Evening star., 1941-01-26

paintings, which would serve as ar
all-time record and could be lent oc-
casionally for educational pur-
poses. 1t is this aggregation OF
historical canvases which is now on
view at Wesley Hall, where, through
the courtesy of Mr.. Wesley. they
may be seen by school children and
the general public for a limited
time.
Primarily, the purpose of these
paintings is illustrative, and the
subject matter was given to, rather
than chosen by, the painter; but in
not a few instances they are es-
sentially artistic, and all in all they
admirably perform their original
and chief function.
No one who is interested IN the
art of illustration, and a believer in
visual education. could fail to 1nd
this series of paintings of exceptional
interest and merit. They tell the
story of the development of high
vavs on this continent ever since the
first horses were brought here by
the Spaniards. possibly by De SOTO
himself, in order that he might
travel more widely and explore what
must have seemed to him limltless
land.
There is difference between
highways and roadWays. When, we
are told, Capt, John Smith met the
Indian chief Powhatan at his village
on the James River, below where
Richmond now stands, the main
highways of America were the
streams which flowed from their
mountain sources into the Atlantic
ocean. and the chief conveyances
used, canoes, made from logs.
Passing to Colonial times, the
planters had the hogsheads OF to-
bacco, which they shipped abroad,
rolled down to the shore without
conveyance, but drawn by oxen and
kept rolling on by Negro slaves.
The picture of such a group ap-
preaching it's destination is one OF
the most engaging of the entire
series of paintings. j.,
Much, however, may also be said
in praise of the painting of wood
land road in the wilderness, along
which, before the Revolution, Daniel
Boone and his fellow pioneers made
their way through Cumberland Gap
and so across the barrier OF the
Allegheny Mountains.
How much pictorial material these
progressive movements represent,
and how much courage on the part
of the settlers! A picture is shown
of a stage-coach arriving at the
Eagle Tavern, IA miles from Phlla-
delphia, on the Philadelphia Lam
caster Pike, built (and privately
ovned) in 1895 to expedite travel
between New York and the Quaker
Citv-the first extensive broken
stone surfaced roadway in this
country.
Water and Roadways.
The joint use of water and road
ways is emphasized plctorally-as
for example, in the painting OF fam
lilies disembarking from a Missouri
boat to begin, by wagon, the long
trek over the Santa Fe Trail; or,
again. in the picture of bride ana
bridegroom. for such they must un-
doubtedly have been, alightlng from
q boat on the newly built Erie Canal
to which Lafayette referred as "a
magnificent achievement.
The Indians are seen again 10
have plaved prominent part in guld-
ing explorers and earl y settlers Gown
the rivers of the Lake region ap-
preached from Canada. And, as
showing that nothing is new unoer
the sun, streamlined stage coach-
first cousin, or perhaps great-grano..
narent. to the streamlined buses OF
todav-en route from Kentucky to
New Orleans, may well be noted.
Not one of these pictures but mas
nictorial and human interest, out
that setting forth a covered wagon
drawn by oxen, along Ell Camlno
Real. has the added charm OF a
beautifully painted sky.
From the painter standpoint, an
other very notable picture IN tnls
exhibition Is of hay carts. IN 1870
nassing over the first plank road'
onened that year from Syracuse to
Oneida Lake-a very pleasing COM
nosition. we'll rendered.
Amusing and almost unbehevaole
Is the picture of THE Camel Elk,
nress" instituted, for speed and
economy, by Secretary Of War Je1-
ferson Davis, in 1857, between Albu-
oueroue and Los Angeles-a ratlonai
eyperiment. doomed to failure, oy
the obstinate opposition of American
mule drivers and Egyptian camels'
reither of which took kindly one TO
another. .,..o -.
space does not permit mention OF
even a half of the canvases IN tnls
series-but a word may be said OF
two or more of those which bring
the history into our own day-that
Is, let us say from 1900 on. Ihere
IS delightful picture of a rural
bicycling party, confused by mis-
guiding road posts pointing In Varl-
ous directions, with anxious eyes on
q shower approaching rapidly across
country toward them. There IS a
no less accurate record of the first
automobile-rival to the one-horse
buggy-balking by the wayslde
while postman. smithy and white
geese eye the silly contraption with
evident disdain. Somehow those
wears do not seem so far past.
Unromantic Roads.
Finally the new, the highways OF
TODAY. so smooth, so travelled, sc
inviting to speed and capable Of
eliminating distance-but, as COM
nared with those of the past, Sc
utterly unromantic and unlovely
Mention is made on the descriptive
cards attached of the fact tha
MANY of the roadsides are now being
heautified and we all know the!
are. those in Georgia, for example
bv the women of that State; bu
the Identification is not duly illus
trated, Is not this symptomatlc o
contemporary life-speed, convent
ence. ease, exchanged for adven
ture. opportunity to discover TO
oneself that which comes within tn,
1f xyicioYo and 9h0Va all