davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23
WONDERFUL MEXICFN OPHLS
In Cuanauato You Find Them in All Colors,
Shapes and Sizes

s'The most marvellous country for opals
that 1 ever saw or heard Of" said ex-
Assem- blyman P. II. Mack of Inyo County
last night at the Russ House, as he held a
handful of beautiful opals up to view, ''is
Mexico.
81 have just returned from there and 1
declare the opals you see everywhere
astonish you.
81 am mining for gold In an old river
bed at Guanajuato, town of $4,000 peo-
pie, in the State of Guanajuato. The
opals are pretty thick there ana in the
town everybody has them; but 1t is in the
little States of Queretaro and Puebla, just
south of me, that the opals are the most
plentiful.
"You get them there of almost all pos
sible sizes, colors and shapes. brought
with me some of the rock containing the
opals. The gems are scattered through
the rock like garnets in granite, which
many people have seen in different parts
of the Rocky Mountains.
1.-THE opal-bearing rock is often found in
clay or between layers of clay and stone
of different kinds, and the rock which
bears the opals not infrequently changes
to one great piece of opal.
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

brotherhood was done in illustration of
his ''Pot of BASIL" Millais' subject was
the scene OF the supper table-Lorenzo
sitting with Isabella and her lover. Will
liam Rossetti was the model for Lorenzo.
One of the pre-Raphaelite tenets was that
all figures shall be painted from life,
which hitherto had not been the custom.
Mrs. Hodgklnson, the wife of the paint
er's half-brother, posed for Isabella. 1t
was of this picture that Holman Hunt,
the generous and enthusiastic brother
artist, said, "The most wonderful painting
that any youth, still under twenty years
of age, ever did in the world
A list of those who served as models for
the pre- Raphaelites would be interesting.
Some of the greatest men and women of
the time sank their identity in the pre-
Raphael pictures. In Ford Maddox
Browns great picture, Work" Fred
erick Maurice and Thomas Carlyle posed
as the principal characters. Fancy the
sympathy for these young enthusiasts
necessary to induce that cantankerous,
nerve wearied Scotch brain-worker to give
his precious time to such servicel We
do not so much wonder at Maurice's Kind
ltOS III IAlo 1CopCNet lOi hO W 40 OiiO Va bAC
founders of the wonderful workingman's
college in London, the inspiration for all
the college settlement work which has
since so largely prevailed in the old world
and the new.
Few of those familiar with Millais' touch
ing picture OF the ''Huguenot Lovers"
know that Charles Collins, brother of the
famous story-teller, and a daughter of
Charles Dickens stood for the originals.
Those two were engaged at the time, and
who knows how much of the pathos and
tenderness in the girls face may be due to
the fact that the model could understand
so well the anguish of the French girl
whose lover was going away to his death.
Arthur Hughes, brother painter, was the
model for the Prescribed Royals"
picture where the Puritan lady is secretly
conveying food to her royalist lover. Mrs.
William Morris posed for Rossetti's "Day
Dreams and Burne Jones for a Head of
Christ"
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

these curious mining regions do not look
with favor on the movement here of free
silver. Since the Mexican Government
has established free silver coinage the
people have been buying just as little as
they could help of the things we have.
The reason is they have to pay double
rates, and the result is that manufactures
of different kinds are springing up in
Mexico to supply home demands. There
is one company that has come in there
and is putting in plant costing $1,000
600. The people there believe ifthe people
in the United States have free silver it will
tend to stop manufacturing there. As it
is, they want to develop their own re-
sources keeping their money at home.
"But as to these opaIs. They are so plen-
tiful that in many parts they are looked
upon as of little value. They wouldn't be
of much value if they were unable to sell
them. AS it is. the tourists and travellers
of various kinds are their best customers.
Scarcely a man goes to Mexico now that
does not bring back lot of these pretty
gems with them"
Mr.. Mack, who has large mining inter-
ests at Guanajuato. is here on business
trip in reference to his mines. He CON.
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

