Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-02-24
Charley Russell, the cowboy Artist,
Prefers ulm to New York as a
Place Of Residence.
HOWEVER HE HAD A GOOD TIME
Hobnobbed With the Noted Artists
and illustrators of the Country
Did Some Work.

1t may be said that Charley Russell
is the happiest man in Great Falls.
Glad to get back? Well, | should
say | am. Say. my advice to any
doy that does not love home, is to
just down and live in New York for
a while. He'll sure love home then
he replied to a question.
During their absence Mr.. and Mrs.
Russell went to st. Louis, where they
stayed several months with Mr.. Rus
sells father. They then went to New
York at the solicitation of John N.
Marchand, an illustrator of western
life, whom Russell met here last sum
mer, while Marchand was visiting
Wallace Coburn.
Russell's appearance on the streets
yesterday was a glad sight TO his
scores of friends and he was kept
busy shaking hands and saying.
'Howdy." to the many who pressed
around him to welcome him back.
His harness." as he speaks of his
clothing. afforded his friends consid-
cradle amusement, for he was dressed
in the latest Fifth avenue cut of a
Tuxedo overcoat. and he was mildly
guyed about wearing corsets. Aside
from this he is the same old Char
ley" and his comments and stories on
the east kept his auditors in a roar
of merriment.
Eyes, | had a fine time" he said.
Everybody was mighty nice TO me.
AS nice as they could be. But the
east is not the west. Give me the
choice of spending the rest of my life
in either New York or Ulm and I
would take Ulm. From st. Louis,
where we spent Christmas with my
family. went went to New York. | met
a lot of artists and illustrators. They
are a mighty fine lot of fellows and
they treated me out of sight. | work.
ed in the same studio with Marchand,
Albert lowering and Will Crawford,
and they were particularly kind to
me.
Il practically did no work in st
Louis. beyond submitting four pic
lures to the hanging committee of the
worlds fair art gallery. | have moi
been notified yet whether any of then
will be hung, and | am rather doubt
full that they will be. In New Yori
| did considerable work and more
than broke even on expenses. | die
some illustrations for Scribner's. Out
ing. McClure's and Leslie's maya
zines, and some of il Will be published
In a short time. | also did som,
sculptoring. and sold a statuette of
cowboy on a bucking broncho to
firm which will reproduce it in bronze
My friend. M~archand, took me aroun
and introduced me to the art editori
of the big publishing houses, which
was mighty fine for me. Many of thu
editors promised me work in the fu
ture in illustrating western stories.
While there | met Alfred Henr,
Lewis, the author of 'Wolfville Stol
les Ernest Thompson-Seton, the au
thor; Schreyvoygell. a painter o
American army pictures, Caspe
Whitney. the editor of Outing, and
noted hunter: Bat Masterson, tn
famous gun fighter and sheriff an
now prize fight referee. That news
paper talk about me being 'lionized
by the smart set is all nonsense. a
though ] did meet the man who lead
or bosses the smart set at a dinner
but don't remember his name. a
so ran across William Hart, the actor
who played the leading part in TIL
Christian here last year. He and
went down to Rockaway beach togett
er. where | got my first sight of tn
ocean, and tried eating freshly dui
clans. My limit was two. also say
Senator Gibson. Theo. Gibson and H
o. Chowen in New York.
New York is all right, but not TO
me. It's too big and there are to-
many tall tepees. | rather live in
place where | know somebody an
everybody is somebody. Here every
body is somebody. but down Their
you've got to be a millionaire t. b
anybody.
The minute you get west of CHI
cago you can notice the difference Il
people. You begin to strike western
ers again. II you go into a smokin
car east Of Chicago, sit down besid
a man and start to talking to him b
saying. This is a fine country here
he'll humble yes and look the othe
way. You cant get anything out o
'em. | guess they are afraid you'll
spring a shell game on 'em or try {
sell 'em a gold brick.
And the style in those New Yor
saloons. The ~bartenders won't drin.
with you even. Now | like to have tn
bartender drink with me occassiona
ly, out of the same bottle, just to b
sure | amt getting poison. They won
even take your money over the bal
Instead they give You a check wit
the price of your drink on it, and 20
walk yourself sober tryin' to find tn
cashier to pay for il.
You can live better here in Grea
Falls for the same money than 20
can in New York. I'll bet | didn'
have a good potato while | was there
| don't know what they do with EN-
eyaporate 'em | guess. OF course
didn't stay at the Waldorf-Astoria.
went in there once and looked aroun
and got out without leavin' any of m
clothes behind. or havin' a chatte
mortgage tackled onto me. You've 60
to be rated in Rockefeller's class I
camp around that lodge very long.
They say no matter where 70
come from If YOU walk on Fifth ave
nue. for an hour you'll meet somebod
that you know. and | guess it's sc
I IN