The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-29
GbRI0)N|SIS
AS THY IRE
Study of Those News-Painters
of City.
ROGERS AND ELEPHANT
Famous CartooniSt Tells How
He Gets Inspiration.
ROGERS AND ELEPHANT

Photograph me surrounded by my
household goods? Well. you would have
TO lake it at the storage warehouse stand
ing among piles of dusty bundles. But
I'm glad to see you
Mr. w. A Rogers closed the door of his
studio and followed his visitor into the
room.
- am merely picnicking here he add
ed. These are the most temporary Of
quarters, you see. 1 have concluded that
this section about Herald square is the
art centre of New York, if there be such
a thing These are the best quarters
can find fereabouts. The top floors seem
to be completely occupied by artists,
continuous layer of them, for diameter
OF a mile
From Mr. Rogers window one can look
down at a very steep grade into Thirty
fourth street. The well known cartoonist
works in room of ample proportions.
once a living apartment OF a great man.
sion. A magnificent Greek frieze. some
rows of casts and a few hangings lend
touch Of distinction and serve to identify
81 as a studio.
IT'S important for me to be in the thick
of IT, as near as possible TO the base of
operations" he ran on pleasantly, "or L
might have selected a studio either fur
Their up or further down town. Now in
my work.
Here was the famous cartoonist launch
ed fairly, and quite voluntarily upon the
subject We had come to discuss. His
visitor settled further back in the easy
chair The cartoonist balanced himself
on the edge of his drawing board. He
glanced with good natured regret at his
unfinished sketch, but there was no trace
of impatience in his voice as he con-
tinued:-
In my work the question of timeliness
comes next to being the main thing.
still cling to the belief that the quality Of
the work counts most. After all, We car
toonists are merely reporters with
drawing pen or brush instead of pen
Gil
I'VE can't use typewrlters. which is a
handicap. But we must follow the news
as closely as any editor Our news sense
that much abused term-must be as
keen. And we have our exclusive fea
: tures-our 'beats'-or we are beaten. often
q cartoonlst must edit page of political
news into a narrow column cut, OF reduce
q column of news into a single line. A
chain you know. is only as strong its
weakest link. Well. 1 can't afford to
miss the news OF a single day
Mr. Rogers needs no introduction.
There may he some who have passed over
his signature on the acres of cartoons
ne has spread before us for years, but
every one knows his work His contri-
buttons to our political literature through
out many stirring campaigns have had
a very potent force in determining their
issues. His treatment is always subtitle.
refined, intelligent and good natured.
Are cartoons developed slowly" ven
tured the interviewer, "or do they spring
from your brain, like the classical god
dess. full of panoplied?" Mr.. Rogers
turned the question over obligingly.
=. Both WAYS he said. But il depends
largely upon the nature of the idea, on
your mood, and. of course. the temper Of
ones editor For my part, / try TO be
very methodical. I often spend the entire
morning in the pursuit Of good idea"
Pursuit." queried the visitor.
'Oh. 1 make no secret Of my method"
Sfr. Rogers explained with the /
question of ideas is not a problem in
psychology, but of indexing. There's /
nothing more occult or mysterious about |
my method OF pursuit than-well. look 1
for yourself.
The cartoonist held out for inspection I
several bulky and well worn volumes OF ,
newspaper clippings. They were filled with /
political articles gathered from the New 1
York papers and extended back for many /
years a series OF hooks driven In the |
wall within convenient reach of the /
drawing board held thick sheaves OF
clippings which brought the file up to the
day. even the hour.
"An these merely serve to Jog nv
memory" continued Mr.. Rogers IF
politician IS TO caricatured, or a policy
&c be ridiculed OF defended. I can find
here a hundred articles bearing on the
subject. Well. when I've turned UP the
last OF my subject and turned IT over
tn my own mind. I'm ready TO face my
editor. / usually get to work at about
two IN the afternoon and hand in my
drawing by say seven"
II is scarcely necessary TO add that
the making Of & good cartoon is far from
being the simple thing Mr.. Rogers words
imply. There are some two thousand car
toonists in the world who go over the
news and regularly draw cartoons. There
are very few. however. and Of these Mr..
Rogers is certainly one. who can hit up