Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-02-28
CART00N|S7 WHO
LED CRAFT DEAD
ENGLISH CARICATURiST NOTED
FOR ABILITY IN FORECAST.
ING POLITICAL EVENTS.

London, Feb. 26--Sir John Tenniel
for many decades the leading British
cartoonist, died today at the age Of
a.
Sir John Tenniel was the famous
English cartoonist who so mercilessly
caricatured Abraham Lincoln during
the civil war. He was the dean of the
worlds great political cartoonists.
! Tennel held the record for contin-
uous service. Fifty years were spent
with scarcely holiday, as cartoonist
for London Punch. His pencil pleased
millions He set the principle of the
political cartoon SO firmly that it has
! been adopted the world over. His
keen political foresight was worked
out in more than 1000 sketches, touch
ing upon, and perhaps deciding, the
great world events during the last half
of the 10Th century.
Queen Victoria received the famous
cartoonist and in 1893 knighted him
for his services to his country.
His first great achievement as an IL
illustrator was in his youth when he
figurativelv stepped into the hearts OF
children of all nations as illustrator Of
"Aesops Fables" and won even more
fame as the original illustrator of
Lewis Carols "Alice in Wonderland"
"Do they suppose there is anything
funny about me-" was his answer to
the offer to Join Punch in 1851. He had
just submitted his design for frescoes
in the Palace of Westminster. 1t was
with reluctance that he gave up his
ambition to be great painter and &C
copied the offer. Ruskin once said that
the cartoonist might have won renown
as painter. and added; "Tenniel has
much of the symbolic mystery Of imag-
nation which belonged to the great
leaders of classic art"
Tenniel was a wizard in forecasting
political events. He and his associates
would gather on Wednesdays and dis
cuss the subject of the cartoon for the
next weeks issue Thus they had to
decide a week in advance what was to
be the outcome of current political
troubles. In all his half-century of
service. Tenniel, it is said, made but
one false prophecy.
1t was during the rebellion in Sudan.
General Gordon and his arm were be-
seiged In Khartum. A British army
was marching to the rescue. The next
issue of Punch showed Tenniefs car
toon. picturing Gordon clasping the
hand of the relieving general, with the
army of relief in the background. The
title read: cat Last" The journal
was scarcely on the newstands when
word came that Khartum had fallen,
and Gordon and his garrison mas
sacred.
Americans will rememN er the furore
created by Tennie' drrior the Mason
and Sldell affair in 1sN1 when the
United States was f~r~' in the inter.
ests Of peace to give wey to England.
Mason and Slidell. appointed by the
Cor federate government to represent
it in England and France. were seized
on board an English mail steamer by
Captain Wilkes of the United states
sloop San Jacinto. and Great Britainl
forthwith demanded their release.
Punch gloated over the episode, and
Tenniel pictured Lincoln in a cartoon
as coon up tree. Beneath stood
john Bull with gun. The legend ran:
Coon: "Air you in earnest, COlonel?"
John Bull Il am"
Coon: Don't fire; I'll come down.
On Lincoln's death Tenniels bit e.
ness against him disappeared His
cartoon pictured Britannia in sorrow
laying wreath upon the martyred
Americans bier with Shirley Brooks
lines:
"You lay wreath on murdered Lin
coins bier, ~-
You who with hooking pencil wont
to trace
Broad for the self complacent British
sheer
His length of shambling limb, his
furrowed face"
Sir John was a typical old-world
gentleman-horn in London in 1920.
During the latter part of his life he
became totally blind. Even during his
service on Punch he had the use OF
but one eye. The other was lost dur
ing his youth while fencing with his
father He bore his affiction philos-
ophically. In referring to it on one
occasion he remarked ut is curious
thing, isn't it that two of the principal
men of Punch, Du Maurier (author OF
Trilby) and I, have only two eyes be-
tween us
The political leaders. artists and lee
orattours in London will gather about
the bier of the venerable patriarch to
pay tribute to his genius. 1t is prob
able that memorial exhibition will be
given of his most celebrated sketches.
A