Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-07-05
DAILY SHORT STORY
Frampton's Godsend.

tcopyright, 1902. by the S. S. Mcclure
| company.l
In the pages OF that colossal work of
Imperial Art Dictionary, may be found
the following interesting para graph:
Knoophuysen, Johannes QGOs-sD. COM
monty called Van Dordrecht from the
| place OF his birth a pupil Of the elder
and more famous member of that family.
he e:cels in the depletion of cattle grazing
and reposing.
All of which reads ordinarily enough
until one looks up Johannes KnOop-
huysen. called Van Dordrecht," and
finds that such an artist never existed.
1t all began I'm the conference room
of the Philadelphia Daily Dissent
nator. We were discussing the fea-
lures for the coming week when
Frampton strobe i'm. Now, Jack Tramp
ton was an Englishman, something of
an art critic on The Dissemination. He
| conducted Il column as intermittent as
malaria and nearly as sweeping. AS
regards art. he honestly held that the
only living writer at all worthy of at
|
Jim Chuffey, our Sunday supplement
editor. loved nothing better than to- pre-
pare pitfalls for the feet OF the self
confident Frampton. But a magnlii-
cent trait of the latter, Il national trait
indeed, was that he never knew when
/ he was beaten and often succeeded I'm
turning the tables on the funmakers.
On this particular afternoon Tramp
| ton found us in the throcs of an art
discussion and smiled superciliously.
Jim Chuffcy turned toward him with
an appealing air.
"Oh. Frampton"' he exclaimed.
Here's Stephenson claiming that the
elder Cuyp was better artist than
Knoophuyscn.'
"KnoOphuysen" repeated the critic.
Yes. Johannes Knoophuysen, the
cattle painter. OF course YOU know all
about him"
The expression of doubt on Tramp
toms face was only momentary. IL he
never owned to defeat, neither did he
confess TO ignorance.
''Oh, Knoophuyscn.' he said. yes.
OF course l know all about the old fell
lOw-fine painter, very fine. His work
I
Lorraine. He is particularly good I'm the
treatment of golden sunshine. and his
cattle approach Paul Potters.''
"KnOophuysen has been shamefully
neglected" said Chuffey earnestly.
You ought to write screed about him
for your column, Jack
HIM observed Frampton. his brow
clouding again. Il haven't much time
to look him up. Suppose you write me
brief biography, and I'll run over it
and use it for next Sundays paper"
Il think Knoophuysen's masterpiece
is The Cow and Calf In a High
Wind" ventured Stephenson at this
juncture. "
Nonsense" snapped Frampton.
"'The Cattle Fair on the Canal IS
infinitely superior. Lord st. Mungo
bought II I'm go for E3.OOO.'
Down went The Cattle Fair and
"The Cow and Calf on Jim Chuffey's
memoir OF KnOophuysen. Next Sun
day The Disseminator gave to the
world an appreciative account of this
master. with glowing eulogy' OF his
work, the whole signed ''John Sedley
Frampton."
. Not long after that Il notable pub
fishing house of the metropolis COM
menccd the compilation OF the Univer-
sal, Royal and Imperial Art Dictionary.
1t was destined to eclipse all other
works of the kind I'm scope and thor
oughness. Frampton took it as 4 mat
ter of course when he was chosen ed
itOr OF the publication.
In course of time the great dictionary
appeared, and there. to his intense de-
light. ChufTey found the foregoing BIZ
ography of Johannes Knoophuysen
van Dordreclit.
This was the ingenious Chuffeys OPP
portunity. He seized pen and ink and
straightway indicted Il stirring letter
to The Easel, n famous organ of inter
national art. The letter called atten-
ton to the name OF Knoophuysen in
the new dictionary and roundly de-
clared that no such person had ever
existed.
Frampton could not let that pass.
Next week lie appeared in print with
defense of Knoophuysen's identity.
BY curious coincidence lie had actual
ly lighted upon the name among Il list
OF obscure Dutch painters in the seven
teenth century. and this fiimsy fact his
vigorous Imagination expanded into n |
case which really sounded plausible
enough.
Chuffey replied under scSeral differ
ent aliases. sometimes supporting. |
sometimes combating the Knoophuy |
sen theory. Several well known art |
critics took part in the controversy, |
which spread to England and even TO
the continent. Matters looked bad for
Frampton's side Of the question ut first.
Then n London dealer produced two
genuine Knoophuysens. When Paris
collector displayed the original Cow
and Calf of Knoophuysen van Dor
drecht and sold the same TO a Chicago
millionaire. the tide began to turn.