The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-02-19

ger tips of a cowboy or a dilettante en-
peror, had chosen for a medium the
BOY Artist of the San Saba. The out
come, seven feet by twelve of besmear>
ed canvas, stood, gilt framed, In the
lobby of the capitol.
The legislature was in session. The
capital city of that great western state
was enjoying the season of activity
and profit that the congregation of the
solons bestowed. The boarding houses
We're corralling the easy dollars of the
gamesome lawmakers. The greatest
state In the west, an empire. In area
n resources, had arisen and repudi-
ated the old libel of barbarism, law
breaking and bloodshed. Order reign
ed within her borders. Life and prop
erty were as safe there, sir, as any
where among the corrupt cities of the
effete east. Pillowshams, churches,
strawberry feasts and habeas corpus
fourished. With impunity might the
tenderfoot ventilate his "stovepipe'' or
his theories of culture. The arts and
sciences received nurture and subsidy.
And. therefore, it behooved the legis-
lature of this great state to make APP
preparation for the purchase of Lonny
B%riscoe's immortal painting.
Rarely has the San Saba country
contributed to the spread of the fine
arts. Its IONS have excelled In the
solder graces. In the throw of the
lariat. the manipulation of the esteem
ed As. the intrepidity of the one card
draw and the nocturnal stimulation of
towns from undue lethargy. But hith-
erto it had not been famed as a strong
hold of aesthetics. Lonny Briscoe's
brush had removed that disability.
Here among the limestone rocks, the
%succulent cactus and the drought
parched grass of that arid valley had
been born the boy artist. Why he
came to WOO art is beyond p%ostulation.
Beyond doubt some spore of the af-
fatus must have sprung up within him
ia spite of the desert soil of San Saba.
The tricksy spirit of creation must
have melted him to attempted express
sion and then have sat hilarious among
the white hot sands of the valley
watching its mischievous work. for
Lonny's picture, viewed as a thing of
art, was something to have driven
away dull care from the bosoms of the
critics.
The pa~inting-one might almost say
panorama-was designed to portray a
typical western scene, interest culmi-
mating In a central animal figure, that
Of a stampeding steer. life size. wild
eyed, fiery. breaking away in a mad
rush from the herd that, close ridden
by a typical COW puncher. occupied a
position somewhat in the right back
ground of the picture. The landscape
presented fitting and faithful Access
series. Chaparral, mesquit and pear
were distributed in just proportions. A
Spanish dagger plant, with its waXen
blossoms In a creamy aggregation as
large as a water bucket, contributed
floral beauty and variety. The dis
lance was undulating prairie. bisected
by stretches of the intermittent
streams peculiar to the region lined
with the rich green of live oak and
water elm. A richly notified rattle
0udhc lay COllCu DCAtutu d Ddle SIecI
clump of prickly pear in the fore
ground. A third of the canvas was
ultramarine and lake white-the typi-
cal western sky and the flying clouds.
rainless and feathery.
Between two plastered pillars In the
commodious hallway nea the door of
the chamber of representatives stood
A. ,,:,1;.r Efts1oy, Dr1 Ia r-~o -or.
passed there by twos and groups and
sometimes crowds to gaze upon it.
Many-perhaps a majority of them
had lived the prairie life and recalled
easily the familiar scene. Old cattle
men stood. reminiscent and candidly
pleased. chatting with brothers of for
mer camps and trails of the days it
brought BACK to mind. Art critics
were few in the town. and there was
heard none of that jargon of color.
perspective and feeling such as the
east loves to use as a curb and a rod
to the ~pretensions of the artists.
TWAS "A great picture. most of them
agreed. admiring the gilt frame-larg-
er than any they had ever seen.
Senator Kinney was the pictures
champion and sponsor. 1t was he who
so often stepped forward and assert
ed, with the voice of a bronco buster.
that it would be a lasting blot, sir.
upon the name of this great state If
it should decline to recognize in a
proper u1nner the genius that had so
brilliantly transferred to imperishable
canvas a scene so typical of the great
sources Of our state's wealth and pros
perity, land-and-er-live stock.
Senator Kinney represented a Sec
ton of the state in the extreme west
400 miles from the San Saba country
but the true lover of art is not limited
NV mefes and hounds. Nor was Sen