davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-10

William Morris Hunt whose work simply
fell away from the plaster. which was Of
IA very poor quality. not at all adapted
to that sort Of work. An opposite example
was in the Library Of Congress. where the
plaster was of the finest, most durable
and satisfactory kind.
The future Of mural painting in this
country? II is great. We have only com
menced. There is much opportunity.
Personally ] do not know what is in
teDde in regard to the new Custom House
or the new Library. which, by the way.
is a most beautiful building. but | should
think that the officials would be very apt
to see an occasion for work of this kind
in those structures. All the architects
with whom | have relations of any kind
are most enthusiastic in regard TO it and
are constantly working with "A decorative
scheme in mind, in perfect accord for the
same general result.
"Of course, we are a new country"
vMr. Blashiield stoTs "A moment. while he
drops a lump of sugar into the claw OF a
parrot and strokes the yellow head Of an
other.
Il remember reading somewhere | really
believe it was in TUE Sun a most amusing
criticism on the o~verworkcd excuse that We
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-10
A MURAL PAINTERS SUMMER
EDWIN ~. BLASHFIELD'S WORK
Ar THE CITY COLLEGE.

Great Future Of Mural Painting IN This
country Artistic Finale OF the chicago
neutrality-suspicious. the ord Masters,
S~ccret-The Prophecy OF tho Painter.
Edwin II. Blashfeld. the artist. lives in a
charming apartment in West FiRty-ninth
street. from whose windows you can catch
a glimpse Of the swan pond in the park. the
roof views Of upper Fifth avenue. and in the
late afternoon. when the lights are Begin
ming 10 twinkle into existence. an outlook
that makes you forget you are in the centre
III a seethinR, tumultuous city. for the spaces
Of the park stretch into the distance and the
street is hidden from sight and there is only
what seems to be a dark curtain OF treetOps
and masses OF foliage pierced through with
.plnpoints Of sparkles. Mr.. Blashfield points
TO 1t with more enthusiasm than he dis
plays in speaking Of any Of his own work
and with IA certain pride. for there is moth
ing more true than that natures paintings
belong to the ~discoverer.
After he visitor has taken in its beauties
and tho heavy curtains are drawn the art
ist sits down, surrounded by a family Of
Iarrots and paroquets and a hospitable tea
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-10

unEashionable. But. really. I've seen no
change in them. They wenr different
clothes, hut that does not seem TO strike IN.
"The young would loiter under my shade
and make love when the men wore swords
and the women's waists were near their
armDits and when the men carried UNI
Orellas and the wOmen's waists had slipped
down near their hips the young would
loiter under my shade N make love. u
was all lone astOnishingly h same in
1850. 1850 and in 1907. OF course IL always
seemed new and strange to each particular
couple-nOthing under the sun or moon
like II ever before. and that sort of thing;
but II was always the same old song.
Middle aged men would come under my
shade and eXult in success or curse failure
as bOastf1lly or sullenly whether they eN-
ulted or cursed wei Plots and COunterplots
81 Tory and patriots in l776 or Of schemes
Of bulls and bears in 1907.
And old men came to rest II mOrtals
hour under my shade with the gentle,
patient eyes OF those who have looked
down the long way and felt that there,
near me. was its end-and beginning.
But I'm prOsy. I'm not accustomed
to lying ON my side, it induces, see, 10
drOwsiness. Tell the professor I've never
noted any change in those who live. but in
those who-phrdOn me IL I end the inter-
view. l think I'll 20 TO sleep"
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-10

sO that l can with little difficulty reach
a wide area of wall.
Painting from the old time immoyable
sCRffold, as | did in a church in Philadelphia
which decorated, is largely a matter OF
guesswork and is consequently more or
less unsatisfactory, for problems of light
and space are not 80 easily handled.
Undoubtedly the first real start that
mural painting got. in this country was at
the worlds fair in Chicago. where the
work Of Mr.. Shirlaw, Mr.. R~heinhart, Mr..
Beckwith, Mr.. Earle, Mr.. Cox, Mr.. Maynard
and myself was invited. az well as that Of
many others whose names | do not recall.
Frank Millet was chief of decoration and did
some wonderful work.
ITO ask what would have become Of the
work Of the decorators if fire had not de-
strOyed the buildings is 4 little. is it not,
like asking what would have happened if
your grandmother had been your aunt?
But I think all the artists who had the pleas
ure Of working there-and il was n great
pleasure-agree in thinking tina the finale
was one of the mos; artistic endings TO a
most artistic triumph.
Probably the mural work and the ceiling
f~rescoes would simply ave worn away and
canvases would nave become tattercd and
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-10