We are not surprised to learn that a
lady, whose portrait Miilais painted in
those early years, became his wife. Mil
iais had whoiesomely attractive person
ality. He was sturdy and big and fair,
with broad shoulders and blue eyes, typi-
cal Saxon. like William Morris. He was,
moreover. the only one of the brotherhood
blessed at that time with full pocket.
The failure of the "Germ" threw the
rest into sad pecuniary straits. Its death,
after brief life OF two numbers, left them
alegacy OF ESQ debt to the publisher, and
no prospect of solvency. However, young
hearts and high espira tions are not easily
damped, and perhaps, in their superb self
belief, they dimly foresaw the time when
the little journal, forever immortal az the
herald OF the blessed Damosel" and
Woolner's MY Beautiful Lady," would
be literally worth its weight in gold. Mil
la1s had no part in this venture. His
genius never led him aside from painting.
In 1882 when he was % years old.
Millais painted the two pictures which
most critics concede to be his greatest-the
"Huguenot Lovers" already referred to,
familiar to all through various prints and
engravings, and 'Ophelia." Esther Wood,
an admirable critic, describes the latter in
the following words: "Ophelia, floating
down stream to her death, with her slack
ening hands full of flowers, the very en-
bodiment of the pathetic helplessness OF
weak and isolated womanhood against the
tide of the worlds strife-weak indeed
through the isolation of ages, having
never known in life or ancestry the brac-
ing discipline of free and responsible e1-
istence. No one of the pre- Raphaelltes
has equaled Millais at his best in the
landscape setting OF the struggle between
the human soul and the circumstance that
hens it in; and the scenery of 'Ophelia' is
among the most exquisite OF his work.
The beauty of the river and its richly
wooded banks, its overhanging branches
and its current-driven weeds gives the
greater pathos to the dying girls face, on
which the wrath only of its past and lost
beauty fingers to mock the sadness OF her
end"
Autumn Leaves" was painted in 1856,
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

long, low, table in the center of the
room were the pupils. They were seriously
occupied in stringing together long rows
OF beads of many varied colors, and were
chattering excitedly over their task 1t
was the aim of each child TO make the
prettiest combination il could and to get
through its string without any loss of
time, so as to be prepared for change of
occupation. The teacher, to prevent their
interest from tagging, walked around the
table, giving the children complimentary
words and friendly pats upon the back.
English is supposed to be the language
IN use at the school, but the teacher has
also fluent command of Chinese, into
which she unconsciously lapses at times
when the children become too noisy and
unruly. The course of instruction in the
Chinese school is virtually the same as
that in the white kindergartens, though
not carried to such high stage of devel-
opment. 1t gives rudimentary knowledge
of English to the children, who soon learn
to count, to distinguish the primary and
secondary colors, get an idea of form and
size, of motion, melody. etc.
They like dearly to play with the
worsted balls, cubes and cylinders, to do
paper-folding and stick-laylng and to sing
their i'll ,strative motion songs. Into all
of their tasks and games they enter
with a childish seriousness which,
amusing as it is to spectators, holds the
attention of the participants, keeps them
out of mischief and prepares them for the
sterner duties of later life.
II like my children" said the teacher
'sfor they are regular in their attendance
and as attentive to their duties as can
reasonably be expected considering their
tender years ana undeveloped minds. Oc-
casionally am compelled to call at the
home OF tardy pupil, but generally my
babies contrive to find their way to and
from school without an escort"
When the beads were all strung the bows
and girls il obedience to the word of their
teacher arose, moved the table back against
the wall, stacked their little stools In a
corner of the classroom, and forming
themselves in row sang with evident
delight the following:
Up up in the sky the little birds 6v.
Down, down In their nests the little birds rest
WIZ. YIN wing on the left and wing on the right,
Wen let the dear brides rest all the long NIGHT
When the round sun comes up and the dew floats
away,
''eood morning, bright sunshine" the little birds
say:
How bright are the flowers, how green /. the
wood S
Our Heavenly Father, how kind and how good
In singing, the flying OF the birds. their
rest IN their nests, the rising of the sun.
ETC., were initiated with typical gestures.
The attitudes assumed by some of the
children were inexpressibly funny. but at
the mention of Father IN the conclud.
ing line all clasped their hands and un-
lifted their eyes with an air of the utmost
reverence.
A song. written expressly for babies. was
next given. 1t runs thus;
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

