to profit by their clients igno-
rance and -heartedness. Inc poor
Urls fund of ready money soon wnnders
into the pockets Of these cheats. and
the days fare grows smaller ana less
nutritious every forty-eight hours Now,
,ake the case that one OF these women
falls M. and is obliged TO spend part OF
nor allowance for doctor and medicines
How can she gather strength after rising
from sick bed?
Outwardly. in her written reports 10
Tho nress. or when she talks to a news
naper representative. the American giii
st,,dving art against such awful odds
In oIwavs keep "A stiff lip and put on