one time, about a third. I believe. OF the
number already enrolled there.
These decorations are still in rather
an embryonic state. SO perhaps / had better
not state too positively what my design is.
There are many symbolic figures. such as
Alma Mater. Wisdom. Discipline and many
realistic groups. but the mood OF the artist
changes after he begins a big piece of work
like a mural decoration, or perhaps his
ideas grow with the scope and space al
Owed Whatever the cause | believe
you will find that the original conception
is never the same as the finished work.
so to state positively that one intends TO
DO 90 and so means nothing at all.
Il have never found any place in New
YORK where / could work so we'll on the
Oanvase required for mural decoration
as In the big gallery Of the Fine Arts Build
ing on F~ifty-seventh street. Most Of the
students and visitors familiar with it prob
ably think Of IL. IL their thoughts ever
wander that way. as given up to caretakers
and the silence OF summer neglect.
Quite the contrary il the case. From
the first day Of May or June the artists
who have big pieces Of work to do take pos
session. and there We toll when we may.
only too glad TO stay in town for the sake
OF its convenience. One needs a fortune
to rent space and light sufficient to paint
anvase forty feet by fifty. or even larger
such as mural work requires. and the only
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-10

Trayed. They were not painted with any
idea Of permanence inc were lone in a man
ner tina would have been impossible II du-
rability had been taken into account.
But the problem evoked by that question
is very important. II is "a problem that
il very insistent with us all. We are
always asking ourselves, What is going TO
become Of our work? Is il going to last?
Have we discovered the secret of per-
manency?
I'VE look at the wonderful frescoes Of the
old painters and marvel at their methods.
Have we stepped within the periphery of
their truth? How can we tell? We have
not i've long enough TO know
Every once in a while somebody claims
to have discovered the secret processes OF
the old masters and there have been scores
Of! books written on the subject, but we
are still questioning. still experimenting
Notwithstanding this alleged help. You
will hear one artist asserting that lead is the
evil, another that it ia the good, and so it
goes. while there can be no approximation
to the truth until a couple Of hundred years
90 by and answer for us.
-One thing we dO,know. and that is that
the old masters had simple p~alettes. n that
seems 10 me the safest rule to go by. The
more complex color scheme you have, the
more tricks will be played with il by time
and climate and other conditions.
Another fact we are cOgnizant of and
that is that the old masters had perfect
surfaces that many Of our painters have
not been able to secure.
AN example Of this was shown recently
by tina unfortunate accident in the State
House at Albany to the decorations Of
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-10

service and 6rews the undertaking beverage.
lie talks with interest and animation about
his work Of the year. INC dispels at tie be-
Ginning the belief that with the coming Of
The warm days the artist laws aside his
brush and palette and seeks inspiration in
Europe or the country hereabout.
mo. it is a mistake" he begins. "to inn
agine that the artist lives an existence that
is less bound down bv responsibilities than
he average man in business or the pro-
cSsions A great many Of the artists |
know work hard all the year. perhaps do
not gci a vacation AZ all in the summer. Tud
are ofrcniimes unable TO get away from
Vow York for long stretches of time.
Take my own case. foreXample. Through
the hottest days OF July and August l was
right here in New York and not pOttering
about in a comfortable studio, either. with
a days output of little sketches and studies;
not at all. | was busy all the time with
my work for the College Of the City Of New
York. at 13Sth street.
The mural decorations on which I am
working for the college are to go at the end
" the great assembly hall. where l have
already seen 1900 students gathered at
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-10

alternative is an ON of town studio. which
few are fortunate enough 10 possess.
II was not alone there in my glory and
paint. for many other artists took advant-
age Of the opportunity that the Fine Arts
Building presents. G. Y. Turner worked
alongside OF me and there were summer
exhibitions by Mr.. la Fargo and Mr.. Cox.
which they superintendent.
just at present l am painting in the
college itself. for unlike many mural deco
rators ! have always done the greater part
and the best part of my work on the wall
itself instead of on canvas. The latter
method has been customary, say, ever
since the middle of the sixteenth century,
when oil became the popular medium to
work in; before that time the artists
painted directly on the wet plaster.
One might with a little latitude speak
OF mural decorations now as a combination
of artistic work and mechanics. Many
new inventions have been introduced to
make the work easier and better.
Instead Of the old time scafToIding,
for example, at the college l nave a modern
invention of two overs connected by a
series OF platforms like a fight of stairs.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-10

