Evening star., 1924-05-11
Army Sergeant Talented Artist
And Also an Embroidery Expert
Man Pluck Has Risen From SauunT Laboer Military
Work-Desqner Of Lnsqn;a for Commands.
r all the astonishing wonders
of Washington the case NJ

Edward C. Kuhn of the
| coast artillery-a hard
boiled Army sergeant. who paints
beautiful water colors. oils and pas
tells, designs complicated coats of
arms and military insignia and en-
oroiders more expertly than any of
the Capital city fair sex-stands in
the fore rank
The romantic story of Kuhn's life
is as thrilling as though it stepped
right out of the pages of America s
pest novel. Success to this soldier
mas been heavy, uphill going all the
way Discouragements to Kuhn,
however, have been revised into re-
neWed determination to make the
peak grade. BY plodding pluck he
mas hrldged the gap from sawmill
iaoorer to Army sergeant, to cham
pion designer of military insignia,
regimental crests and coats of arms.
no mas geared an artistic training to
an extraordinary line of work
Kuhn, for recreation and diversion,
works adepuy with needle and silks,
and designs and embroiders center
pieces, portieres, pillow covers and
curtains. Just because he is expert
with embroidery do not think for a
minute that this top sergeant of
washington is effeminate Twenty
SIX years In the ranks, mess halls and
barracks Of our national rosts in
Cuba. Porto Rico. Panama, the Phil
ippines, Japan and all sections of the
united States have taught Kuhn all
the tricks of the soldiers trade He
Is as expert at fisticuffs or feats of
strength as he is. proficient with nee
Gle and paint brush or drawing pen
GIL He may be able to Cross stitch
the most complicated embroidery pat
tern, but he is also brave and fear
less. Charging an enemy dugout
amid a rain of shell1re is another OF
his accomplishments
kuhn's first job was that tof saw
mill laborer in a numbering camp in
New York state. There he put in
ten hours daily at the working end
or a canthook, feeding huge logs to
the whirling steel teeth. Work was
over for the day for the rest of the
v.
The real work of the day Just began
Tor Ed Kuhn when his ten-hour shift
at long manipulating was finished.
Five nights a week Kuhn hurried
home, grabbed a couple of sand
wtchaS, changed his clothes and sour
Fled away to the station to catch the
evening train for Buffalo, fourteen
miles away. Perhaps you may think
that Kuhn, being a lumberman, was
training to become a wrestler or prize
fighter; that his visits to the city
permitted him to work out under the
tutelage of an experienced coach. No,
Kuhn did not go for any such pur-
pose He Travelled regularly to Buff
falo to attend art school. His ambi-
tion was to become a professional
painter. He endured monumental
hardships in order to crafty this de-
sire.
The limited train on the return trip
did not stop at kuhn's village He
had to leave the train five miles up
the line, at a junction, and hoof it
home. Five nights in the seven he
crawled between his blankets later
than 1 o'clock in the morning. This
gave him but five hours of rest, as
he had to be at work in the sawmill
by z o'clock.
For a half year the youthful woods
man-artist lived up to his strength
racking schedule and mastered the
rudiments of the culture which he
coveted. Then the Spanish-American
war brorke out and Kuhn enlisted in
the New York state volunteers.
DEING a soldier did not deter the
former sawmill workman from
continuing his art work. He devoted
all his spare time to his curious side
line. Occasionally some of his mates
his dollhouse paintings" Sometimes
, Kuhn had to prove his adeptness at
rough and tumble fighting before his
tormentors would LAY or" He
fought as enthusiastically as he
painted, and shortly his comrades
learned to leave him alone.
Stationed near New York city for
leisure to studying art under the di-
rection Of George De Forest Brush,
one OF Americas modern masters.
Some of Mr.. Brush's productions are
on permanent display in the National
Museum. Corcoran and Frear art gal
leries here in Washington. His
paintings of Indians and madonnas
are notable. One of his masterpieces
lis a picture of an American Indian
spearing a large moose.
Kuhn learned much from George
Brush about art. His regiment was
transferred to Massachusetts. The