The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-02-26
HE LATER HONORED
MAN HE RIDICULED
Tenniel Was Dean of the
Worlds Great Politi-
cal Cartoonists
London, Feb. 26.--Sir John Tenniel,
for many decades leading British car
toonist, died to-day, aged 94.

Sir John Tenniel was the famous Eng
lish eartoonst who so mercilessly carica-
tured Abraham Lincoln during the Civil
war. He was the dean of the worlds
great political cartoonists.
Tenniel held the record for continuous
service. Fifty years were spent, with
scarcely holiday, as eartoonist for
London Punch. His pencil pleased mil
lions. He set the principle of the politi-
cal cartoon 30 firmly that it has been
adopted the world over. His keen politi-
cal foresight was worked out in more
than 1000 sketches, touching upon, and
perhaps deciding, the great world events
during the last half of the nineteenth
century.
Queen Victoria received the famous
cartoonist and in 1898 knighted him for
his services TO his country.
His first great achievement as an IL
illustrator was in his youth, when he fig
uratively stepped into the hearts of chill
dren of all nations as illustrator of
Esop's 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. Ii was
with reluctance that he gave up his
ambition to be a great painter and ac-
cepted the offer. Ruskin once said that
the cartoonst might have won renown
as painter, and added: aTenniel has
20 ,tsts..
nation which belonged to the great lead
ers of classic art"
Tenniel was a wizard in forecastng
political events. He and his associates
would gather on Wednesdays and discuss
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 halfrentury of service, Ten
MEL, it is said, made but one false
prophecy.
II was during the rebellion in Sudan
General Gordon and his army were be-
sieged in khartum. A British army was
marching to the rescue. The next issue
Of Punch showed Tenniel's cartoon. pic
turing Gordon clasping the hand of the
relieving general, with the army of relief
in the background. The title read: "At
Last!" The journal was scarcely on
the newsstands when word came that
Khartum had> fallen. and Gordon and
his garrison massacred.
Americans will remember the furore
created by Tenniel during the Mason
and Slidell affair in 1861, when the
United States was forced in the interests
of peace to give way to England. Mason
and Slidell, appointed by the Gonfeder-
ate government to represent it in Eng
land and France, were seized on board
an English mail steamer by Captain
Wilkes of the United States sloop San
Jacinto, and Great Britain forthwith de-
manded their release.
Punch gloated over the episode, and
Tennel pictured Lincoln in cartoon
as coon up tree. Beneath stood John
Bull with gun. The legend ran:
Coon: "Air you in earnest, Colonelg"
John Bull: II am"
Coon; Don't fire; I'll come down."
On Lncolns death Tenniers bitterness
against him disappeared. His cartoon
pictured Britannia in sorrow laying a
wreath upon the martyred Americans
bier with Shirley Brooks lines:
t'You lay wreath on murdered Lincoln's bier.
You who with mockinR pencil wont to trace
Broad for the self-complacent British sneer
His length of shambling limb, his furrowed
face"
Sir John was typical old-world gem
tleman-born in London in 1920. During
the latter part of his life he became to-
tally blind. Even during his service on
Punch he had the use of but one eye.
The other was lost during his youth
while fencing with his father. He bore
his aflliction philosophically. In refer
ring to it on one occasion .he remarked:
ut is curious thing, isn't it, that two
of the principal men of Punch, Du Maui
rier tauthor of Trilby) and |, have only
two eyes between u.s.,
The political leaders, artists and lite
rateurs in London will gather about the
bier of the venerable patriarch to pay
tribute to his genius. It is probable that
a memorial exhibition will be given of |
his most celebrated sketches.