The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-10
PAINTERS HORNSWOGGLED
SMOOTH MIR. MILLS GOT PICYtREs
WITHOUT PAYING FOR THEN.

Gave One Check on an Over. strained
Account for . Canvas, but Returned
No Frames-smiilic. whit emore. wtics,
Let In-Paintinss in Pawn Somewhere.
Some New York artists are looking dill
gently for a smooth-spoken young man
who has been having merry life. on the
outside at least, for the past month or 80,
which he has enjoyed. apparently. al
their expense.
They have been told that really he has
been reaping tares. and is hard put to 1t
70 keep up the bold front that, with his
family connections. won their premature
confidence: but they think that in that
case he. might give proof OF his desire to
keep the covenant by returning to them
the works OF art he obtained under repre-
sentations which they have discovered to
be unfounded.
How many seekers for the young man
there may be Ia town it is not possible
at this writing to say Half dozen artists
were found yesterday afternoon who
would like TO see him again. feeling that
they know him better now than when he
first called upon them; and the reporter
Manhattan and Brooklyn who have made
the whereabouts Of the young Napoleon
Of Art.
Thseagerly sought young man. polite and
smooth young man. new-picture- gallery.
just-short-on-s salary, hither-and- gone young
man, is Mr. j. E. Mills, to trace whom. for
the purpose of retrieving some paintings,
\ sk,, Ill L..
artist, applied to the Central Office police
some ten days ago.
Among the artists who would like to see
him, besides Mr.. Whitteniore. are George
II. Smile, the landscape painter; Frederick
w. Kost. the marine. painter; Prof. l.. NJ.
Wiles and George Reeves, while Charles
Warren Eaton is glad to have seen him early
enough, and would take only q passive
pleasure in beholding his persuasive coun-
tenance again. Mr.. Kost got out even. but
not forgetful Mr.. Eaton got out ahead Of
time. The rest are still -in,' though para
doxically out"
Young Mr. Mills, as the son of j. Harrison
Mills, who was at one time well known
among the New York artists, but who gave
up painting for a time to establish the
Artists Packing and Shipping Company,
received a cordial welcome when he called
a few weeks ago upon a number of his
fathers acquaintance and asked them
to let him have some pictures, which he said
he could sell
He had a plausible tale when he called
upon the gentlemen who have been named
above. To each one he said that he knew
OF a man. whom he usually named. who
desired to possess one OF the artists pic
lures, and he said that he thought he could
sell the pioture by jsdiciously displaying
il to the wouh-bS patron.
To one painter he named - his pros
Pective patron the head Of one Of the best
to another one Of the partners in one OF the
biggest dry goods housee In the upper part
Of the city, and to q third Q Arm dealing
in potteries and pictures In the Twenty
third street district.
Mr.. Mills said also that he was about
to enter into a partnership with julius q.
Haas, q dealer In pictures and frames at
~ East Fifty-ninth street, and with Mr..
Haas to open q new art store N Columbus
avenue on the premises lately occupied
TO $50 Fifth avenue.
Mr. Mills gave as his residence this club
at 7te Fifth avenue. and referred further to
one Of the mercantile asencies but his oon.
Packing and Shipping Company, and his
evident knowledge Of the New York painters
and the conduct Of business. coupled with
his plausible manner were sufncient Gre
dentlals In most instances. The Artists
Packing and Shipping Company has done
. great deal OF business satisfactorily for
most Of the artists who exhibit at the an
nual shows In and out OF the city. and since
II passed into the management Of j Har-
rison Mliss Older son. Harry w Mills. and
A. L. Roasell, has continued 20 enjoy the
patronage which had been attracted to IL
under the elder Mills. 30. j. Y. Mills had
little difYiculty In inducing the artists To
hand over TO him the pict ures he asked
for. UsuAlly he sent for them. and some.
at leAst Of the artists assumed that his
brothers company was the concern tAkins
shem away. But this assumption was UNI
warranted. ~ they disco vered later
The pictures were cent 10 Mr. Has.'s
but they did not remain there long Mr.
Mills re,urned 10 the artists who had let
him have paintings and represented to
them thai HE olisnis did no, like the frames
but liked the CANVASS, and thai hs could
ssll the CANVASS for o-ftAiI pfioe below
thermofe. this would give him an oppor-
tunity. he painted cut Ca help along his
oSn ns~ buslne.e venture, fof tl~ new
arm III HAas 4 Mills could th.n make q
..il.fse,oIy fran. 10, ,ls oas'o'n"f' and
A. frArs- arr hat 81 lncid.iit, and have
a In.fk.t vslus iids,sena.nt ~ tho Illc,urrs
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sss-ssd la ti.s ys.Ai.g man . i.i.s'-i Ia ailos
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corresponding r-i,stial Il tlss Iirls orig
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