The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-01-15

carried out: IF you can't have the
right thing on your walls have them
whitewaSncd At any rate, You VIII
have the satisfaction OF knowing that
they are not i'm bad taste"
BY conducting his work in the coln-
try Mr.. Hubbard secured pure air for
his workmen and freedom from un-
healthful environment, While The dlT7l'
culties attendant upon the isolation OF
such an enterprise were more than
eounterbalanced by the prominence
this isolation bestowed. III would seem
strange that the requisite skill for such
work as Is carried on--artistic. mechan-
ical and literary could be found In a
small community; but. except for tenn
porary inconvenience, the originator
has not been so troubled by dearth as
he has been bothered by a surplusage
OF talent. Asked where he secured such
splendid workmen i'm every branch, Mr..
Hubbard replied that they just blew
in" somehow, he hardly knew how on
from what locality. One of his trusted
men has served a term I'm Sing Sing.
his skilled bookbinder came from Ger
many and another artist from England;
but most of the work is done by home
talent" the possession of which by the
village lads and lassies was never sus-
pected until Il was brought out under
the genial warmth OF encouragement
Some of the workmen are Characters
I'm their way, as, for example, "Aii
Baba," SO called. who was originally
Hubbard's hired man on the farm. but
who now imagines he carries the whole
establishment on his brawny shoulders
FRA Elbertus" is Hubbard himself.
his front name" being Ebert; "St.
Gerome' is Jerome Conner, a sculptor
OF ability. who Is the curator and bur-
sar OF the shop. He was brought up
blacksmith, but his artistic tempera-
ment shows forth In scuipturing. ;inodel-
ing I'm clay and ornamental ironWork, all
his productions nsoommanding good prices.
1t Is accepted az truism here that
nobody knows what is i'm him until he
tries what he can do" and acting upon
that all these diverse arts and indus
tries have been evolved from apparent
ly unpromising material. When ornd-
mental andirons were wanted for the
shop fireplaces. "St. Gerome" went over
TO the village smithy and hammered
them out and d-Mas considerably aston
ished TO find that the first visitor who
came along insisted on having them at
a fancy price. So IL was with 'Wil-
liam Morris" table to be made of pol
ished oak. massive and handsome. The
village carpenter baked az the proffer-
cd contract. but when urged TO do his
best Just went ahead and did IL. with
The result that IL was snatched up by
visitor at S75. After that he did no
more small jobs OF carpentry. but al
lowed his impulse toward higher crea-
tions 20 expand ana find expression.
II is not known 20 the writer what
proportion OF the Roycroft pecuniary
profits goes into the pockets OF the asso-
ciate workers. about 100 I'm all. but they
seem satisfied with their Jobs and are
probably well provided for. The great
/ est profit 10 them. however. lies in their
being shown their hitherto latent pos.
sibilities or. In other words. being
taught what they can do.
Speaking impersonally, il would seem
that MIR. Hubbard has had I'm mind that
remark attributed to the late Professor
Henry, 80 long connected with the
Smithsonian institution at Washing
ton. MY ambition is to add TO the sum
OF human knowledge by the discovery
~ new truths which may be OF some
use to the world. The practical appii-
cation OF these I leave 90 others" OF
the two classes OF men beneficial 10
their kind. the inventors and adapters :.
those who originate and those who util-
+ ize what they find at hand--Henry may
I be taken us a type OF the forrner and
7 Hubbard of the latter both having
made their fellow men their debtors.
FREDERICK A. oBER.
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