Milford chronicle., 1908-01-10
IN THE LOUVRE.
Artists Who Copy Masterpieces Are
Becoming a Nuisance.

Becoming a Nuisance.
The Paris correspondent of a Lon
don paper reports that agitation is
rife among the frequenters Of the
Louvre whose profession it is to sup
ply American milliOnaires and other
foreign art amateurs with more or
less perfect copies of celebrated pic
lures. Every Wednesday afternoon for
some weeks exciting scenes have been
witnessed in the otherwise quiet gal
leries of the worlds greatest museum.
The authorities have decided that copy
ing is not to be allowed on those after
Moons; hence the row.
"AllOns!" says a polite keeper to a
bohemian looking artist as the clock
strikes y. Things have to be put
aside, monsieur" Monsieur grumbles
and scarcely deigns to look down from
the top of his ladder on which he is
perched. The keeper lightly shakes 1t
or pulls the easel aside. Under such
conditions it is impossible to work.
There is no longer any liberty in
France" the artist grumbles. eve are
prevented from earning our living"
1T is Wednesday today" the official
politely answers.
The Frenchman exclaims "AIon
Dieu| and thinks the government is
not satisfied with prosecuting the cler-
gy; 1t must also molest artists. The
Englishman or American says, what
a nuisancew The German exclaims,
"Das ist schandlich!" and so on. Cen
eral discomfort is manifested in a
dozen languages.
The most obstinate and last to yield
is said to have been an English lady.
She was copying a MurillO and held
her ground, as the clergy did during
the recent expulsions. To all the en-
treaties Of the keepers she replied
blandly, YES" but continued working.
1t was only when her half finished pic
ture and she herself were carried out of |
the room that she understood.
The new regulation continues 10 be
denounced as a violation of the rights
Of man." One old professional said
that orders for copies were growing
scarce because amateurs could not get
them done in time. Copying is now
forbidden on Sundays, Mondays. |
Wednesdays and Thursdays, leaving
only three days in the week for work |
To copy certain famous pictures one
has to wait for his or her turn. A
number is given to the copyist, and
sometimes he has to wait months and
years. As an example he gave his
own case. He said: 81 have an order
Tor copy of a picture, and my num-
Der is eighteen. This means that there
are seventeen before me- AS each has
right to take three months for a
copy, 1t will be five or six years before
I can execute my OrleE.7
On the other hand, the authorities
state that the copyists are becoming so
especially before certain IA
mous pictures, that they are an In
cumbrance. The public scarcely gets
an opportunity to look at these pic
lures, and it is in its interest that the
new regulations have been made.
Banker Charged With Illegally certE
flying Checks.
New York, Jan. 8--Indicated by the
federal grand jury for the over-certi-
fication of fifteen checks, representing,
in the aggregate, over 100000, and
drawn by the firm Of Otto Heinze &
Company on the Mercantile National ,
bank, F. Augustus Heinze the copper
magnate and former president of the
National bank, surrendered
himself to United States Commissioner 9
Shields, and later WIS released on $780, :
BOO bail. 7
The indictment specifically charges
hat Heinze, while president of the n
Mercantile National bank. over-certif- {
ID fifteen checks That is, that he 4
guaranteed by the bank signature that
he sums indicated in the checks were n
leld by the institution to the credit OF U
the drawer. To over-certify bank I,
,aper is, under the federal statute, an
,ffense punishable by Imprisonment OF e
lot less than five years and not more n
han ten years. One count is devoted a
o each Of the checks involved. 1t is s.
lleged that Heinze knew that Otto
Ieinze G Company did not have to its NJ
redit the sums named in the various h
hecks. n,