The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-01-28
CONToRTIoNIST'S TALK
WITH CELEBRITIES


Homer Davenport. the cartOonist,
made d speech at the dinner of the
Quill club in the Hotel Savoy last night.
he told anecdotes Of celebrities whom
he had met for the purpose of distorting
their features IN the paper remark
ing, incidentally, that he thought
cartoon was sometimes q better like
ness of the person represented than
the best photograph, II that the eXag-
geTated portrayal of certain distin-
gushing characteristics IN a mans face
would often give a truer idea of the
man than would an exact likeness.
"One story of the effect of a cartoon
that is especially good, he said, rs
about an experience / had with Sena-
tor Spooner of Wisconsin. The hair on
the back of his head stood somewhat
awry. as you know, and when / drew
a cartoon Of him ] made his locks look
more disarranged than they really
We're of course. After the senator saw
the picture he told all his friends that
it was not one of him. He took pains
to tell this to every one he saw, and so
it came about that many of his ac-
quaintances really believed that they
had been mistaken in first thinking the
drawing meant to depict him. When he
had pretty well spread the report that
there had been an error, he saw me-
e Well, he said, 1 have fooled most
could not be deceived. I took the pic
ture home and showed it TO the baby,
who is about 16 months old, and can't
talk much as yet. When 1 asked him
whose picture it was he replied
Papa -
Mr.. Davenport told of his experience
in interviewing Gladstone with a view
of getting ne wideas for cartoons of
that statesman. He had noticed. he
said, that those who had drawn the
Grand Old Man for the comic papers,
Phil May included, had always repre-
scented his eyes by great black dots.
Il decided to go down to the old
mans home and see him. Julian Ralph,
whose advice ] asked about the pro-
posed visit. said to me that Gladstone
would not see those who had reason TO
see him, and that / might get an in
terView with him because there was
no earthly reason for my doing So
After we had talked the matter over
it was determined that L should go to
Hawarden castle and Nend a letter Of
introduction, in which it would be said
that / was from a little village in ore
gon. The purpose of this was to make
Mr. Gladstone think where in the world
that place might be, thus arOusing his
interest so that he would see me. This
part of my plan completed, / listened
10 some advice from Ralph as 20 how
1 should conduct myself at Hawarden.
Don't Joke with ~aim,' said my
friend lie has no time for that. And
don't let the conversation drag. He
hasn't any time for that either.
Il drove out 10 the castle in han
som. rehearsing what 1 was going to
say as 1 went along. After 1 had
alighted and was walking up toward
the main entrance, 1 heard a voice say:
oh, you haven't learned any manners
yet Looking about, L saw Gladstone
himself. who was demonstrating with
a pet dog. / presented my letter. When
he had read it he said:
We'll. well, ] hope you have not
come all the way from Oregon to see
me-
Yes. I have I replied. not being
able to think Of another answer.
- You must be rond Of travelling he
mused as he gazed at me with those
great eyes, the pupils o. which Ger
tainly looked as though they were big
black dots. understood why the other
cartoonists had drawn them as they
had.
.His last remark surely seemed to be
in the nature of a jest, but ! remem-
bered RaIphs warning and thought
that / must be mistaken 1 could y OF