NEARLY every Mexican you see has
opals for sale. He will go down in his
pockets and fish out lot of them. He
keeps them usually in little squares of
dark or blush paper, known as jewelers.
paper, the same as jewellers use for diff
ferent kinds of gems. The reason is that
this paper makes the gems show up better
on account of its dark background.
1.-THE opals are 80 cheap in some places
that sometimes you can buy very good
one for as low as so cents. 1t depends, of
course, upon the place and the plentiful
ness of the opals.
"But If 1t is near the railroad you must
look out, for the natives have got to coun-
terfeiting the opals. They make them out
of glass that is artistically colored, and un-
less you notice closely you are liable TO
get one of these glass opals under the i'm
preston that you have got genuine
jewel. Along the railroad. too, they sell
more inferior opals than in the interior.
Though nearly every Mexican you
meet has opals you will never see the
natives wear any. They are superstitious
about them. as they are in other countries.
The superstition is general. extending so
far, as L understand, from one side of the
country to the other.
ga native that is SO poor as to think $5
a small fortune will oftentimes have
enough opals in his possession to net $25
to $50 if he had them in this country. Be-
sides this he always knows where he can
go and get lot more at what to us would
be mere bagatelle.
THE opaIs I have brought up to give
away to friends and to children that l
know. Some in the collection are quite
There are a number of water
opals among them, and these are espe-
ciaIly beautiful when fixed in neat gold
setting. Many of the others are quite val
uable too, for some of the opals have a
great deal of fire in them.
II want to say that the Mexicans in
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23
ONLY ONE in THE WORLD
This City Has a Kindergarten for the
Young Heathen Chinee

The schools classed as kindergarten
are common in all civilized countries, but
a Chinese kindergarten, or a school for
the instruction of Chinese children exclu-
sively, is indeed novelty. 1t is not loca-
ted in China, but in San Francisco, Cal.
The almond-eyed, yellow-skinned pupils
are taught by white woman in the en-
ploy of the Baptist Home Missionary So
ciety, and the school is supposed to be the
only one of its sort in the United States,
if not in the world. Outside of the Chinese
and missionary circles the existence of this
kindergarten-so unique a feature in the
cosmopolitan life of California-is neither
known nor suspected.
The Chinese Primary School at GIG Clay
street is incorporated in our public school
system of education, and between it and
the kindergarten there are essential dis
tinctions. In the one maintained by the
City the instruction is entirely secular,
while in the kindergarten conducted by the
Missionary Society in the second story of
the old Baptist church, at the northwest
corner of Sacramento street and Waverly
place, the doctrines of Christianity are
mingled with the secular training of the
heathen children. When the little kinder
gartners begin to read and are sufficiently
advanced in years they are permitted to
choose between the public school and the
mission school.
In its own sphere the Chinese kinder
garten established last September is with
out rival. The experiment of the phil
anthropic Baptists has been most success
ful, and the school has an enrolment of
thirty-fve children of both sexes-the lit
tie sons and daughters of Chinese mer-
chants, mechanics and laborers The chill
dren, 2, 3. 4 and 5 years of age, meet daily,
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays ex-
cepted, and from to 2:30 P. NJ, under the
guidance of the sympathetic teacher.
amuse themselves with their kindergarten
gifts, songs and games. A glimpse at the
babies, as the teacher calls them, in their
classroom suggests many ideas. It is an
animated living picture of childish merri.
ment and enthusiasm as comical as senti-
mental.
A CALL man visited the school few
days ago and saw the little tots in the
midst of their occupations. The girls
generally were neatly dressed and looked
very cute in their loose blouses, wooden
shoes, queer hats and long, high-colored,
braided queues hanging down their backs.
A few of the boys were dressed in the
American fashion. Coming away from
home in hurry, so as not to be late at
school, one of them had forgotten to put
on hia jacket and was sitting serenely
with his companions in his shirtsleeyes
and suspenders. His face and easy ap-
pearance were in striking contrast to that
of the dandified little chap beside him.
who was dressed with scrupulous neatness
in a drab jacket with white lace collar
and blue necktie. Ofglaring, fantastic
colors, to which the Chinese are 20 partial,
there was no lack.
Seated upon four-Iegged stools around
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