apostrophixed "a barbara pgd cYorel a
heartleSs barbarian.
When an explanation was demanded the
porter enlarged on the story and gained
so much sympathy hat the protest was
covered with signatures. II was sent to
the police, who few days a~Hterward called
Mr.. Brown to the police magistrates Office
and requested hin to furnish his CeRerdiitd.
that IL, his Christian names, surname, place
of birth, age, his fathers name and his
mothers maiden name; and also an ex-
PLANTATION about the crime he had com
mitted."
Mr.. Browns answers seemed TO compli-
cate the matter. The magistrate looked
grave and muttered something about these
foreigners who came here to beat our boys. +"
Had Mr.. Brown been a Roman his explana-
ton and a remonstrance on the part of the
magistrate would have been sufficient md
the case would have been dismissed, As
he was a stranger IL assumed the impOr-
lance OF a murder case.
Seventeen witnesses were brought by
the porter to prove that the in treatment
was of daily Occurrences and the word of
the boy was credited in preferences to that
The case dragged along for a long time
and Mr.. Brown hoped that il hal been for
gOtt n
one day, however, Mr.. Brown was sum-
moned TO appear before the Criminal Tri-
bunal TO answer. a charge OF i'll treating
and infiictink bodily injury upon a minor.
lie then engaged a lawyer who. To- study
the case. az he said. had IL postponed for a
couple Of months. and mildly limited to
MFR. Brown that II he wished he could pay
him his fee and leave Rome without wait
ing for the trial to come of.
Mr.. Brown did not take the hint. He
wished TO vindicate his name and honor,
and expose the dishonest porter.
We'll" sail the lawyer. you must arm
Yourself with patience then"
The case after long waiting finally came
o1 Three Judges sat at the bench. and
near them lowered the Public Prosecutor.
Two medical experts were ready to give
evidence about the boys injuries. The
porter and the seventeen witnesses, their
wives. cousins and friends, tho neighbors
and a crowd Of idlers filed the courtroom.
cited and rather crushed at the forhlidable
aspect Of Italian tAafice. His lawyel asksd
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-10

II Is the custom with Italian servants
to give them money every day for house,
hold expenses. Mr.. Brown after a short
time realized that he was giving less money
to the young servant than the old woman
had required, and he resolved therefore
not TO take the old woman back. Being a
bachelor ne thought IL best TO do away
with womankind altogether and take a
boy into his service.
The old woman, angered az what she
considered unjust treatment as well as
at the loss Of a profitable place. had n talk
with the porter Of the house. who had
benefited to a considerable extent by pres
ents Of sugar and coffee from Mr.. Browns
supplies, and they formed a pact by which
the old woman should regain her lost place
and the boy be sent away.
IL happened that the new servant was
inclined to play truant, and when sent on
pyramids he would spend hours not in at
tending TO his work but in playing mora.
the Roman street game. Mr.. Brown.
who had ideas on discipline. scOlded him
and impressed his argument by sundry
boxes on the ears.
The boy sought sympathy at the poTters
lodge. He was told that all he had TO do
waa 20 run to the window overlooking
the courtyard and at the first opportunity
veil for help in such a way that the oc-
Gupants OF the floors below and above
hearing his screams would ask the reason.
No doubt afterward. the willy porter
added. they would be only too willing TO
.Ign a protest which the porter would have
ready on hand.
In return for this advice the boy promised
~ hiring down gifts from his masters larder.
one eventful day the boy failed 70 account
To- certain sums Of none which had been
Sven MIN 10 pay bills. Enraged at the
S-ishonesty Of his servant, the American
hsaides Inc usual scolding raised his STICK
and struck the boys hans.
T6ls acnon Ill Heads we're stuck out,
.wrnsthizinx voices were heard saying
sPoor, poor boyt-, and that AnersHAp %As
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-10
PART THE SCREWDRIVER PLAYS.
Great Help NJ This OId Time Implement
I'm Modern Moving.

