The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1919-03-20
ENJOYABLE EVENING
At UN|vERSALIST
CHURCH
Innis Pictures Brought $3.50;
Total Receipts OF Evening
About $500; Audience
Delighted; Entertainers
AT Their Best.

The Universalist church was filled
to overlooking last evening with lovers
of music and art. The Bachmann or
chestra was at its best; it's members
are too well known to need comment
fro mus. Mr.. F e. Chidester gave a
saxaphone solo, Mrs. Alice Chapman
sang one of her beautiful songs in her
most pleasing manner, Mr.. George
Connors gave several of the latest
songs which brought much applause.
The Leader feels absolutely unable to
make suitable comment on the music,
but the fact that the audience was en-
thusiastic in its applause, recalling
each of the mover and over again, at
tested their thorough appreciation.
Of course, Mr.. George Inness, jr.,
and his charcoal sketch were the fea-
ture attraction of the evening.
But we are going too fast. After
the musical program was finished Mr..
J. c. Beekman introduced Mr.. w. Nor
gan Shuster, president of the Century
company. Mr.. Shuster paid high
tribute to Mr.. Inness as an artist and
a man. Claiming long acquaintance
and intimate relations, Mr.. Shuster
said he was proud to know that he
was friend of such a man as Mr..
Inness. Sincerity of heart, sincerity
of art, was the dominating feature in
the character of Mr.. Inness, said Mr..
Shuster, and we feel that just meet
ing Mr.. Inness once is sufficient to
convince any one that Mr.. Shuster was
correct.
Mr.. Inness then took the stage and
made a short but pleasing talk which
had the magnetic effect of making his
hearers feel. that they had always
been acquainted with him. We cannot
quote Mr.. Inness verbatim. He said
that he had not appeared before an
audience for many years, that he was
CICllUIIllS IlISli, CIlelI lie Nto dlI dIu HIS
legs would collapse, that if one of
them collapsed he would stand on the
other, for he would rather stand on
one leg than on no legs. He then got
busy with his charcoal and cloth and
soon made a beautiful landscape APP
pear on a white canvas, all the time
talking to and entertaining his audi
ence, while the orchestra played soft
music. 1t was a real joy to watch
this noted artist at work. He said
making pictures was the easiest thing
in the world-selling them, he said
was the difficult part.
Mr.. Locker then took charge of the
aucbioning of three very small paint
ings done by Mr.. Inness and proved
that Mr.. Inness had been entirely mis-,
taken in saying it was hard to sell pic.
lures for he had no trouble at all il
selling the pick Of the three to E m
Backus for $110, while the other two
went to Mr.. Frank Kimball, guest Of
the Tarpon Inn, for $115 and sos, re-
spectively. Mr.. Inness, being possess
ed of keen sense of humor went ovel
to the purchasers of his paintings ant
said he "came to condole with them,
though they wore broad smiles anC
felt they had gotten rare bargains
The proceeds of the entire evening
went to the benefit of the church.
The charcoal sketch made by Mr.. In
ness could have been sold for a big
sum but he declined to permit it's sal,
as it was something that would no
last, while his paintings will increas,
in value as the years roll by, ant
those little landscapes may some da!
be worth a kings ransom.