The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-09
FEELS LIKE A SWINDLER
CARTOONIsT MCUTCHEON SAYS HE
FEARS HE BUNCoEs LISTENERS.
Indianian, Claver at Picture and
story, PIeases Immense Audience
with Pencil Talk mt CIaypooI.

IT always have the feeling, after one of
these talks of mine. that lot of people
have been buncoed," said Mr. John T. Nc
Cutcheon, the famous newspaper cartoon
list, addressing a group Of his friends at
the Claypool last night These remarks
were delivered just after he had finished
his lecture in the assembly room of the
hotel, for the benefit of the Boys Club.
Mr.. McCutcheon is a modest young man.
Those who heard his talk cartoonists
and their work were delighted. He Illus
trated his remarks with chalk drawings,
executed with marvellous rapidity. Nc
Cutcheon has a keen vein of satire in his
makeup, and his talk last night bristled
with IL. From beginning to end the audi
ence was intensely interested, and the even
ing was all too short.
Mr.. McCutcheon facetiously referred to
the cartoon in the morning paper as a
sort of pictorial breakfast" which people
must have He believes the cartoonist
should strive to be of wholesome benefit to
society in his work. He holds that cartoons
that have a tendency TO foster the spirit
which seeks to array capital against labor
should not be drawn. They appeal to the
ignorant classes, and they are dangerous.
Mr.. McCutcheon drew different characters
that cartoonists are fond of portraying.
Among them was the club woman, Uncle
Sam, the capitalist and the boodler. He
made picture of Grover Cleveland, and
told an interesting story of how he once
made a cartoon of Cleveland and sent II to
him. The picture showed Cleveland in a
boat fishing and President Roosevelt on the
bank. The President was supposed to be
urging Mr. Cleveland TO go to London to
represent the United States at the corona
ton. Mr. Cleveland was gently refusing,
ow,A he koI xrft,er Dnf,ft
bother me-Tve got a bite"
CARTOON TO CLEVELAND.
The thought conveyed by the cartoon was
that Cleveland preferred his fishing in the
American streams to bowling to royalty in
London. Mr.. Cleveland acknowledged the
receipt OF the cartoon" said Mr.. McCutch-
con. and in pleasant little note said that
the only trouble with the picture was that
in the first place he had never been Of
fered an assignment to London by the
President and in the second place the string
of fish shown in the picture was not nearly
large enough"
Mr.. McCutcheon recited this incident in
a delightfully."- satirical way that won a
hearty laugh from the audience. He gave
the audience a fair idea of how the car
toonist works. and of how he gets his
ideas. Sometimes 1t is dull picking. but
the cartoonist always keeps in mind the
fact that the cartoon will be made be-
cause II has to be made
An interesting story was told to illustrate
the rapidity with which newspapers get
cartoons ready to print. few months ago
McCutcheon went up to Lake Geneva to
spend Sunday. He made the cartoon to be
printed in Mondays Chicago. Tribune at
the lake and started 1T TO Chicago by mail.
1t should have arrived there Saturday aft
ernoon but failed TO turn up. Sunday even
ing the Office telephoned him and the car
toon was located at the postottice at the
lake. In order to get 1t to Chicago the
Tribune hired a special train. After the
drawing reached the office IL required just
one hour to put 1t through the different
processes, and at the end of that period
1t was being printed in the paper.