The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-02-20
A BEGGAR'S ARTIST.
LIVES IN A CELLAR AND PAINTS
SIGNS FOR MENDlCANTS.


Be a Painter For Beggars Than Beggar
Painter-How the Pictures Are Used and
What lie Charges For Them.
A now school of art has been discov-
cred. So far as known, this city has it's
sole professor, and he is as odd as his
art. But this is the source whence come
the thrilling pictures which the beggar,
manned, halt or blind, displays when
he mournfully relates just how he was
injured and strives to impress upon the
charitable how deserving he is of aid.
In one of the shabbiest streets of the
city, away down in basement, flick
ering gas flame lights the studio of this
queer genius. 1t is place of business
such as would appall the we'll dressed
banker, but it is no exaggeration to say
that its occupant has an income which
many more pretentious painters would
rejoice to receive.
Technique and perspective meet with
small consideration at the hands of this
king of the beggars, for such he seems
to be. To watch ingress and egress of
his patrons would give stranger the
impression that some philanthropist had
established a charity hospital in the
basement.
When the writer paid visit to this
unique studio the other day, the artist
was found attired in a pair Of overalls
and greasy wooden shirt, as guiltless
of ornamentation at the neck as was
the neck itself of acquaintance with soap
and water. A bushy beard that had owl
IDENTIFY been brown in other days covered
the lower portion of the artists face,
and his shOcky hair stood up III indir
nant protest against the possibility Of
invasion by brush or comb From under
rather bushy brOws keen pair of eyes
looked ont. Mind was decidedly i'll evil
dcncc; Convcntionality was below par.
Both cleanliness and godlincss were
quite ignored.
The furniture of the studio consisted
of an old couch covered with material
which in days gone by had probably
been very pretty chintz. Now it vas
thoroughly disguised by the accumu-
lation of dirt. A real rag carpet cove
ed the floor, but not IL single picture
! was hung upon the walls ALTHOUGH
standing about the room were several
pictures in various stages of progress.
Permission was asked to examine them,
and they We're we'll worth seeing
One was Il lurid representation of .
powder explosion. So realistic WAS the
picture that if YOU cared to place yo1r
finger on what were alleged TO be L77-.n
ing grains of powder Won could feel that
the grains were there, though the artist
denied that that was the intention. He
said the painting was intended for y
patron of his with two wooden Ices
substitutes for the pair that q powder
explosion robbed him Of The object of
the painting was to show tho charitable
stranger lust how ii Hammered. ana ,hc
artist said that in his mind there was
no doubt that his lcgloes patron Woull
greatly benefit by the scene thus placed
on canvas.
There was another picture. which rep
resented Tho blowing up Of alpan-of-war.
The flames that sponfcd from the docks
of the unfortunate vessel were far more
red than the lght that shines from the
chimncys of an iron mill mt night. Ma
turc has never succeeded in producing
anything quite so glowing as rnmiti-
gated red paint, and there was no lack
of it in this picture. The Dersons who
were sailing about in the air seemed to