we give little thought said Mr..
Strugglesome. "tO the part the crewdriver
plays in modern moving.
-In those other days when everybody
lived in houses in which the rooms were
large, the halls spacious u AL the door
ways ample, moving was an easy and a
simple matter. All you had 20 do was 10
carry the things in and out. which you
could do without trouble.
But in the fiat, with its narrow and
tortuous halls and its narrower d~oorways,
it's different; and here come into exercise
the art OF the modern mover. and il may be,
az a last resort. the use of the scrcwdriver.
Who ever heard Of the screwdriver being
n necessary implement in old time moving
operations? But it IL an Indispensable
adjunct OF such work now.
The moving men. with much labor and
much turning and twisting and denting the
wall and scratching the stair railing as
they go along as little as they reasonably
can, gradually work the dining table mp
the stairs to land it at last at the fiat door
10 find when they get it there that it won't
go through. They try il right side up
and they try it edgcwise and also with
the legs, first on one side and then on the
ONueI5 DuJ theIe , lONllAhR h0iuRs Nv 'o'A
way isn't Wade enough.
And then what do they do? Take the
door Oft? Pull down the walls? Saw a piece
out OF the door jamb? or something like
that? so hat they can get it through?
why, they don't doanything Of thGtsort,
nor does this situation. which to the non
professional might seem impossible. give
them any particular trouble. When the
movers find that the table simply won't go
through they just set IL down for a minute
and then the head mover says to the man
I who had been carrying the other end Of il,
- Bill, where's your screwdriverE'
"And Bill, out 0f his hip pocket hands
il over. and with this handy tool the head
mover now proceeds deftly to Dry the
casters of the table legs; that *. if he has
discovered that the doorway lPrlSS, by just
their height, the necessary width to let the
table through. Or perhaps he has dis
covered that the legs must come OIL. in
! which case he simply .bYthP aidofthe screw
driver. removes the legs themselves to-
Rether with the fiat top pieces attached 10
them by whichthey are secured to the under
side Of the table top.
with the table thus taken apart IL can
he in SECTIONS carried into the room easily,
nnd this work is done in a minute, for the
movers nave taken tables apart in this
manner a hundred. if not a thousand. times
before. and then. once inside, the table
with the s~crewdriver's help, i(set up again
as quickly
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-10
"AMERTCAN WOUIV JOcKET."
THE Paris Newspapers Wake y DiSrON cry
Witch Lacks Only TrutH.

which Lacks OnIy TrUtH.
PARIS. Oct. 25-The French papers look
upon America as the Romans did upon
Africa. "a a place from which something
new is ever to he expected. Their latest
discovery il briefly summed up i'm the fol-
lowing headlines; AN Amazon" After
the female cabdriver the female Jockey"
-She comes from America. /" she trains at
Chantilly. viii she get a license"
With these and similar heads the Paris
papers have been proclaiminE the arrival
of a Miss Mary Money from America with
the ambition Of rivallinG Tod Sloan. They
20 on TO tell 81 how she was 70 have inau-
gurated the Compiegne race meeting last
week with On exhibition ride. but thai a
slight accident prevented her, and they
discuss at length whether the Jockey Club
will or can grant u license.
Unfortunately for this ctircsque story,
which the French papers find so essen
TALLY American, it has no foundation.
To begin with, the lady = name Is Miss Ethel
Money: she is not American, does not come
from America and is not dreaming Of be-
coming a jockey. She is "A member Of the
well known English family of Money, which
is closely connected with the banking firm
of Coutts and is we'll known in the world Of
letters. 1t il true that Miss Money has
visited America, where she hunted with
Mr.. Golfers and ether packs.
Almost the only true point in the story
is, that Miss Money is staying AZ ChautilIy.
But it WIS not her interest in horses that
took her there. When she arrived in Paris
abe remembered IA story she had often heard
told that her great aunt, the Baroness Bur
dett -Coutts and the Duke d'Aumale had
agreed that should the French Govern
ment ever seek TO take Chantilly castle from
him ne was to say that he had sold it TO the
Baroness. The necessity never arose, and
the Duke succeeded in giving his castle
and grounds to the people and NJ the same
time avoided allowing the State becoming
it's owner by arranging that On his death it
was TO go to the Academic FRANCHISE in
trust for the nation.
This recollection made Miss Money wish
to see Chantilly. where To her surprise she
found also a town devoted to the trimming
of ~racehorses. Many of the trainers were
only too glad to entrust their horses. among
which are the finest steeplechasers in the
country, to 80 fine a rider as Miss Money.
80 that she quickly determined TO stny,
until hunting really begins in England. in
a spot where she had perfect horses 10
gallop and a perfect country to gallon in.
And this il the whole story of Frances
a AuoariCnn famnla Jockey
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-10

