The Indianapolis journal., 1903-05-24

New York Sun.
Two young women in this city who have
discovered that some of the best-known
book and short-story illustrators in the
country have very poor ideas of blocking
out picture are making more than COM
Portable living by doing this work for them.
1t is brand new industry. but it is a mon
ey maker for those who can do ii, and, al
though they have only been in business
about year, the two young women have
all the work they can attend to and are
already getting fancy prices for their time.
One of these young women entered the
office of a downtown lawyer. who is also
a well-known literary man, short time ago
with a note of introduction.
Surely. have met you before" said the
lawyer as the young woman entered the
office.
II think not" said the woman, with a
smile. "but you have seen my picture so
much that you think you have seen me.
Lots of people make the same error"
g! don't recall having seen your picture" I"
"Of course not" said the young woman.
still smiling; ''but you will when 1 tell you
where you have seen it,"
The young woman then proceeded 70 name
half a dozen novels in which her picture
appears as one Of the characters
"And I'm in the magazines a lot, too"
she added. and then explained what she
meant To Sun reporter who heard of the
new profession one OF the young women
engaged in it gave this account the other
day; i.
she said. "but we are both artistic and have
good ideas. We were at college together,
and about year ago We discovered that
the very men who do the high-class illus
fr0f Inc for fhn orad f1r oxtx,
are the crudest of the crude when it comes
to arranging their characters. We found
that their. girls and their men were moth
ing like the text of the stories led one to
suppose they would be and that many good
stories were being spoiled by pictures poor
ly done, in consequence.
I'VE made inquiries and soon made up
our minds that here was a virgin field We
spoke to several publishers and artists and
they We're enthusiastic about the scheme
Finally we took a studio, loaded il up with
some one to come around and hire us to give
him some ideas.
''The first job we got came from one of
the best-known illustrators in this city. He
had new society novel to make dozen
pictures for. He was frank enough to say
that he didn't have any confidence in our
ability to do what he couldn't do himself,
but was willing to try us.
Give us an advance copy of the book,
we said, and let US read It, Then come
around the day after tomorrow prepared
to make some sketches
well. he came and we had our place ar
ranged for him in good style. We blocked
out five pictures for him. dressed up to the
characters in the book. and did the posing
ourselves. He was delighted, and later we
did the other seven pictures for him, with
the aid of a young man he brought around
TO do the hero.
"The illustrations for that book were
much commented on. They made a reputa-
ton for us and we became demand Now
we keep several other young women and
one or two old ones on our staff as well as
two good-lOoking young men, and We are
busy most of the time. It's little tiresome
to see ones face in many different char
acters. but it's business. and we have our
living to make.
"As for the artists. they are delighted
for IL has relieved thenn~of the work OF
blocking out their pictures from the text OF
the stories For some reason that / dom,
understand. they don't like to do that
Maybe it's because they can't"