The San Francisco call., 1905-04-09

5SrO OF lSSfoS, aOnlltteQ US to SlRnOr
Caruso's rooms at the Palace. Four
Of them there were, and into the
largest, high. green walled and airy.
We were shown. A grand piano, two
excellent charcoal sketches of the
singer and a table laden with glasses
and the convivial ApoiIinaris Identified
he apartment. We-Mr c. H Meltzer.
there kindly 70 Anglicize the Caruso
Iualian-and I, drew seats up to the
central table, and Signor Figaro Rossi
went amiably in search Of the great
man. He MAS still indulging in the
nearest approach 10 macaroni the Pal
ace menu affords, but soon appeared
with mile paroons" on his lips for
the moments delay In the meantime
I had placed an enticing blank sheet Of
paper on the table and a quite irresist-
IDLE pencil There was, however,
sl0etchbook lying there, and, besides,
picture books Of Colorado and other
picturesque parts Of America through
which the singer has been vhirled on
his way here.
At our heels had followed the repre-
sentative or another journal. There
we're cards sent IN, always by the srlil
ing Rossi-Figaro, all through the hour
! had with the singer. Liquid Italian
voices pleaded for admission. Tele-
phones rang. There were sheets on
the table headed by the name Of an
other interviewing newspaper. The
door was continually assailed. That the
singer. great, broad-shouldered fellow
as he is, had dark rings round his
darker eyes, that his first words after
greeting US were q chiIdlike II am very
tired" one coalS not wonder. Signor
Rossi chorused "Re is very tired" But
Mr- Meltzer cried incredulously,
Tired"
1t is, monsieur" Caruso protested,
waving an explanatory hand through
the air, 'ss far from New York 10 here
ss from St Petersburg to Milan. Oh,
50 far. I did not think there was such
e distance anywhere"
This vas in French when IL was not
in Italian. II was in a voice that made
speech a song. II was in sort Of
vocal nectar-creamy. glowing, that
would have made the Orphean flute a
supernuity. Further. il was with what
IN woman we label a pout-a distinct
pout. And Mr.. Caruso's chin, with its
cherubic cleft in the cushioned center,
The pout gave way TO a smile how
ever, as pleaded Immediately then fo-
e specimen Of the Caruso pencil. In
stinctively, artist-fashion, his hand
went to his pocket. He pulled out a
bunch OF letters to look in vain for a
blank envelope. I pointed to the
sketching apparatus 1 had brought
Signor Caruso laughed outright then,
possibly in admiration Of ones Ameri-
can cheek" but 1 think rather be-
cause when he hasn't high in his
mouth he prefers 70 have pencil in
his fingers.
For he nodded approval. gave an all
right" 20 the pencil and drew the u
by Is board over to his side Of the
table with a happy and accustomed air.
Moi?" he asked me, and 1 said il ne
would be so good as TO caricature him
self I should be only too happy, etc.
Et moi, aussi," 1 suggested.
But Mr.. Caruso's heavy lids and
black brows went up. No, he would
not caricatUre me. It was a delicate
matter TO caricature a woman. He
did not caricature women he knew
II they knew. Sometimes. yes. he would
csricature the female stranger on the
train, on the car.
Ikea this" he brayely Englished
IL, and pulling over the fat sketchbook,
turned over its leaves until he reached
greatly -pompadoured and cross
looking creature that he said he had
seen on the train. As he turned the
leaves one after another caricature of
himself appeared, as II Duca, as Ed
gardo, as Canio as himself with a
string Of Cs ike vocal cigars shooting
out Of mis- mouth Moi, moi, moi, al
ways me" he laughed.
Not so beautiful" 1 bowed, and
CarUso laughed. But so ii was. The
Caricaturist, and he is facile and ac-
cormplished with the grotesque pencil,
had not at all spared himself. Nor had
ne spared those OF the company / rec
ognized in the sketches. Scott. Jour
net Blsss, Hertz, Goritz, all were there.
and the -caricatures upon this page Will
show the quick and lively sense Of the
pictorially absurd that is possessed by
the artist. He settled down again to
his csricature OF himself then, and 1
asked him which ne preferred, to sing
or TO draw.
4 don't know" he replied. smiling,
and possibly il $500 a night (approxi-
mately) were paid TO caricaturists we
should have Mr.. Caruso illustrating Mr..
Crswfords Police Court sketches on
The Call. Deity. certainly. the pencil
went over the paper and between
whiles Mr. Meltzer and myself asked
the story of Caruso's life He was.
only in spots. monosyllabic in reply,
with absorbed lips frightened under his
little japanese mustache, and his hand
some black eyes bent to the dra wing.
I thought OF the pout I had seen and
decided as / watched him that there
was nothing else feminine in the sing
er's makeup. ColosssIly- -shouldered.
Ereat-throated and with his FIVE feet
nine or ten, Signor Caruso towers
among tenors.
1 did not ask him, for l knew that
the singer is the son OF small me-
chanic and that until he was Is years
old he himself had worked as such in
his fathers shop. He sang az a boy
soprano in church, and made his first