New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-19
WATCHING THE BLACKBOARDG.
THE LARGE PART THAT CHALK rs PLAYING
IN THE WAR


IN THE WAR.
Peace has Its hardshps as well Bvsn
the rumors OF peace fall heavily the ears Of
certain persons who have found In the new
source OF enjoyment These the persons VINO
pause as they pass along Park Row TO look at tho
bulletip-bo boards There is fascination IN watching
the appearance 81 a new bulletin. Hitherto II has
been regarded a rare luxury-a thing TO be en-
joyed the night OF Election Day the after
noon Of a przefght. The true bulletin lover. with
the treat spread before him every day. has felt for
the last few months like a man who has suddenly
grown rich enough to have champagne suppers for
breakfast. S'hen peace comes and the bulletins 30
the bulletin lover will feel like that same rich man
reduced to poverty again after the champagne habit
is fast upon him.
Long ago the study OF bulletins became no longer
an indulgence. but habit. and the bulletins ~
longer a stlmulant. but food Consequently. II u
to be noticed that II lacks the excitement that Il
had at first Even confirmed bulletin reader u
sometimes able TO pass a newspaper office II he IL
In great hurry. without stopping. But he Is able
10 do this only because he has stopped 10 read
earlier in the day and because he expects to 60
again later.
The old excitement comes back only when there
is news OF the hrst importance. The days were
when the capture Of merchant ship by q man-of-
would block Park Row-when traffic al
most as much impeded there by the war as II vAs
in the Gulf Stream. Then came the censor 10 Key
West and 10 Tampa. and FOR days after that the
bulletins were not At to throw dog. II was
rumored that General Miles had had talk with
the President A trustworthy person declared that
he had the French Ambassador coming from
the gallery OF the Senate. and the Ambassador had
said that he had nothing to say. A report from
Madrid, through London. said that dispatch from
General Blanco announced that two insurgents had
been shot one Of them perhaps dangerously. And
so Those were the days of preparation. when
the Government decided that nothing was TO %
gained by running an Information bureau Tor the
enemy. The crowds before the bulletin boards
melted Yet there were enough true bulletin lovers
who stayed to help the men who painted The
bulletins to preserve their outward show or SELF
respect.
And this time did not last long The period OF
preparation passed. and the time came wnen the
Government didn't care who knew It, Then me
crowds came back. and all was merry again TherS
boards--sone gaps more amazing than any of the
news For half day last week certain news
mGde Of It's Bulletin h space Rome-A dispatch to
the 'Tribuna says that Santiago has capitulated"
tiSgo did not captuaie iii two three days laaer,
but that very dspstcO had been printed IN :1
that al the people in sight were facing The lib
une's board. where there were FIVE dispatches. con-
stantly changing and the worst OF them worth IN
such thus?
Even when there is little news there is aanuss-
ment in watching the growth OF the pictures under
| the hands OF the artists in colored chalk. And
there is interest in studying out what some OF them
in bed. with his head bandaged. and a nurse SIT
| ting on his chest. Did that mean that he was
dellrous and violent. or that he was so anxious te
get AT the foe that even when he was wounded and
IN the hospital it was hard to hold him down!
Then II Is interesting 10 see the different kinds or
| American flags that these artists make They have
all numbers OF stripes from three 10 forty. and OK
stars from a hundred And their calm
preference for drawing things the way they know
they ought be rather than the way the dis
patches show that they proves the inevitable
| self-consciousness OF genius
And yet there is a genuine elevsrnes: IN the
making OF many OF these pictures too To draw
a picture with co,ored chalk up on the side Of
building in the sight OF the whole town Is not Ike
painting in a studio. IL IL fascinating 20 see the
| whole frame filed in with green and yellow, and
| 20 wonder what II can possibly mean, and then TO
| watch and see the meaning grow out OF IL With
! the rapid additions OF lines and color. And this
| artist must not make mistakes The critics are
| looking az him. and his privilege OF erasure has
| rigid hounds !, his picture when finished would
stand small chance OF getting into the Academy his
limitations must plead in his favor. Also It mus!
| De remembered that the Academy picture would
make but a poor show on the front OF newspaper
| Office. 49,
| Many an article lately has begun. When the his
| tory OF this is written" and then the author
has zone on air his special bit OF observation.
| But truly whom the history OF this war Is written
| there must be something In II about the bulletin
boards and the people who watch them