Nearly half century ago few young
painters, most of whom were under 20,
feeling dissatisfied with the condition Of
contemporary art, resolved to alter its
technique and reform its ideals! This
might well have seemed a large undertak-
ing. We, can easily imagine the smiles
that greeted those fine ideas, the scorn
that met them from older teachers,
the contemptuous indifference of brother
artists. But, IN spite of all this, their
ideas began to prevail. The rumor of
their work got abroad. A great man be-
came their advocate. and in a short time
the whole land was ringing with their
names. 1t is amazing TO remember the
success achieved by these few enthusiastic
young art students who banded them
selves into the pre-Raphaelite brother
hood. There were only seven of them in
the beginning:
Dante Gabriel Rossetti,
William Michael RossettI,
Holman Hunt,
Frederick George Stephens,
james Collinson,
Thomas Wolner and
John Everett Millais.
The last named became president of the
Royal Academy and one of the greatest
painters of the century. He was born in
1929 at Southampton. Part of his childhood
was passed in France. When only years
old, scarcely beyond kindergarten age &C.
cording to modern ideas, he was sent to
Carey's Academy, one of the finest art
schools III London. Four years afterward
he entered the Royal Academy Art School
as the youngest pupil ever admitted. Be-
fore long he took a silver medal and later
gold one. MilIais' was one of those rare
natures born with wonderful facility in
his art, a facility so great that there was
temptation in it to do thoughtless or in
sincere work. Rossettl's influence was a
large part of his inspiration in those early
years, for Rossetti was the leading spirit
of that little band and his fervor, his en-
thusiasm dominated them all.
In order to understand the influence of
the pre-Raphaelite movement one must re-
member the reaction that was beginning
in all branches of art against conventions
which had outgrown their significance.
For example. Raphael, in his beauty OF
conception and technique, had reached
the supreme point of the Renaissance
movement, as Pater says, Sin the midst of
frozen world the burial fire of ancient
art rose up from under the soil" !"
The generations OF painters who came
after Raphael followed closely in his foot
steps. They copied his arrangements and
made set rules that all art students must
follow in the composition of their pic
lures. Tins what had been to Raphael
the natural expression of what to him was
true aud beautiful in art became in his
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

footing in this song were 80 spiritedly re-
produced, especially by the boys, that
several of them tired ont before the song
was over, put their hands into their
pockets, sat down on their stools, crossed
their legs and rested in speechless silence.
what the child initiates, says Froebel,
''he begins to understand. Let him repre-
sent the flying of birds and he enters
partly into the life of birds. Let him imi-
tate the rapid motion of fishes in the
water and his sympathy with fishes is
quickened. Let him reproduce the activi-
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

ties of farmer, miller and baker and his
eyes open to the meaning of their work.
In one word, let him reflect in his play
the varied aspects of life, and his thought
will begin to grapple with their signifi-
cance.''
The principles thus tersely and strongly
stated by the master are put into practical
application at the Chinese kindergarten.
Then the little heather children pass a
part of their time in singing hymns, and
are thus taught to be good as well as to be
smart. FRED III. HACKETT.
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

followers mere conventionality in which
all sincere and spontaneous expression
was lost. The young painters l have
named felt this so strongly that they set
themselves fat against it. AS Ruskin,
who was their ardent sympathizer and ad-
vocate, said, "These boys like life and they
intend to copy that, so, in homely phrase,
was their purpose summed up. And that,
in brief, was the secret of the romantic
revival-not in painting alone, but in all
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

branches OF art. Coleridge, Shelley and
Keats had begun it IN poetry. 1t seemed
to them better, instead of clinglng to the
old forms, digniied by age into classic.
to go direct 10 nature and life and find
there the stuff to stir the heart and the
imagination. The young painters were
ardent admirers of these poets, especially
of Keats, and almost their first work as
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

and Ruskin called it zone of the worlds
masterpieces" 1t is picture of four lit
tie girls piling autumn leaves on bonfire
in the twilight. The contrast between the
thoughtless pleasure of the children and
the fading evening light and dead leaves
conveys a poignant impression of the in
evitahleness of death and decay. The
feeling of death imminent" "love pow
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

