Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-01-01
A VirtuOSO of the Back Yard.


yond leading a lazy life and drinking
beer.
Zone evening when he had been
nearly a year in the saloon thin,
shrewish-looking woman of about his
own age came in and made straight
for the pianist. Grabbing him by the
collar she shouted:
You drunken loafer. I've found
you, have 70
THE poor fellow jumped up, gave
cry of CONSERVATION and ran out of
the room. The woman would have
followed him, but those present kept
her back to give him start.
she said he was her husband. He
was graduate of the Conservatory of
as an instructor abroad. She had
been lady's maid in a family where he
was employed as a teacher and he had
married her
"The rest of the sordid tale was
easily inferred. 1t was only the story
Of vulgar and jealous woman driving
a sensitive, gifted man to his ruin
had deserted her; she had followed
him to the United States and when
ever she found him here, he had de-
serted her again, landing at lasting in
the gutter.
''The men made up a purse for her
and put her out of doors without cere-
mony. Her husband was never seen
in ST. Marks place again.
81 was one day passing a sign
painters shop in a dirty street near
Washington square, when my atten-
ton was attracted to a man who was
painting panel in a sign made to
swing over shop door, The lettering
was already completed. He was put
ting in the center of the sign a figure
Of man on horseback, and he was do
ing it with skillful hand in the most
artistic manner possible.
when he noticed me watching him
he Hospitality invited me to have
glass of beer, which beverage half
filled a big tin can on a stool at his
side.
Il got to know this man very well.
| He lived in a cheap room over liquor
saloon in Amity street, where he had
great number of sketches and half
finished pictures.
He earned enough to support him
| self by painting the pictures on signs
figures, animals, landscape, flowers,
anything that was wanted. All his
ambition to do better work had long
ago been drowned out in liquor.
"a dealer in pictures became inter-
ested in him from my story and offer
ed to buy lot Of his canvasses if he
would complete them. He promised
to do so, but he never did.
"A decorator UP town offered to en-
ploy him at a yearly salary to paint
decorative designs in houses. He Sc
cured advances of money from the
decorator, as he had from the picture
| dealer, but he never went to work A
| little later he disappeared with his
sketches, and | have not seen or heard
| of him since, nor have any of the sign
painters who used to employ him.
There was once a scene painter in
New York who stood at the head of
| HIS pIOlSSSlOu. lie was also an dDlG
artist in oils and water colors. All
the leading people of the dramatic and
operate stage knew and esteemed
him.
He had been invited to settle in
London, but was satisfied with his
own country. In his earlier years he
had been rather a hard liver, but when
l knew him he had amended his ways.
about this time he married a wo-
man half his age. She was a pretty
little creature, goodhearted and de-
voted to him. but far inferior to him
in education. AS time went on he
! grew weary of this uncongenial COM
partnership.
He began to drink again, and, to