The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-20
THE CIGAR STORE INDIAN.
Metal Chieftnins Taking the Place
of the Old Wooden Models.

| ('rom the New York Commercial Advertiser.)
"A good Indian is worth from S35 to
$780," said the head OF the firm. 81 know
| those prices must seem high, and they are
higher than they used to be. But zinc
| casting costs more than pine chiselling;
1 labor's dearer. too. And people are more
particular nowadays about their Ind ans
than they were thirty or forty years ago.
you know
/ The speaker was dilating upon the red
man OF the cigar store of which noble
| creature his house is practically sole
maker in America. Fifty years ago 10"
| of the iInpassive physiogomy and the
| istful OF perfectos was not the product of
trust. The building OF wooden ships
and consequently the carving of figure
| heads-and the carvers alternated be-
| tween the 1gureheads of the high street
and the high seas-was still flourisning
| industry.
And indeed to produce the guardian
spirits of the tobacco shop called for no
professional chisel hand. Old South Street
sent up half of New York's supply. for
almost every Jack ashore could whit
tie Tecumseh or King Philip out of their
| natives woods. And two. or at most three,
eoiors Of heavy ships paint suficed to give
distinctive hues to the royal plumes,
! countenance and raiment. These Indian
uionarchs were sold cheaply enough too,
for both sailors and artists are notorious
iy poor bargainers, and their added abil
ties produce of necessity little more than
minus quantity.
Yet their creations. however carefully
whitfield, could not but split and warp IN
der the frost and sun. Their coats of sea
paint quickly sheiled off too. and revealed
the bald barrenness of the wooden man be-
| meath them. The tobacconists grew dis
satisfied; they wanted something better
~ 1 dura md
piled.
About the middle of the century some
one had an idea in Indians. AS wooden
ones had proved unsatisfactory. why not
try making them of metal? A clay model
was Immediately nodded, and op this
was taken a plaster of paris cast. When
hard. it was broken off in sections and
pieced together again. Inside it was pour
ed the melted zinc, which cooled and So
lidifed. Then the plaster cast was re-
moved, and 10, disiointed Indian, But
the parts of his anatomy were rapidly
soldered together, he was given paint
pot decoration of gay beads and feathers
and red and green mantle. Not only W. 8
he artistic, but he was absolutely indie
structible.
After the making of this first me.al In
dian, the wooden savage began to pass
into disuse. OF course, there are many
of them still to be seen. West street, the
Bowery. and South Street all have them
in comparative plenty. for they are a race
which dies hard. The tribe Of zinc sue
cessors also increases its numbers very
slowly. One metal Indian Will last q to-
baccnnist a lifetime. and when he goes cut
of business his cigar sign is sold with the
stock. The stolid old fellow must be re-
furnished occasionally, but a new coat OF
paint sets him UP and makes him as good
as ever
The process of construction is almost
identical with the manufacture CT wax
figures. Yet the Indian is not copied from
anything so common as life model. He
is inspired By pure fancy; and this should
more than counterbalance the rapid and /
prosaic workmanship which gees into his
making. Inaccuracies are allowed to pass
which would not be tolerated in fine ne al
or even in wax. And necessarily when |
the figure is once freed from the plaster |
cast, there is no further moldng or re- |
shaping of the zinc.
The lines of the clay model are pre- |
served with all their crudities. 1t is left |
for the paint to cover them as best it can.
However, if these Indians are somewhat /
rougher-skinned than those of real life. !
they are also as their manufacturers put /
it, ION the whole considerably cleaner"
From one zinc original kept In stock a |
whole dynastic line of red men may be
modelled.
These tobacco signs had their birth in
the Dutch plantations OF East India. But
there, as everywhere in Europe subse-
qIently, they are MOors. When the idea
OF using the figures was introduced into
the country the Indian naturally suggest
ed himself, for, like the tobacco, he was
native to the soil. He has continued in
vogue ever since though he has been su-
ever and anon by innovations.