Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-08
WHISTLER THE ARTIST.
"reminiscences of One of Americas
Most Famous Painters.

Whistler, the painter, is one o fthose
persons who carry with them a label,
Don touch!' Unfortunately, it is an
invisible label. Hence, to be friend.
enemy, or mere acquaintance to Mr..
Whistler is to lead strenuous life A
person may say all sorts of nice things
about him only to find that he has been
oHonded to a degree so appalling that
all the waters fall the oceans of the
world will not suffice to wash out the
crime.
Therefore. 1T is a daring and danger
Gus thing which "a lady who went to
the same quaint little school with him.
has done in telling some "reminiscences
concerning his sacred person. But they
are too good to be lost. She tells how
regularly every day little Whistler
would escort her home, and was contin-
ually bringing her love poems and draw
angs. many of which she possesses now
tlmeA -; "A -; mhimd cmfwyp m m
She remembers we'll one examination
time when they all had to draw maps,
both boys and girls, and little Whistler
drew a map that was so extraordinary
that she begged him ITO give it to her
after it had been exhibited at the school.
There never was such a map-so beau
tifully drawn, every little town and viii
lage clearly marked with all the delicacy
and beauty Of his etchings of Venice.
Their Schoolmaster was a rector, a
worthy man, but with a wondrous long
neck. He was in the habit of wearing
enormously high collars to hide this
unfortunate defect. One day little
Whistler, who always, even in his
earliest days, had strong sense of hu-
NOR, marched intOo the school rather
late in order to produce greater effect,
wearing an enormously high collar en-
trely covering his earS-a fac smile of
the rector,s, which the young rogue had
made himself out of paper. The whole
school was cOnyulsed with laughter, but
Jimmy strobe solemnly to his desk
and went ON with his work as usual.
The master for time could do nothing
but glare at him, but at last, unable
to stand it any longer, Numbered down
from his desk and made a dive at the
boy. But Whistler ran into the girls
half of the school, where he took refuge
behind their skirts. They all protected
him valiantly for some time, especially
his little girl friend, but in vain, the
rector eventually caught him and he
was soundly spanked.
AS a lad he was apprenticed to some
engineers who were etching elaborate
maps on copper. One day his employer
asked him if he also could etch maps on
copper.
"Ch, yes! I can etch." promptly an
swerel young Whistler.
AS a matter Of fact, he had never used
an etching needle in his life. However,
they gave him the copper, and he set to
work. making a very fine and beautiful
map. But round the edges of the plate
he etched some characteristic little
q ~, (lf hs
firm. including a most humorous one Of
the chief himself.
Shortly after, he happened to go away
for a week or two for his holiday. Mean
time the plate had been bitten in and
printed with all the dreadful little carl
catures that he had forgotten to stop
out appearing in startling prominence.
th, sketch OF the chief being especially
remarkable because of its great resem.
blance to that gentleman, who was SO
enragel at the indignity of tire thing
that Immediately on Whistler's return
he dismissed him.
Just as Whistler was leaving the office
he passed through the proprietor's room,
and his eye was caught by huge mag
nifying glass that lay on the chiefs
desk. This glass wa SnO ordinary cne,
but was used on the most solemn occa-
sons by the ''u.i man. only, and was
held in sacred awe by his employees.
Whistler, full of bitter thoughts stopped
over the desk for a moment and painted
a sprightly little red demon right in the
center of the sacred magnifying glass,
and passad on his way with a smile. The
next day, when the great man solemnly
lifted his glass to inspect something, he
saw nothing but horrid little grinning
demol. and dropped it on the table with
a howl thinking that he had gone out
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