The San Francisco call., 1896-06-28


Prodigy on public platform made an i'm
portant event with patronizing society
folk and people who worship at the shrine
of art. The occasion was notable one,
partaking in measure of the nature of
social function. The affair, being invita-
tional, was rather select. We may as well
follow the rule and remark that the audi
ence was 'Iarge, intelligent and apprecla-
tive" The band played, the curtain rose,
and the manager INDUCED IN few pre-
liminary remarks
MY cultured friends" said he in his
blandest way, ''it affords me unqualified
pleasure 10 welcome you here this evening.
The Golden West has given many genius
to the country-in painting, sculpture,
music, literature and the dramatic art
but never before has it been our privilege
to witness the appearance on public
stage of a child so precocious, so brilliant,
so old for his years, with memory so
perfect and retentive of details, and
a faculty of illustration so highly
developed as the Youthful Prodigy
whom I now take sincere de-
light in presenting to you. l have
journeyed with him from one end of the
country to the other, and he has met
thousands OF people more or less dis
tinguished, yet il you will but mention
the name OF one of the parties we chanced
to become acquainted with this child will
imm ediately recall some of that PERSONS
characteristics, and will without any delay
sketch the features of that party in profile
with fidelity to the original that will fill
you with wonder and admiration.
1.-The Youthful Prodigy will illustrate in
public tonight number of people with
whose faces the majority of you are famil-
lar. To increase your interest and aug
ment your enjoyment the various profile
sketches to be made here tonight will be
exhibited for what they are worth, artist
ically considered, and the intellectual
audience, it is supposed, will silently sup
ply the name as the features on each can
vass are recognized. The Prodigy will
mention no names; but he will, neverthe-
less, refer to the different ikenesses in
way that will convey to you an idea OF his
remarkable scope of observation.
The Prodigy bowed; polite applause
followed, and the youngster. seemingly
about 10 years of age. turned on his heel
and quickly proceeded to the tall canvas
Selecting black crayon, he outlined
head in amazingly short time, and then,
dipping a brush in an ebony fluid, painted
the space bounded by the outlines, and
with beaming countenance bore to the
front of the platform the canvas marked
No. 1. Enthusiastic cheers gave ample
evidence of the fact that the assem- blage
knew full we'll those classic features, and
was as eager to testify its devotion to the
ideal hero represented there as to the mar
velous skill of the Youthful Prodigy.
When quiet reigned once more the artist
in knicker erbockers spoke: Ladies and
gentlemen" he began, 'our first profile
sketch, l am happy to say, has not been
made in vain. 1t is far higher encomium
for whatever skill l may possess that your
cheers were not for me, but for the cham
pion of cause that lies nearest your pa
triotic hearts, and l am proud to be able
to so faithfully picture his features to your
eye that your mind is instan taneously
dwelling on the virtues of his character
and the grandeur of his principles. Per-
haps it would be appropriate to label this
canvas Protection But let US continue.
No. was completed in few minutes and
held up to the general gaze. A few shouts
we're drowned in chorus of groans. LAS
much as to say, the Prodigy exclaimed,
that four years of financial wreck and
ruin, low wages and free-trade competi-
ton, industrial depression and costly gov
ernmental blundering have left their i'm
press so deep on the popular mind that
can hardly be forgiven"
No. received quite an ovation, and the
child-artisU said: 1.-THE Northwest loves
this man. and the Nation in whose halls
he has so long been fighting the good fight
of the common people may some day re-
ward his splendid services, as it is about 10
do in the case of the Napoleonic statesman
from Ohio"
No. EEvery body knew this face and a
smile overspread the face of the audience
as the Prodigy said: "This curly head
belongs to one whose fame-birth dates back
to a. minstrel show in what is to-day the
railway center of the San Joaquin. 1t be-
longs to a fireman brave and bold and
without peer, and not afraid to say so.
We must, however, do unto him as he has
done by so many of the old-liners of the
Andrew Jackson camp-pass him by."
No. 5-"Ha The audience cannot mis-
take these erratic features. Who, in faith,
can boast of such mustachios or of such
goateeP They belong to an apostle of an
elder school OF Pacific Coast journalism; to
a free lance of newspaper chivalry to
character SO purely literary that CONNER
cial instincts have been crowded out of it.
OF course you know him-every body knows
him. There is only one of his kind"
No. 6-"The fair sex has long shown
something akin to partlality for the sill
very-haired and side-whiskered No. 6. AS
hard as he battles against his uncompro-
missing foe, the Octopus, he still has soft
side to his nature, and is, by common re-
port, decidedly averse to the idea of 'un-
kissed kisses and songs never sung.'''
No. THE Prodigy rushed out another
silhouette. Here is a man who was born |
with gold spoon in his mouth A Jolly |
good fellow he is, and who VIII blame him /
for taking jolly good time? He has a
number OF little worries, though, in the |
matter OF strange wills and stranger deeds