The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-21
would put up at one Of the big hotela.

would put up at one Of the big hotelA.
There he was entirely accessible to
any one who would spend long nights
In the saloon Over innumerable tank
ards Of German beer discussing jap
e pottery. the ideal planning OF
cities, Chinese scripts, Dutch painting.
cattle breeding and bacon curing. or
who would listen to his racy descrip-
tons Of his adventures i'm planning the
Canadian Pacific Railway.
At his home In Montreal his guests
would spend the day looking mt his
vast and varied collections Of old
masters and japanese pottery. In the
evening discussions on some OF his
40 diverse hobbies would 60 on till
well into the early hours. and II was
currently believed that when all his
comparatively youthful guests had at
last dropped OF to bed Sir william
retired to an immense attic fitted M
as a studio. and there. by the aid OF
an intense arc light. would begin to
paint one Of the ten foot canvases Of
western Canadian scenery which filed
up any gaps In his walls us yet uncOv-
cred BY old masters.
His curiosity and his power Of nc
quiring knowledge were rs Unsuitable
as his energy was restless and untir.
ing. In his attitude to art these char.
acteristics were apparent. His tenn
permanent aud his past life had been
too active to allow Of my profound
or cnntemplative enjoyment OF beauty.
Whatever his unusual faculties EN-
abled him to grasp in a rapid glance
he enjoyed exuberantly. hut beyond
that he never cared to penetrate. too
many other curious and odd interests
being ut hand to solicit his attention.
believe his knowledge Of japanese
pottery n remarkable. but ! think
what attracted him most was the pos
slbilities Of connoisseurship which
this study afforded him. He used at
one time to offer to tell the maker
Of n piece without seeing II. by feel
ing it with his hands held behind his
back. on condition that II he was
right the piece should he his. and II
he was wrong he should pay n forfeit !;
hut according to his own account he
was SO frequently right that the
japanese collectors with whom he
played the game finally fought shy
Of the ordeal.
His collection Of old masters. as
may he imagined. was ms varied and
as odd as his tastes. II was full Of
out Of the way and curious things
which other collectors would have
overlooked. but as far as I recollect
II was not a choice collection and con.
tainet few i%ndisputable masterpieces.
But ! mag he Understanding II. for
certainly after Ill these years and hnv.
ing only once visited his collection ]
find my memory Of Sir William Van
Horne's personality. Of his Astounding
vitality and his rough and ready COM
radeship more interesting and arrest
ing than any Of the objects which he
had acquired.
The burlington also contains an
acrount Of n new Civic Arts .Associa-
ton which has for Il direct aim the
wish to discourage the erection Of
hideous and unsuitable memorials In
memory OF those who have fallen in
the war. An exhibition Is to be or.
ganlzed, prizes will be offered for
suitable designs and committees will
advise those who wish to put IN
memorials and bring them into touch
VIII suIluule CTdItSIlltu. Z. r., WHO
writes a little article for the new
society in burlington. wishing 1t sue.
|cess, takes occasion also to lament at
the necessity for its existence.
He says: How useless have been
lall those little art books which for
the last fifty years, or ever since Rus
kin began to write. poured from the
publishers presses! How vain all
the lectures! How idle the artistic
tours organized for visiting the ar
tistic centres in Italy. Greece or
France. An examination Of any Eng.
fish church interior or a cursory glance
AT any public statues in our larger
cities proves how valuable the work
OF the Civic Arts Association might
become. The members. however. will
have to capture the sympathy and the
ears Of civic corporations In no less a
degree than that Of the bereaved about
TO express their feelings in marble,
brass. bronze " stained glass.
at Is just possible that the taste.
knowledge or influence Of the famous
names OF those who figure upon the
committee might easily direct with
wisdom what is vaguely called the
public but Is in reality private i'm
pulse. Fashion, whatever its faults.
lis often n useful weapon for the