The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-26
ART ALLIANCE
Is TO DISBAND
Fear OF a Law Suit Is Practically
Ended.
FOE HAS QUIT TIE FIELD
UNIQUE ORGANIZATION or
WOMEN TO CEASE.
FOE HAS QUIT TIE FIELD


Is about to disintegrate and r-tire from
the activities that have characterized
its brief life Of one year. The Organi-
cation in question is the offensive and
defensive alliance Of art workers, Or.
more properly, of those who were
worked" ia the name of gentle art.
Something like 100 women constitute
the membership, including the elite,
aesthetic and artistic of the city, No
man is eligible to membership, and no
representative of the Daser masculine
nature has been permitted to Darticl-
pate in its proceedings, with one excep-
lion. The fortunate individual is Elmer
u. Jones, who, in his professional ca
pacity as a lawyer, has been permitted
10 attend the gatherings OF the alliance
and whisper words of consolation and
hope to those whose love of art led
them into difficulties.
Next Wednesday morning a meeting
VIII be held at the home of Mrs. Julia
kimball and her daughter, Mrs. Wood
run, 1863 South Main street. when Mr.
Jones viii be called upon to explain
10 all that the association militant may
be With safety permitted to die a nat
ural death without fear that the indi-
Vicual members will be called upon TO
grid on armor to engage in battle with
the common foo.
Fear of Triple Foe.
The common fee in this instance is
hydra-headed. 1t includes a trinity
consisting Of handsome and polished
solicitor, I. a. Clark of San Francisco,
the American Art League of any old
place and one J. Van Rensselaer, Smith,
whose name appears OF the ornate sta
Ilonary nf the league, ana on certain
Sauey and threatening communications
that have perturbed local patrons Of
arr. IN some minds there turks a sus-
picion that Clark is all three, and all
three are Clark. However that may be,
the combination has succeeded in stir
ring up enough trouble in Salt Lake TO
nave satisfied three score easy money
getters under ordinary circumstances.
About the holiday season Of a year
ago the Clark arrived upon the scene.
Easy and elegant of manner, smooth
and eloquent of tongue, youthful and
Fascinating, and with penchant for
spending money like a born aristOcrat.
the Clark made a direct jump to the
home stretch. de had not the least
difficulty in convincing a large number
OF the shrewdest and best informed
women in local society that he was the
product of the only genuine art foundry
of the old world, and was here on
mission t. transplant a dash of the
esthetic in the sordid American nature.
Many Join the League.
More than 100 listened 10 his siren.
song. They affixed their autographs
without hesitancy to a harmless APP
pearing blank applying for member
ship in the American Art League Each
paid dollar or two, and some more. as
an evidence Of good faith, and agreed
TO make the amount $12 upon demand.
In exchange for this they were each
TO receive a portfolio of reproductions
OF the famous masterpieces of the
world, from which inspiration was to
be drawn, a beautiful certificate of
membership liz the league, carrying
with it all the privileges of the salons
IN New York, Boston, Chicago and San
Francisco, and the comforting knowl-
edge that they were contributing to
the glorious cause of awakening q love
OF the beautiful among the inartistic,
commercial barbarians of America.
Armed with the signed contracts, the
Clark hurled on TO save some other
community from the hopeless, inartistic
darkness in which it might be en-
ShrOuGed.
Eagle Is Displayed.
Some days later the certificates Of
membership arrived. Al eagle bird.
kiuS of Tire air. tapped triumphant
wings across nebulOus mass of fan
Ciful green lithOgraqhing as though to
invite the recipient 10 soar with him in
tde realms Of aesthetic bliss Some of
the good women had the masterpiece
framed and suspended where an
amazed world might see; others hid
their light and their eagle bird under
bushel until they could display the
expected portfolio as well.
Then a mild hammered little woman
mace her appearance in town. Like a
kind fairy she presented herself at the
door of each subscriber, and. without
explanation, handed in package when
her ring was answered, then fitted
away At first sight the recipients
thought they had been favored with A
rather pretentious calendar by some
patent medicine company. But invea-
tigation revealed that the hooks were
indeed the lcug expected beautiful"
portfolios.
Bills Begin to Arrive.
Then came the bills by mail, suggest
ing payment ] conformity with the
terms of the &C act Weeping. wall
ing and gnashi Of teeth was The or
der of the hot while the unfeeling
masculine head Of many a Salt Lake
household nearly laughed himself sick
and INDUCED in gross and unseemly
jests at the expense Of the goddess Of
art.
Investigation followed, resulting in
the discovery that SO far as could be
ascertained, the American Art League
existed only in the fertile Imagination
of one Clark, and had quarters within
the narrow confines of small post
hon IN
Clark received his mail. Then came
refusal to make the payment and
threats Of lawsuits. The victims Le-
cided TO act in unison. and the offensive
and defensive organization was
formed. Attorney Jones was enga ged
to protect re interests of all. and a
def was issued TO Clark and all other
promoters of high art.
Plan to Arrest Clark.
The result was that Clark engaged
local counsel to institute suits. One
lawyer after another dropped the case
after writslg TO the victims and learn
ing their sad story. Meanwhile Clark
and his league were busy piilng up the
mail with threatening and offensive
communications calculated to strike
terror TO the hearts of the recipients.
Local collection agencies were caiied in
10 ala the Work, ana thus the baJJle
waged until a few months ago when
Attorney Jones offered to meet the ex-
penses If Clark would actually institute
a test suit. and. incidentally to land
him in iail if he entered the state.
Since then Eothing more has been
heard of Clark and his claims. The
victims still have the portfolios and
the green picture of the eagle bird sur
mounting the official red seal of the
league, and nave arrived at the conclu-
sion they are sufficient souvenirs with
out maintaining an organization in
hoilGr Of and TO the memory of Clark.