Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-12-09

NEW YORK CITY, Dec. 6-The
recent discovery of carving on tho
facade iof one of the University OF
Pennsylvania buildings, depicting
Woodrow Wilson in the act of chok-
ing the once Mexican president,
Huerta, would suggest that car
icons in stone may be fairly num-
erous throughout the country.
For awhile it was thought that
st. Thomas church here in New
York had a monopoly on this kind
Of decoration, but reports of SIM
liar architectural eccentricities are
now springing up in other cities,
while Europe is we'll known to be
full of them.
Architects are evidently playful
fellows and an indifferent, unob-
serving public has given them ad-
mirable opportunity to express
their satirical humor. Realizing
that their most, magnificent deco
rative effects receive but scant at
tention from the passing multitude,
they get even by slyiy carving a
few Ha, has! at its expense.
The dollar sign. which recently
called attention to the existence of
such architectural jibes, has been
plainly visible yer the brides en-
trance to st. Thomas church for IL
years yet church. officials it seems
cid not know it was there until a
couple of months ago when some
extraordinary inquisitive person
came along and pointed it out. New
York was delightfully."- shocked
For several Sundays st. Thomas had
enormous congregations. Through
IL ,rrl-Ir tho CfnnG of
the church were crowded with peo-
pie anxious TO see the dollar sign"
and comment upon its significance.
Even now, after the first shock has
su bsided, the church is still besieged
with s~ightseers.
Other discoveries, equally signi-
icant, soon followed. A carving
was found on the front rail of the
choir stall which showed three
sacks of the iloppy kind familiar
lied by ca%rtoonists as money
bags bearing tile letters -. T..
~" These were recognized as the
initials of J. Pierpont Morgan. who
at the time the church was built
was easily the most influential Epis-
copal church member in New York.
In the same series with the
money bags were found another
of intensely modern subjects never
mentioned in the Holy Bible. They
include e liners, dirigibles. To-
~comotives, telegraph and telephone
lines, modern bridges, automobiles,
airplanes cotton bales and other al
ticles of commerce and industry us
ually not associated with the wor-
ship OF God.
. Modern Types Portrayed
fha a time IT dnRn4nNnH
that the sculptures over the por-
tico were not copies of early Gothic
heads al had been carelessly sup
! posed, but were modern types taken
from Fifth avenue of today, or at
least Fifth avenue of IL years ago.
I They represent tired business men,
GiSrifed financiers with important
side whiskers and worried, wrin-
Killed. foreheads. drawing room he
roe with mustaches and m%onocles,
and smooth shaver, clean cut men
of the kind appearing in collar ad-
refreshments.
In defending these satirical touch
es in the decorative scheme of the
church, Mr.. l.. Donald Robb, who
was head draughtsman of the firm
that handled the building of the
church IL years ago, declared that
there was notnlnS particularly
amazing about them.
Not only is an artist well within
his rights" he said. when he
seizes upon the people and activities
OF everyday Re as he subject foi
church decoration, but ii would be
far better il more church archi'
teets and sculptors used these sub
Jects instead of employing abstrac-
tons. Too many modern artists
have been content in the decorations
of churches and public buildings Il
use inventions founded on old
sculptors and to repeat the same
decoration over again.
1T is the duty of an artist tc
supplement the efforts of th'
preacher by employing such design:
as will call the attention of the peo-
Pile TO themselves as they are IL
contrast 30 the Christian ideal. No
all things that the preacher says il
his sermon are pleasant. Neither
should all the subjects employed by
an artist in the decoration of {
church lie pleasant.
Those who think that the art
istr who decorated ST. Thomas havt
taken unusual liberties are evident
ly not very familiar with INCH o.
las rarv4ns Of the misercres in me
dievI churches. On those parts o.
tie choir seats against which th'