The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-04
JOAQUIN MILLER'S VIEWS
He Reads a Paper On Illustration
Before Partington'S
Students.
The New Years Entertainment Among
Young Picture.Makers a Com
plete Success.

The New Years entertainment of Part
ington's School of Illustration held last
night at the studio on Pine street was a
successful and entertaining affair.
Leading society people were present and
Colonel John P. Irish acted as master of
ceremonies in his happy and interesting
way. The apartments occupied by Mr..
Partington's pupils were tastefulIy deco
rated with exotic plants, while drapings
and rows of statuary graced the sides of
the main hall.
The programme consisted of varied fea-
lures, all Of which were received with
applause. Those who were expected to do
something clever put their whole soul into
the effort and the result was something
out OF the ordinary. Joaquin Miller S
paper on 1.-The First Book and the Last
was characteristic of the poet, and although
he held the platform Tor some time, the
reading was frightened by well-placed
anecdotes, told as Mr.. Miller can tell such
tales.
He we went on to prove in his argument
that the last of mans books will be book
of pictures. The first of mans books, -
said he, was all in pictures, pictures of
long-armed kings, birds OF prey, horses in
battle harness, bows and arrows, charlots
OF war, etc. Let 5000 years OF flame and
flood roll over this continent and what
would we have left? Only a few pictures
on an obellsk in New York, two in Lon
don, three in Paris, dozen in Rome and
few dozen in Egypt, and few crude
stone pictures by the Toltecs and their
conQuerers, the Affects"
He continued to recall the history OF the
world that to-day is told on the stone
monuments that are still standing all over
the face of the earth. He came down to
modern times and continued:
Really, no man can count himself
equipped for the field OF letters who does
not write In pictures quite as readily as in
syllables. When ! was last the guest of Mark
Twain at Hartford l found him busy at
work learning 10 make pictures with his
pencil. Mr.. Williams, VINO illustrated his
Innocence Abroad told me while try
ing to give me lessons, that Mark Twain
now makes all his own pictures although
ne began learning only after he was gray
headed. | am told that Bill Nye began to
make those truthful pictures of himself
after he was gray heaued-not only after
he was gray-headed but after he lost every
gray hair OUT OF his head. And we can
well believe from his pictures that ne be-
gan making them not only after he had
lost every gray hair, but good deal of
the gray matter out OF it also. Seriously,
beyond the superficial illustrations of what
may be written, in pictures lies the deeper
language-the great sea of sentiment, love,
and hate and despair, faith and hope and
charity; pictures of the heart. pictures
that will be at times wet with tears"
There were few arguments in favor of
pictures that Mr.. Miller overlooked and
he showed that he was familiar with his
subject
Following is the full programme:
Trio, violin, cello and piano, Miss Blanche
Partington, H. j. Bruenn and Lowell Langstroth
Books and Last Joaquin Miller; violin solo,
J. Otto Hunicke citation w. Robinson; trio,
violin, cello and piano. Miss Darlington, Mr..
Bruean and Mr.. Langslroth; song, Miss Dora
Goodsell; recitation.
Mr.. Darlington, assisted by his son Rich
ard, who is one of San Francisco's best
illustrators, together with Miss Gertrude
Darlington, received the guests and made
every body feel at home.