The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-12-30
WILLIAM JAMES LINTON
ENGRAYER, POET
AND WRITER DEAD.

AND WLlTEh DEAD.
Expired at Home of Principal Mather In
This City-Born in London S5 Years Ago
His Engraving Work for Famous An-
thors-His Book, ''nTssters of Eusrav-
ing" Masterpiece.
In the death of William James Linton.
who passed away full Of years yester-
day, there joined that innumerable car
avan a man who fifty years ago made
his mark in the world as the leading
man in his profession, one who easily
won his way by his natural gifts to the
front rank of wood engravers. Half
century ago he was famous in his pro-
fesson in England. For the last twen-
ty-seven years his home had been in a
little dwelling charningly situated just
out of New Haven, in Handen. Here
he had dwelt in quietude and repose,
engaged in congenial literary and other
artistic work, and here he had corre-
spondence with many of the foremost
literary and political lights of the times
and had published number of his po-
etic works, printing the volumes from
his own printing press at his pretty
home, "Appledore." One of his books,
published in recent years, was his work
on Whittier, issued not long after that
renowned poets death.
Mr. Linton passed away yesterday
morning at $50 o'clock at the home Of
Mr.. Thomas w. Mather, principal of
Boardman Manua! Training school,
whose wife is a daughter Of the deceas-
ed artist Mr. Linton was a hale old
man until about year ago, when he
was Frustrated with severe influenza,
which left its effects upon him pernla-
nently. He rallied, however, last spring
and was about the house during the
summer and fall and busted himself
with printing his books as BEFORE But
the old-time vigor had waned and few
weeks ago he failed again and was re-
moved to the home of Mr.. and Mrs. Ma
ther, where despite the most tender
care and medical skill he dropped until
the end came. He was conscious until
near the last. His physician, DR.. Win
chell says his death was due to a gem
eral breaking up of the vital forces.
The deceased was man Of dignified
presence his face poetic, yet of marked
individuality betokening one who had
the courage to give battle for his opin-
ions, who was loyal to his convictions
and who was fitted to be champion for
the cause of political liberty. He passes
away mourned and lamented, and
though he had long outlved his gener-
alton, his works do follow him. He
leaves three children-Mrs. Mather and
Edmund Linton Of this city and Miss
Ellen Linton, whose home is in Grass
Valley, California, where she resides
with Mrs. Mary Hallock Foote, the not
ed writer Mr.. Linton was one of a
family of several brothers and sisters.
One of his brothers is still living in
England. On his mothers side he was
of English descent; on his fathers side
Scotch. He was member Of the Cen
tury club and the Grolier club of New
York and of the National Academy of
Design.
The funeral services will be held this
afternoon at the Mather residence, 247
st. Roman street. The interment will
be in the little cemetery in Hamden,
not far from the late home Of the de-
ceased, and where he had often ex-
pressed the wish that his remains might
lie.
Appended below is sketch of Mr..
Lintons career, culled from most APP
preciative sketch published in 1891 in
the English Illustrated Magazine.
William James Linton was born in
London in 1912. Having natural artis-
tic proclivities, he was apprenticed in
his sixteenth year to G. w. Bonner, a
nephew and pupil of Branston,' and
good artist and one Of the best engrav-
ers of the time. 1t is a fact worthy Of
record that the first year of his appren-
ticeship-1S2S-is coincident with that in
which died Thomas Bewick, the restor-
er of the art of wood engraving in Eng
land the life work of the one began
directly after that of the other had con-
cluded. On whom could the mantle of
the great NovocastTian artist more fit
tingly descend than upon the subject OF
the present monograph?
Specimens of Mr.. Linton's earliest
work are to be found in Murtin & Wes-
tails Pictorial Illustrations Of the Bible
(1S33), to which publication, Jackson,
Branston, Landells, Powis, 7. Williams
and other clever engravers contributed.
Linton at once evidenced his early abil-
ity as wood engraver; in fact, these
woodcuts, for minuteness and artistic
completeness, cannot be excelled. At
the expiration Of his apprenticeship in
1884 he worked with Powis and then
during a year or more for Thompson;
after that he was employed on such
publications as the Heads Of the People,
Shakespeare and Cowper, and on land
scape fairgrounds. Indeed, his talent
soon brought him many important COM
missions among others that of engrav-
ing many of the illustrations for the
Book of British Ballads Qs42), the
drawings by his early friend w. B.
Scott, Franklin, Kenny Meadows and
other well known designers. In 1912
Mr.. Linton became the partner Of John
Orrin Smith. another prominent en-
graver, of whom Horace Harral had
been pupil and, moreover, pupil
privileged to work daily beside Mr. Lin
ton. In the same year that fiourishing
journal, the Illustrated London News,