Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-17

Ranked as q preacher and O teaehsr
as well as an artist and q humorist,
thu public acciainas the contributions Of
Clare, Briggs, maker OF cartoons, as
death ends his career. He Is credited
with having taught ttae realities OF LIE
by the method Of wholesome humor.
and to have wen the ADMIRATION 81
millions through his good-natured pie
turing eff the amusing, everyday hap
penines la tbs life Of MT. eHa Mrs.
Average American. :,
"The Briggs cartoons were drawn,
according to the Roanoke World-NeWs,
with q fidelity to detail as well as with
a boidress of stFeke that eadeared tfem
to those who looked for good drawing.
In the Aela Of conception and execu-
ton, his work has been unique.
His drawings were furnished to many
newspapers net emily In this eeuAtFy, but
in some foreign countries, where their
s sEHrsssi sa,.vs e American aum0F were
within . select eoterie Of carlsatur-
lists" says the Springfield ihiheS
ity of human sympathy which amounts
to real artistry in this field, an enter
tanning and even inspiring influence In
the workaday program OF modern nv
c ms; o Irisss. Although he
often had the experience Of receiving
letters from parsons ,AeeukinE nlm OF
having capitalized, their own pecu-
liarities, that merely emphasized the
realism Of his efforts, and IT was ap-
parent that these little absurdities were
eonnaon to all people and expressed In
a vein Of the kindliest satire"
He had . Mark Twain understanding
of life. and love of seveFyday humans"
recalls the Grand Rapids Press. ATOP
of this he had wizards memory for
the tastes and smells that made boys
lick their chops, the look OF things to
the q. 10 or IA year old, the thousand
days, the innermost feelings OF both
country and city lads In the wholesome
and harmless gangs of years ago. With
this insight, he could make Q single
picture steal q whole priceless episode
out Of life and tell the entire story"
"7is humoT was of the sort which
brings q bit of lAist before the eyes even
Is we ehIekls;* suggests The Wsses s,as
Of humor, indeed-vths kind that Dickens
employed, and ThaekeFay. Briggs did
not go in for sophistieatien: nor did he
become the city Teller His work was
Main street, and since the country is
Main street, therein lies the value Of his
work. His creatures were always
folks A kindly, smiling satirist was
Briggs, wholesome and delightful in
huence In the daily life OF America for
two decades"
Briggs gave the country, at o time
when America needed it most" declares
the Harrisburg Telegraph, "a touch of
home life that did much 70 counterfeit
the arguments Of those vino were urg-
ing that home ties were breaking down
and dissolving under the pressure of
modern life. by the presentation Of
common experiences Of life Of past and
present, he taught the lesson, all I'M
consciously perhaps, that while dress
and customs may change, while the
ways Of one generation may not be
these Of another, human nature Is the
same now as 1t was q hundred years
ago. He dressed his sermons In smiles,
but they were sermons nevertheless. He
CARRIED his lessons in the gay habili-
ments OF laughter, but they were les
sons Just the same"
titles of his favorite products-"When
yelleT Needs . Friend" Amt 1t a
Grand and Glorious Feeling?" Some
body In Always Taking the Joy Out of
Life" and "Mr. and Mrs."-the Sioux
Fails Argus-Leader states that Briggs
brought smiles into the lives Of mil
lions and frequently pointed to q moral
feet" The Great Falls Tribune re-
marks: 1.-THE really great artist,
whether he is a cartoonist, O painter,
a writer, a musician, or an actor, Is one
who can portray life truthfully: one
who can find something extraordinary
In the ordinary. Briggs did this better
than most Of his contemporaries"
4 y
HE was as much teacher" con-