The Arabs and Asiatics have prepared
vinegar from dates for ages past
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

siders Mexico country of fabulous wealth
and says it offers magnificent inducements
for gold and silver mining.
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

The pounding, the clapping and the
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-17

diner Greene Hammond Jr.. a portrait
that Franz Halls might have signed. A
h cad OF young man with a broad face,
small, twlnkling eyes, nose distinctly
upilfted and very full red lips. pa inted
with that unhesitating brush that man.
ages to retain all the freshness of q sketch
with the distinctions of color all the
recipes of the world will not give. In his
work you may follow every stroke, the
painter seems to say:
Here you are; it is perfectly easy.
Look at your model and paint him. That
is ALL"
That is ALTO find the points of vital in
terest in the model is to paint them.
Technique is neither modern nor old-this
portrait is marvellous in its absolute alb
sence OF any distinguishing method-it
might have been painted year ago or in
a century to come, but it is hard to i'm
aglne any oblivion to which the portrait
OF this broad, full-blooded, smiling. gently
impertinent young man could be con-
signed VAN DYCK BROWN.
New York, May 8, 1885,
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-17

its simplicity--a photograph could not be
more direct-here there is no mystery of
glazing, no tricks of technique. The cloud
of blonde hair, the vague blue eyes, the
loose little crimson lips, even the gesture
the reach of the small hands for the flowers
is spiritless-but what spirit in the paint
ing of ali of them-what a touch of liquid
color in the eyes, in the moist lips; what
creamy whiteness to the dress; what a sug-
gestion of big loose-leaved flowers!
There are two little pictures OF moonlight,
one by Louis Dessar, the other by Frank
Hermann. There is the contrast between
artiticiality and truth. Whistler is re-
sponsible for one, nature for the other.
''The E'taples Harbor," withmisty ships,
misty houses, water without surface, has
nothing to distinguish it from thousand
false impressions" done by thousand
clever men and women.
The Holland Night" by Mr.. Hermann,
with its empty, colorless sky. the little
gray houses huddled together, the sug-
gestion of little figures hushing by in the
deserted street, even the light of an orange
moon just rising ov er the housetops-how
carefully it is all painted, now simply rem
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-17

years of age. The prize was instituted in
1887 by DIR. Seward Webb of New York.
Mr.. Metcalf is cleverness itself. He has
haif dozen small pictures-.Children on
Ferry Landing" "Wild Mustard
FIELD" with phantom sails and water and
mills over the edge of the fields; little
Midsummer Afternoon" with a distant
shore cleaning through trees, with little
houses and blue water and white sails; an
Inner Harbor'-here we have great logs
noatlng down the smooth, oily stream.
The Gloucester Harbor' has won the
webb prize-a dull sky, the inevitable
water full OF the little quiyering reflections
ne paints so well, little white houses on
the banks, the foreground la Monet.
w nat remarkable things can be done with
fresh splashes of paint and so little varia-
tlon OF a general theme!
George K. Barse has a beautiful nude
ngure In pastel; it is called a Study
Tor Phryne"-a firm and delicate
drawing, marvellous in its solidity when
We consider the medium; the figure stands
against lavender drapery, the face hid
den and the beautiful hair confined by the
golden bands.
Frank Benson has decorative figure of
sum mer, which has been purchased by the
Shaw fund-a yearly contribution of $500
devoted to the purchase of composition
painted in oil by an American artist, and
the picture becomes the property of Sam
uei L. Shaw, the donor of the fund. The
Summer" is a charming figure In white
draperies that are low in tone but luminous
against the Gull blues and green's of the
background.