The Saint Paul globe., 1904-06-04
JANITOR PAINTS
CITYHAL FOUNTAIN
&
Seeking Artistic Contrast He
lmparts Dark Green Shade
to Lady's RinaIets

They have painted the fountain in
the court house square. 1t has been a
notable achievement. 1t has already
aroused comment 1t may spread the
fame of st. Paul.
In some cities this important work
of restoration not to say transforma-
tion, would have been directed by mu-
nicipal art commissioners. But ST.
Paul has no art commission. The
fountain, being in the court house
square. is paternally protected by the
court house and city hail commission
And that commission. fortunately, has
an "odd-job man" BY virtue of his Of
flee the odd job man has become
master of the robes, so to speak, to all
allegorical figures, all decorative gods
and goddesses in and about the city
hall.
rs he an artist?" repeated mu-
nicipal officer yesterday. We'll, you
might call him that he potters about
with paint and patches things up. But
he's carried on the pay roll as assistant
basement janitor.''
The "odd-job- man." as he's inform
ally styled, is pleased at the notice his
work has attracted. But he explains
modestly:
Lacked FINK FAINT
Would have made neater fixup out
Of it if I'd had more paints. Had only
two sorts left for outside work, bronze
and green black. They do fine most
generally. But I'd like to a put little
inside pink on the girl-she's good
locker, l say, and a credit to the place;
only inside pink's no good except for
woodwork under shelter. Shed a-rub-
bed right off the first heavy rain. Now
she'll stay neat for half a year..
The inspired janitor described hap
PLY the principal figure of the foun-
tain, who, as he believed, would be
more comely if pink. She stands in the
fountain. Withoarnls raised above her
head, she olfngS. to one end of her gar
ment. She is trying apparently to keep
it out of the water in which she is pre-
pairing to bathel The wind is aiding
her. On each side of her bare toes
within the basin of the fountain a boy
of iron constitution, like herself, is rid
ing upon dolphin.
Since he had no more light colors,
after he had painted the basin an
anaemic white, the odd-job Titan
painted the dolphins and the boys and
the lady. as well. bright orange
bronze all over, except
Now this brilliant coloring pleased
the painter. He "soused them catfish
in it." as he said, leaving the gay
dolphins as monotonously golden as If
he himself had been a Midas.
Janitor Sought Contrast
But he had one other zpot of paint.
Besides, he understood the value of
contrast. Accordingly, he painted the
lady's vanishing garment, he painted
the boys curly heads and he painted
the lady's dainty ringlets-he painted
them all a black and muddy green, the
genuine dirty green" of the erstwhiIe
London aesthetics. rs
Wherefore the general public walk
ing by even the learned and learning
school teachers on their way to the
offices of the school board, stop now
and marvel at the fountain and the
significance thereof. rna-
20 what al funny. Aphrodite!'h ex-
claimed a kindergartener yesterday.
t'You see. that waters the ocean, for
those are dolphins, aren't they2" she
told. interrogatively, the man with her.
you mean" he said, "those fish
with the foreheads and whiskers? Well,
call 'em dolphins."
"But Aphrodite-Venus you know
only had one Cupid. Besides she had
golden hair, and this person is golden
everywhere else, except her hair. Who
ever was it had green hair2
I'm going to ask the superintend-
/