The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-06-29

course was of death-which sort was the best. That said he, which is unexpected"
 The sudden death of John Sanford Saltus in the Hotel Metropole in Lon | don recently has received wide news paper mention This was because ot his devotion to art and his generous patronage and substantial gifts mod estly bestowed in Europe and this country.
 Forty-six years ago MT. Saltus was | a resident of Fairfield, and his home with his parents was the large house | occupied till his death by the late Samuel H. Wheeler.
 MT. Saltus' acquaintance in art circles in Bridgeport will be remem- bered with pleasure by many present day residents. In the fall of 1878, when he was 23 years old, he called upon the writer and made arrange ments for private drawing lessons to be given at his home in Fairfield. The 1 lessons covered a period of several years, during which time many inter esting circumstances transpired.
 Taught Drawing in Schools.
 During these years the writer was instructor for the free drawing classes maintained under the direction of the Board of Education of the City of Bridgeport. He also taught teachers of the public schools a, system subse- quently employed to teach art in their various departments. Besides this work, the writer exhibited many paintings in Bridgeport. at the Academy of Design in New York. also in Philadelphia and Chicago.
 MT. Saltus was of very retiring and modest disposition, but he was anxious to meet artists and to become acquainted with their studio life. Once during the semi-weekly visits to MT. Saltus' studio, the conversation turned into a discussion of the pleas ure he would derive from wide ac- quaintance in art circles. The writer agreed to be his guide into the mysteries of metropolitan studio life
 At short intervals trips were made to New York where the writer intro duced his pupil in the studios of Henry A Loop, James Beard, Francis phrey Moore, James Hart, and many others. At these visits MT. Saltus in variably purchased a painting, there by securing some valuable examples of the work of these well-known artists. One especially noticeable characteristic was his refusal to haggl4 over the price, He always paid the sum asked by the artist.
 Mir. Saltus was a stickler for good form. which is we'll illustrated by the following incident: He and his par ents were passing the winter in the Fifth Avenue hotel, long since razed He sent an invitation to the writer to come to New York as his guest to visit Sarony's Art Gallery, where was on view a painting made by Sarah Bernhardt, the great French trage dienne.
 Before leaving the notel Mir. SaItus produced a pair of white kid gloves and white necktie which he said were proper for wear on such an occasion. After this ad6rnment in the middle of the afternoon, we walk ed along Broadway to the Sarony studio.
 Atmosphere Was Thick. Sarony. in long gown and skull cap received his visitors The atmos- phere was heavy with burning incense and the large gallery was in dark ness save at one end where hung T pair of velvet curtains. At a signal the curtains were drawn aside and in of the French actress. The subject was a young girl holding huge cornucopia, out of which protrude l a human skeleton.
 Sarony. with clasped hands whis- pered in reverent tones: 'Is not that a magnificent example of high art, as ! interpreted by the Divine Sarah?" After five minutes of breathless si1- ence. the curtains closed and we were bowed out to make place for the next batch of visitors-at five dollars apiece. MT. Saltus declared that the exhibition was worth the money. but it seemed to the writer to compare favorably with Barnum's side show exhibit of the "cherry-co1ored cat"- black cherryi However it was good form" to agree with his hosts opin- ion. so that was done.
 Years slipped along until 1sS9 when the writer planned a trip to Europe for the purpose of study When Mir Saltus heard of it he was delighted for he was anxious to secure from abroad a suit of arnaor So he commissioned the writer to buy one for him and bring it back upon his return Not being particularly fami- liar with iron clothing. and also un- able to speak the French tongue it seemed wise to secure a letter of in l. troduction to someone in Paris who could procure the desired article at . reasonable price.
 Being a member of the Book and Snake"-or the --Cloister''. as it is society letter was dispatched by the writer to Thomas G. Bennett, also a member of the society. As MT. Ben nett was president of the Winchester Repeating Arm company. and still is for that matter. the request was made of him that he give a letter of intro duction to the Winchester representa- tive in Paris. MT Bennett not only promptly sent the desired letter. but. upon presenting it. the writer found that the Winchester representative had already been informed of his arrival and instructed to extend every courtesy
 The result was that a very superior