him in a casual wav whether he would like
to e to prison. MIR. Brown answered In
h negative.
The lawyer replied "Bcnc." tucked I'M the
sleeves Of his silk gown and addressed the
Bench. without entering into the merit
of the case. but with tho usual fiorid Italian
forensic eloquenCe, he pointed out 10 their
Excellencies that a mistake had been com
mitted in the wording of the charge against
his client.
IAfact. abuse Of correction 10 a servant
had been mentioned. Now the law dId moi
recognize any right of correction on the
part of the master toward his servant. and
whore there was no right. the lawyer argued
at great length. there could be no abuae.
Consequently the charge was mistaken and
illegal and therefore void.
Nor can your Excellancies indict Mr.
Brown on n new charge owing To the statute
Of limitations concluded the modern
Cicero with a flourish.
The Court retired 10 Deliberate. IL Vaa
= long time before he Judges came hack.
Finally they returned To the bench and ruled
that they were incompetent to take cog
niZance Of the case. the Indictment being
illegal.
Mr.. Brown was free. Everybody was
greatly disappointed. the Judges as they
were unable 20 set an example for Other
fOresiieri, the porter and witnesses as Mr..
Brown vas not punished. the idlers az thew
missed a debate and Mr.. Brown himself
as he had not vindicated his honor. Ho
said 80 20 the lawyer, who smilingly pocketed
his fee and replied:
"Between not indicating your hcror.
az you call IL, and six months in an Italian
prison, you surely ought TO prefer the
former. "and turning to a colleague he added
in an undertone: These Americans nav
YOU well, hut do mic they are very migrate
full and hard to pleased That Signore over
there" pointing with his thumb TO Mr..
Brown. "is almost complaining that | saved
him from Imprisonment"
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-10

From The DenrCr Field and Farm.
An old Cherokee Indian recently give ava v
the secret how the Indians of olden times
used TO poison their arTowheads for war
purposes or for killing bears. They took
a fresh deer liver. fastened II TO "a long pole.
and then went 20 certain places where they
knew they would 1nd rattlesnakes in abund
dar ce
About midday the %rattlers are all out or
their dens. cooled up IN the cooking sun.
The bucks would poke the first RATHER they
found with the liver on the long pole. \
~rattleT. unlike common snakes. always shows
fight in preference 10 escaping. The snake
would thus repeatedly strike ne the liver
with IT, ian ~ until its poison WIS all uscdup.
whereupon u would quit striking and try
slowly 10 move ON. The bucks would then
hunt no another RATHER and repeat thci per
fOrmance. keeping ny the work until the liver
was well soaked with snake poison.
Then the pole was carried home and fast
ened IN an upright post ion until
the liver became AS dry IA a bone. The
liver was then pounded 10 a line powder and
placed in "A buckskin bag, 10 be used as needed
for their arrows. This powder wONld stick
like glue tO any .moisteBed suNfaCe aud was
death 70 any creatare which w. entered op
shAgss HHr|a In. 49, L
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-10

are n new country. II made me think
Are we Teally. such a new country?
From the point Of view of government
it seems to me that there il not a country
in Europe whose constitution or form has
not changed more than ours since we
became independent. Here in the Fast we
have so many evidences of an older ~civilila-
ton that We practically commenced when
we were grown mp; that the word new has
TO a certain extent lost It's value. We still
have n new country in the West.
And II is new. new in irs enthusiasm and
its generositie~. They are a fine people.
for they are real. This IL not a criticism Of
our own section At all, but We do take things
aIlttle too much for granted. are a bit con-
servativc and slow in reaching out to grasp
opportunity 10y the forelock. l think.
But as a prophet a. well a. a painter. |
think l can truthRuAy say taat we are ius,
beginning our art work. and that from the
point Of view of mural decoration the next
decade will see wonderful changes IN the
appearance of our public buildings"