The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-04
BROWN Is NOT BEST.
Mark Tyyain'S Unfortunate Error Con-
corning Racial Color.
Chicago Post.

Chicago is shocked at some portions OF
Mark Twain's article descriptive OF the
Jubilee parade. So long as the wit OF hart
ford confined himself to categorical rep
reservations of the last day he was all
right. But when he dropped into color work
he went wrong in a minute. Mark Twain
has many friends in Chicago, and they
thought well of him, because they supposed
him up on colors These people cannot
abide man who mixes his colors Read
this:
''Then there was an exhaustive exhibition
of the hundred separate brown races or
India. the most beautiful and satisfying OF
all the compilations that have been Vouch-
safed to man. and the one which best sets
off colored clothes and best harmonizes
with all tintS."
In the first place there is the question of
race. Hip Lung, well known as a leader
cago merchant of great substance, says the
yellow race is the only one really capable
of decorative effects, and that none other
begins to approach it as background on
which to set off colored clothing or tints
Take that" said Mr.. Lung, indicating
a dash of carmine, and this, pointing TO
a splotch of ultramarine blue, and they
are the most beautiful"
The rich man held the two discs out at
arms length, and regarded them affection
ateiy. Then ne laid them against his fore
arm, from which the flowing sleeves fell
back gracefully. Then he put them against
his cheek, and looked into the eyes of his
visitor for confirmation.
It's all right" was the Chinese phioso-
piers positive and CONCLUSIVE declaration
'Brown-whats that?" demanded Anto-
Mo Apache, who was born in Arizona, and
lived to assist the curator Of the Field
Museum. The red man. it seems to me-
makes a better background. You take lot
of good Apaches, say San Carlos reserVa-
ton fellows and give them yellow ochre
and little chalk white from the hills and
they make a fine appearance. BlendF DO
yellow and white blend with their red?
Why. they make it blend. There is where
Mark Twain goes wrong. He sees a hun
dred different shades of brown, ana ne
thinks it is the only color in the world
If you want to see a really handsome body
thing you go to the red men,. rake the
Navaios. for instance. just after ration
off clothes. Why, these people can lay off
clothes-and they do It, Talk ABOUT
brown"
The son of the sands quilted the subject
as one unworthy of further discussion.
Everyone to his liking said Everitt w.
Johnson, negro lawyer VINO c2nouc1tST
think black is the only complexion that can
be fully decorated
1t should be said in passing that Mr.. John5
son is not what would be called colored
man. Aside from the line in the song, Hes
not colored. he was born that way, Mr.
Johnson always describes himself as a
black man. He is warranted in the term.
for Alexander Beaubien declares charcoal
would make a white mark on the sable at
tOrney'S face. His eyes and teeth are abso-
lutely white. and the contrast rather serves
to discredit Mark Twain's estimate of
prime cOlOrS.
You take a-take a good black man. or
you take a-take a right black woman"
said Mr.. Johnson, growing enthusiastic as
he warmed to the discussion, and you tell
me-you tell me any one else that can wear
such colors. Why if she's right good and
black she can wear pink, or red, or blue,
can't do-can't do that. Sets off colored
clothes. does he say? Does he say that?
WSl you give rght RaGk man Wb4e ch baf
stovepipe. too-and red, white and blue
shirt, and a yellow necktie and fawn-
colored velvet vest, and a purple broadcloth
silver buttons, and black trousers and green
shOes-cut low, SOS to show the white
And he'll wear red gloves and carry
striped cane. And he'll have a-have
black-bordered mourning handkerchief
whether anybOdy's dead or not-just TO get
on a little more color. Now, can your brown
people do that-do that?"
Mr.. Twain is behind the times" said
Mrs. Little. of =. B. Fisk e Co. S wholesale
millinery house. Brown is a back number.
1t used to be fashionable, but people just
anything but another shade of brown. Oh.
they could combine il with Nile green but
they don IT, 1t never was goo?d Tor much ex-
group of shades, in brown. But they won't
have it any more. Brown is back number.
1t is too bad Mr.. Twain exposed his igncr-
ance so over there where they know all
about fashions. Brown Why it doesn't set
off anything and nothing sets it off. No
body will have it. -
What is the most beautiful color?" was
asked of John Condor, who knows all about
colors, having paid out thousands of dollars
on the red and taken up almost as much on
the blue; a gentleman familiar with all the
devices of all the priests in the temple of
chance.
THE color you've got your money on me
boy" was the wise mans reply. Brown? p
he queried moment later. There is no
brown. There is only red and blue. They
are red when they come up and blue when
they go down, and not bet on the table
was ever paid on the brown"