The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-08-09

n May Cost From $4,000 60 $4,000 -
Illustrate Hieh-tfads Test rook.

lUuftfhte high-hthha TEST iN"hs
III you ever write a geography"
said the man at the corner desk, zee
VIII find the selection of The pictures
the most interesting part OF the busi-
ness At least. did Il was also The
most paiustakug part
"Asa raic The author Of q geography
does not furnish DIS own Illustrations
This Is rot duo 10 a deficiency OF AZ
tistic judgment but 10 lack of faeiIt
ties for securing proper material
Had ! understood In the beginning
what q herculean task this thing q
obtaining suitable illustrations was
going to be !, too should have len
the Job 10 the publishers.
ITO illustrate a modern, high.grade
geography cost anywhere from $lO'Oos
20 $4,000. In my books tho pictures
were all made from special photo
graphs or drawings. Photographs
were most generally used bat ! have
a number OF marine views and large
prairie and harvesting scenes, such as
no photograph could do Justice 10,
that are the work Of special artists
Besides there have used copies o.
four paintings Illustrating certain
phases OF European life. and they cost
me a pretty penny.
"All these pictures are strictly mp
to-date. Indeed II there is any Doubt
ing Thomas who maintains that the
world does not move just let him
compare the illustrations Of recent
geography with those found in the
text books Of so years ago and he will
be convinced. About the only pie
lures found in the books Of both pc
RODS are views Of a southern cotton
field and St Pauls, London. No geo
graphy, no matter when or where 10
sued would be complete without these
two illustrations.
while preparing my own mans
script had occasion to examine many
biographies used in foreign schools
especially in England, France ana
Germany. From an American p It
of view these text books are wofGlly
inferior to our own as regards clear
ness of text, illustrations and general
makeup but however faulty and in
complete the geography, the Missis-
sippi cotton field and St. Paups were
indispensable features. So Of course
l used the cotton field and St Paurs-
/ am by no means a slave to convex
ton, but dared not challenge public
opinion to the extent of emitting these
favorite classics
with these exceptions my work ia
strictly original, as is that of most
makers of Biographies in these days
Pictures in all new editions of geo
graDhies make a strong point Of in
dustrial improvements. Photographs
of workshops, mines, harvest fields
and cattle ranches are taken from q
point of view which will show to the
best advantage the latest inventions
in the world of labor and in securing
scenes of city life the same purpose
Of representing progress is adhered
to. In this straining after new ana
novel effects / had some ludricroUE
experiences.
"In one instance my artist went
up on a reservation in Montana 10
take some Indian photographs Wills
there four redskins who had been
convicted Of horse stealing were
lynched in a bunch, and my artist.
who was present at the execution, get
picture of them dangling from hg
branches and proudly exhibited it as q
desirable portrayal Of the manners
and customs of the far west. Tbil
might not have been any worse thar
the old geographical illustrations called
Indians Spearing Fish and Indian
Massacre still it didn't exactly sud
my purpose and heartlessly excluded
, it, to the artists disgust
) Very few recent Biographies CON
! tain the imaginary pictures which foE
, merly graced school books and wer
@ vaguely labeled This is a mountain,
, or cape, or whatever was up for dc
> scription The abstract has given wa,
r to the concrete and every picture ma
6 a definite name. When it comes Il
4 landscapes exceeding care is used i
n the selection of pictures. In this on
o particular think the French geogr5
plies are little superior to an
! others. New York Sun.
The DUatOry Artist