The Coolidge examiner., 1933-03-03

in the industry are in deep demand by collectors.
One OF the masterpieces of st. Nicotine stands
today at the front door OF n tobacconists shop
the Rue ST. Jean, In Quebec city, where II
was placed fifty years ago. The owner has re-
fused $500 for II.
"Jobln was a humble artist, who never talked
of art for arts sake, but did whatever his hand
found to do. What was in demand sixty and
seventy years ago was figureheads for ships.
Canada was a center of the wooden shipbuild-
ing industry. SO the young John, although he
went for a brief period to New York, found
more ample scope for his talents at home
"Forty years l carved for ships John said.
Then the steamers came In and iron had no use
for wood. J eSti long carved Indians. / also
carved the figure OF notary for notary's door
in Montreal. But for years / have done mostly
angels and apostles and saints
Johns art will not altogether die with him.
He leaves behind him n nephew Edouard Mar
cotte trained in his craft. and Ste. Anne, though
the great master of wood carving is no more.
will not be deprived of sacred iconography."
While some dealers commissioned" home
talent carvers to execute" their Indians, the
wide demand gave birth to a new trade. Re
search has failed TO disclose any evidence of
a factory for making wooden Indians. but the
braves were carried a line by the drum
mers" for wholesale tobacco houses and pic
lures of Indians graced their catalogues.
Edward Hen one of the leaders in the to-
bacco business In the East, found profit in the
propagation of the new Indian race and adj
vertised the braves for sale as early as 1856
In 1871 Hen assembled in an old fve-story
building in New York city congress of wooden
Indians, certainly a fearful sight Hundreds of
red men. squaws and white figures, all freshly
and daringly painted, lined the walls.
twenty-five dollars was the average price for
the commonest variety of wooden Indian-often
braves which had been traded for other figures
and repainted. But what a difference time has
made in the cigar store Indian market 1t might
be possible to buy one for $50 In these depressed
times but it's very doubtful.
Several years ago the Cleveland Plain Dealer
conducted a wooden Indian contest" which
brought to light a number of these interesting
relics and as a result one of them, Seneca
john" alias 1.-THE Tiffin Tecumseh," achieved
lasting place in the annals of American an
tiquities when he was sold by Albinus Elehert
farmer living near New Regel, Ohio, for 500
to Henry Ford, who has given the redskin a
permanent home in his museum of American
antiques at Dearborn, Mich. Mr.. Ford had had
"squaw' for some time, but desiring mate
for her, he instituted search for one which
resulted in his acquiring Seneca John"
A year or so ago Mark Sullivan, writing in
the New York Herald Tribune on the many
signs of a rapidly changing America, said "An-
other news item that makes vivid the quick pass
ing of recently familiar features of American
life Is this in the New York Herald Tribune
Penn Yam, n. Y.-One of the last members
Of vanishing tribe of wooden Indians has been
purchased for 500 by an antique dealer here.
year ago the hand-carved Indian was sold by
Montour Falls tobacconist for S10'
"a 1000 per cent increase in value within a
year suggests extreme rapidity In the process
of antiquation. So quickly does change come in