New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-03

ANl[ "
after working for some time on THE Daily
Graphic" and losing his job" there, was gath
cred In at Harper's II was a kind OF school Of
American art Of distinctively American stamp
the students working for their living while they
worked TO learn. And" says one who remem-
ters as II 1t had been yesterday, "the feeling
about it all was much more comradelike and
generally happy go lucky than what seems to
exist In these up to date magazine art depart
ments' now"
EDWIN ABBEY AND HOWARD PYLE.
Edwin Abbey by all accounts must have been
the Little Billee" OF the lot; tradition says that
the others used to gaze at his work seeking
hints from 1t in return for their admiration.
Long after he removed his bodily presence to
other scenes-hs artistic presence is still in
Franklin SQuare-those he left behind could
point to the table where he had worked and a
great find among the lumber Of the office was
portfolio full OF clippings of Charles Keene's
work in Punch" which Abbey had left there
But success and admiration never spoiled him.
as witness the tradition of the enlistment of
Howard Pyle. A tradition may not exactly re-
produce facts. but 1t must be consistent with the
character Of its subject, IL IL lives. This
says that Howard Pyle used to bring sketches
and ideas TO the office, but for some time no
particular notice taken of him or Of them.
Some of the ideas were used, but the sketches
always had to be redrawn. In those days Mr.:
TO Of his things engraved just as he had
sent II in. While he waiting with prop
erly dignifed show Of indifference for the check
in payment to be mailed 10 his address, Mr..
Pyle's attention evening attracted by
strange rhythmical hammerngs on the lid OF a
coal box that stood on the landing outside the
door of his address. In going out TO see what
these sounds might mean, he found another
young man drawing.
rs this Mr. Pyie?" said the visitor my
name is Abbey. came TO ask you to come up
to the office and make one Of us
All these great boys" as they may properly
be called since they have developed into great
men, among the objects Of interest which
were shown 10 country visitors in Franklin
Square. They worked in separate boxes with
the light. which was not north light, by the
way coming in from the Pearl-st. windows, long
before the days Of Roebling's bridge or the ele
waited road. and. doubt. they in their humble
degree impressed the visitors even as the great
editors impressed them. But they did not like
this kind Of glory; and that was how the sys-
tenn OF personally conducted tours" through the
Harpers' building was brought to an end the
illustrators instigated. instructed ana leo-so
the story goes-by Mr. Abbey, made plot by
which. whenever they should ascertain from
their scouts that tourists were approaching,
each illustrator should simulate some specified
wild beast. 1t would have been interesting TO
know what beast each played whether Abbey
took the lions part himself and made monkey
of A r. Frost and whether Thulstrup or Pyle
acted like a bear. but these details could not be
gathered in time for the present article the
effect however, was that soon as the regu-
lar show boy brought his party to that part Of
the building saying, There are the rooms
where our artists work. the air was rent with
growls, squeaks grunts and roarings, ana ,r Ihe
visitors, peeping in. saw men on all tours. Inc
visitors thought that the artists at harper
acted very strangely and the report that
those periodicals were illustrated by corps or
Inmates might have spread and wrought harm
had not Mr.. Parsons interfered and induced the
powers to put stop to the institution OF snow
ing around.
MORE FOR ART THAN FOR LITERATURE
On the whole. considering what American
art was in. say, 1860. and what 1t is to-day
and considering the Importance In art or some
OF the names mentioned in the foregoing para
graphs It is hardly slight to any writer or
TO any body OF writer's to say that the Harpers
periodicals have done more for art than TOT
literature There was. in fact. so much more
TO be done. The string of names-Henry D.
Raymond George Ripley. Lewis Gaylord CLARK
Charles Dudley Warner down to William Dean
Howeus. John Kendrick Bangs and Henry NJ
Alden OF the present time-specially associated
with the literary development OF the magazine
would all most surely have escaped the tomb
IL they had never known that association. Most
Of them were we'll on their way to fame before
a line of their work was printed in Harper
Mr. Howells as a critic, and through one vi
other of the two principal Harper periodcals
has been the introducer OF some noteworthy
writer's to the American public. the magazine
traordinary but still not unquestioned. literary
reputation by publishing "Trilby." But IN gen,
eral the great names that have been attached
TO the etterpress Of "Harpers Magazine nave
made IT, rather than II them. Even the Eui-
tors Drawer so peculiarly associated WIN
"Harpers" begun by Clark, was IN a HteiaIy
sense an offshoot OF the Editors Table Whlch
the same editor had previously cohoucteo III
1.-THE Knlckerbocker Magazine. ,,,
Nevertheless, a complete set or HaiPeIs
from 1850 to the current number is as nnuCH
a museum illustrating the development Oh
American literature as of American art Inc
difference between the agency Of the magazines
in the two lines Of growth is that It's art was IN
the merry DAYS when Parsons was consul the
work of "the boys in the office" while most or
the writing was Offered" from outside Inc
very development in which the magazine itseII
had so large a share has brought 1t about that
now the illustrator works, like the writer, out
side For in those days magazine illustrators
needed neither spacious studios nor live models,
nor as a rule did they take their landscapes
direct from nature but worked out or their
heads in the ofrice-which your present day IL
illustrator scorns as taking. or contemporary
fo1erates as "chic'd up stuff.
Naturally normally, the business OF pun
fishing no less than any other FORM OF coin
rnercial enterprise. travels on from cnahee "
change The recent developments In the lore-
unes OF Harper & Bros. bring the FAMOUS houso
~ another milestone. Starting from that mile
stone a new era is entered. anc under the
csnabIe MANAGEMENT Of Colonel Harvey the
house Is expected TO win constantly sfea'7i
he