The daily Alaskan., 1913-12-05
How AnA tist Obtained R scognldon
By F. OWNsEND SMITH


 books with pictures. The GyleaVes and the margins of the pages were covered with heads of persons with all sorts of expressions, besides the bodies of dogs, horses, cats, elephants and other animals. One could easily tell by referring to his schoolbooks how much and how little each subject interested him. For instance, his read CT, the lessons in which were well selected. was quite free from sketches, while bis arithmetic and grammar were full of them. He was interested in the reader. but he detested gram mar and arithmetic.
 Alan determined to be an artist. His father, who was a practical man and had large family to support, shook his head at his sons choice of field of labor. but since Alan seemed fit ted for nothing else than an artist be consented. He could not afford to send the boy abroad to study, so he was obliged to prepare himself for his profession m America. A part of course in an art school was all the in- structiou ne received. Then he began to try to pick up d living as best he could by making pictures.
 Like most persons of artistic nature, he first flew high He painted on can vas, but no one cared to buy his pie lures Then he tried to get an order to illustrate books; but, the field being orrup.ed. hr sunk To an illustrator for a third rate newspaper. At this he made just enough to keep body and soul together
 One duy Alan saw a baby sleeping in it's crib He was much impressed with the rrIaXpdncss of the little one and wondered if he could transfer it to paper lie tried and was eminently successful The child slept just as scepiy on paper as he did in bis crib.
 "I'u tell you what you do with that, Alan" said a friend. Send it to a baby food company and ask for an order t6 put it in oils for an ad."
 Alan sbuIdered at the suggestion. Was he indeed reduced to applying his art for business purposes? But he needed money 10 pay his room rent, so he acted on his friends advice. The company quickly returned the picture with the order he had solicited. offer, ing him $lOG for his work. When the picture was finished every one who saw it remarked:
 How pretty"
 Dear little thing"
 "Souud asleep, isn't he5"
 These remarks and other such in. genuous criticisms SD pleased the artist that be forgot that the picture was to be degraded as an advertisement. But when he sent it to the food company and received it back again with in suuctions to put in it a baby's bottle with the words Perkins Food" on it be almost cried
 However, the promise of a check as soon as the picture was returned with the "csscutialS" painted in helped to swceteu the dose. and Alan got him- self down to the task. He received the check. paid his room rent, bought him self a new outfit of clothes and q good meal Thus improved in body and mind he bethOught himself what next to do.
 Art is art even on a sign or an ad- vcrtisement, and not a few of the worlds great artists have been obliged to apply their abilities in this way. To get that relaXeduess on canvas or in marble that Alan had transferred from the sleeping child is one of the main features of genius. Persons who saw the Perkins food advertisement saw simply a sleeping child Here and there one who knew the pictures intrinsic worth supposed that the work of some great artist had been apprO- priatcd.
 Alan knew hc had produced some thing that he had only seen in draw ings which were exhibited as treasures of art. He determined to try it again with d dancing girl Between the model when placed on the canvas and other pictures of dancers was the same difference as between two girls the one of whom is born graceful and the other is not. He continued to work in this vein il his $10O was exhaust cd. but ny this time oue of his pictures was sold. for d song. it is true, but it produced money. This was the first encouragement of a practical kind that the young artist received. That first bank bill paid him, though but a tithe of the price paid him for his ad., was far more grateful to him. But this was matter of sentiment
 One who saw the picture that Alan had sold and who recognized it for what it was really worth wanted one by the same artist. This led to an- other sale, and these two led to others, and it was not, long before dealers would say to inQuirers, "Oh, that's an original Vail. and his pictures come high"
 But these earlier prices were dwarf ed by those Alan obtained ten years later. In one respect his work did not improve, but in other respects it did