The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-11

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. 1.-THE
fact is not generally known that con-
gress has an artist. He is officially
! known as the designer of the bureau OF
painting, under Elliott Woods, who has
| charge of all the governments build
| ings and grounds in the district,
This artist, Mr.. Moberly, is a versa
| tile man, and he has to be. Everything
| that anyone connected with the capt.
| toll wants done in the way of art. de-
sign or painting it deVoves upon Mob
! erly to do His duties range from such
| difficult artistic feats as restoring one
of the famous Brumidi frescoes, when
| it has been practically destroyed by fire
to the making of giant map OF mar
l-r for some congressman TO use on the
floor of the house in pressing MS CAIN
for an appropriation.
Moberly made an appointment the
other day to meet reporter opposite
the room of the joint committee on
printing where he was painting
panel, but when the time came he was
not there. He had left directions that
he would be in his shop in the base
ment. There he was found executing
realistic likeness OF an AUTOMOBILE
license for some clerk who had lost his.
In about five minutes he did life
size portrait of district license tax,
which would have fooled any cop in the
country. He was rewarded with a
q
his interviewer, which shows that Mob
erly is not only a versatile artist but
also a generous and obllging one.
The greater part of Moberiy's work
consists in caring for all Of the painted
decorations in the capitol building. The
magnitude and variety of this JOB You
would never realize unless you could
accompany Moberly on tour of the
building. Not only are there a great
many oil paintings hung in the build
ing, but almost every square yard OF
every wall on every floor above the
basement is in some way decorated
either with design or a mural paint
ing or gilt molding. 1t is probably
no exaggeration to say that there are
acres of decorations in the capitol
building, all of which are more or less
subject to injury by time, moisture, or
violence For example, when, a few
years ago, some crank set off bomb
in one of the corridors and wrecked a
couple of walls, the principal thing tnat
he accomplished was the destruction Of
a hundred or so square yards of val
liable mural paintings by Brumidi
which it took Moberly many weeks to
replace. 1t Is a striking proof of his
familiarity, with, every men OF TINS
great building that he was able to re-
produce the Brumidi pictures from
memory in such a way that very close
! inspection is necessary to detect where
do MDhprltr'g Va
nI uli''ul $3.50 1i,Nt th1t w., J,,t ~ -,
EliS. rit t w. ,' rass lie AVN ;dnas
irH'o'ei 10 w. t,,, t n tha Mental hoots
"G' ~ ~ ini ortist and 10 nv, ~ 40
VI We w = 't',' tt - - u.as tr,,ing ~ do ~
Wl'"t va 10, ooainHotion and
ltat NhiNr rtistio I'm "''>'
~ 40 ,,i as '' ,,,1oiifisS fnr bis
N1ptt ~ - ra,ni''sr ond ~, on,hitinn
yIn poLn pS 1ira ~ naintn and mn,
| re toihe' ~ " f Xxx pnd his fatbnr's
| S'tiduH' ~, ilin i"tp, co .lnn, $50,
| lather loloHeu ~, fo,Ii,,,od ho+b II
| SONS, "lin ne las nof,toU t,,oht
| utSII "''S 'uiii rr~Ioi,e 49, ~
| IN tht old sei'oo', NJ xIoottd -
| me Hlu uays a ",a atLa W." m"+ alfford ~ :"
| liNe oH P"lt' r. nnmdorn ortist doee
| Spt' ,alL~t 9a anV ~ doirc oil sort'
| pH' ndu - pV S"P hoiS 40 ha n6le 70 nj y
! OF 5ons; re a''o ,n'u Io &c nI Ma ~ -
anG sllnu a NJ H. Nv" ohon,;str,, o. his MO
unuers'"hu t s,hnoi ot , r,S ~ ~ ,
Hth'S; III ''nS "d ana tbn
MohttN Was ,t,i T,i ~, ~, w., ','a.i
mas petil inta,"dul[ ~ fs ',n9 "' ,,S
| at me tTIltoi rV' ~ ~ h,,iIaj,,q CIV. nd
| II QfaI paintings ~ o'at pu''" dttS al .
uonS 1H no iSsS tf'' .,,ee ,ii ,n''
me- hoas. ., SOM "a o'Ih anI,,
! paintings, ;" tai'eu; u. w''irl' wy tuloi
! IS put upon wei pIaS ! anu n.Iow T,
I" soak IN some ar NaSel t"'uis anu
some are olts' .hs N'o th Ie"se djffor e"t