The Washington herald., 1909-05-02

been 3 fast vorker-one OF the results.
possibly, Of my early training IN Phila-
delphls
But I vas not taught how to apply
ny knowledge. The imagination was not
trained We followed hard and fast rules
on the theory that pictures were made BY
technical knowledge I could draw-any
one can learn 70 DO that-but young as
was. soon found that execution alone.
no matter how skulful. cannot make a
picture that the world cares for Any
man Of education can learn to write cor
rectly. but il IS only the very few who
can gain and hold the interest q the
public
How He Began.
Ny work lay idle for several years
while experimental FinaIly-it was in
1S7S-I wrote a verse about a magic pill
that instantly turned an aged person,
namely, g psrson fretting over his years.
into terrible boy. Il was Illustrated by
some crude drawings in pen and ink I
sent it 20 the Century Magazine. then
called Scribner's. and, to my JOY. it was
accepted for depaEsEnSnt called, think,
ETiC-a-Brac. Then my mother read
about a drove Of wild ponies on an island
of the coast Of Virginia At her sug-
gestion. went 70 the island and pat the
ponies into an illustrated story. Several
other little compositions were taken al
about the same time. and so I decided
to move 10 New York and try my luck
a. making a livinS
No great ambition was IN ny mind.
Ordinarily. the usual young man. at first.
has only modest aspirations. He goes
forward by steps. each one little high
er, his development being altogether
natural, until he achieves that which
only lies latent in his mind at the be-
ginning I had done small things and
vaguely hoped for larger ones. but made
10 effort 10 look very far into the future.
II is well that youth is sightless and
trustfuL II its grasp were too wide
when Il starts on the journey OF life. II
If could comprehend everything that is
TO come. II would reach for all, only TO
lose even that which It has.
New York, then as now. was the ricn-
est market in the world for ideas. It's
first and loudest call is for imagination.
I preach imagination at every OpDor-
tunity. because II is not only the chief
pillar in the structure Of art. but the
corner stone OF all success. In those first
days OF my young endeavor I wrote
verses and sketches ana illustrated them
with pictures They were disposed OF
without many .disappointments to maga-
zines and weekly publications
Wanted Original Work
Compositions containing a new or
unique idea. such, for instance. as
young fellow standing on the shoulders
Of q monk and passing q valentine
through window to a pretty girl, were
sold easily and at good prices. Editors
did not insist upon strong ideas in those
days; anything would co that was orig
inaL' Some Of my suggestions were
roughly put on paper to be developed
by experienced artists on the periodicals
10 which they. were sent All in ali. I
did well, making s25 some weeks and IN
others as much as $50. I left my cheap
lodgings and, with couple OF friends.
took a studio. working and sleeping
there, bV eating at a restaurant
y had been IN New York for year
and a half, perhaps. when I painted my
first important picture II was made in
black and white and called The Wreck in
the Onng- 4 crew Of a life-saving sta
ton were in a room playing cards by the
light Of a lantern. The door burst open
and man in ofl-skins. streaming with
spray and rain. told the news Of the
disaster I spent weeks on that picture
When II vas finished cents was the total
sum Of my remaining cash resources. J.
knew the idea was worth SIS, even II
the picture were rejected. But neglected
TO consider that the art editor might be