The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-09-22

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joke and ended as a serious work
which has stirred the hearts Of hundreds
of thousands Of Americans, is told in
the Housekeeper by A. N. Willard, the
painter OF THE Spirit of TO-
Mr.. Wizards first work as a painter
was during the civil war He used to
draw pictures of camp life and send them
back to friends he had left at home
when he entered the army. Some OF these
sketches were photographed and the
copies sold. At the end of the war the
young artist determined TO make a great
panorama Of war scenes and exhibit II
all over the country.
Il undertook to tell the story Of the
war in pictures six feet high and twelve
feet long. sewed end TO end and rolled
on two rollers, SO that they could be dis
played in succession to the accompani-
ment of a lecture" said Mr.. Willard.
While I was doing this work learned
good deal about technique and I was
sure / had embarked on a career that
was to bring me fame end fortune.
But the panorama was not a financial
success. People wanted to forget the
war. So the panorama was packed away
in barn. II was a great grief to me TO
have wasted SO much good cotton cloth,
so much time and paint. es well as patri-
otto ardor. The paints were Of a kind
that could be washed out, go We did that
and saved the cloth for domestic pur-
poses. AS for my artistic hopes, they
ferred my painting efforts to carriages
In the shop Of E. B. Trip. at yelling
ton. Ohio.
OF Patriotic Stock.
My father was a man of deep patriotic
spirit His father had been a soldier in
the Revolution. inherited strong love
OF country. But ! had another quality
which entered into the work / did, and
that was a spirit of fun. In those days
every town had its small carriage fac
tory and the makers We'd with one an
other in craftsmanship and ornamental
ton. l began painting little vignettes
on the sides Of wagons and carriages:
and these helped TO give Mr. Trips
vehicles wide reputation.
''One day Mr.. Trips little daughter
brought me a very simple and crude IL
lustration from a wood cut, in which
dog. harnessed to a wagon. was chasing
a rabbit. She asked ME TO make her
painting Of IL. The idea appealed to
me. and I set out TO please the little
maiden.
But what made was not a copy Of
the picture she brought to me. The idea
had a rebirth in my mind, and l strove
to make her as pretty a picture as I
with no other intent than TO please a
child Unconsciously. I was at the turn
ing point in my career.
To the finished picture I gave the
name Pluck Mr.. Trip took the paint
ing to Cleveland, where II was framed
by ]. F. Ryder. a photographer and art
dealer. Mr.. Ryder exhibited the picture
- T.. d
Mr.. Ryder desired me to paint copy
of the painting for him and TO enter into
an arrangement for the sale OF photo
graphs of IL. Thus began an association
with Mr.. Ryder which continued for
many years.
''Numberless requests that I tell how
the chase of the rabbit ended led me to
paint companion picture, Pluck No. 2
These two pictures were copyrighted by
Mr. Ryder and sold literally by thou
sands. The royalties added to my In
come and increased my determination 10
be an artist I studied art with such
consistency as I could while continuing
my work in the carriage shop.
The centennial year was approaching;
and Mr.. Ryder and l agreed that that
year ought to be made memorable and
financially profitable by humorous pic
ture. The title Yankee Doodle suggest
ed itself. and I set to work TO make
picture to f. the title ] had hoyhood
memories OF a country Fourth of July
in which local musicians bore
their conspicuous share. There was a
three-fngered Dick who tossed his
drumsticks and varied the beat on the
drumhead by performances on the chine.
! made him my GENITAL figure
"A fifer l had at nand. Hugh Moshef,
a veteran of the civil war. who was &C
cUstomed to appear in Washington when
ever there was a celebration. He was
picturesque character. and had in him a
fine vein Of fun that made him respon-
sive 10 ny suggestion. To balance the
flies. needed another drummer. and
took a farmer boy, beating his drum
as Part of the days work. too intent
on not missing stroke 10 feel any
particular inspiration.
y made sketch after sketch. I posed
my characters before the camera again
and again. being assist. d IN this part Of
the work by the Wellington photographer.
w. F. Sawtelle. I worked fer weeks over
this humorous picture At times l al
most had il. but just as I would approach
a satisfactory treatment OF the theme l