Authors and Writers Associated with Morristown Part 32

Dr. b.u.t.tolph's writings have been on insanity or mental derangement; also on the organization and management of hospitals for the insane; the cla.s.sification of the insane with special reference to the most natural and satisfactory method of their treatment, etc. These writings have been published in many magazines and journals, and a large number in pamphlet form. Also addresses, delivered on important occasions or before societies, have been published in pamphlet form. Of these, one is widely-known, given before the a.s.sociation of Medical Superintendents of American Inst.i.tutions for the Insane, at Saratoga, N. Y., June 17, 1885, on "The Physiology of the Brain and its Relations in Health and Disease to the Faculties of the Mind."

AUTHORS AND WRITERS ON ART.

Thomas Nast.

Mr. Nast, who has for so long been identified with Morristown, may be designated both as artist and bookmaker. In the true sense of the term, author, he may then be fairly presented, as probably no living man has wielded a greater influence through his power of expression. Many readers of this sketch will remember the consternation that prevailed upon the revelation of the Tweed Ring scandals and at the question of Tweed himself as he defied the City of New York,--"What are you going to do about it?"

They will remember how Mr. Nast with wonderful courage and grasp of the situation, came to the front and at great personal risk to himself and family, threw with steady aim, the stone which killed that Goliath of Gath and put to rout the Philistines. They will remember Tweed's exclamation: "I can stand anything but those pictures!" Mr. Nast, then, is a hero in our history, and the fact cannot be forgotten.

When the Washington Headquarters was first purchased from the Ford family, the original owners, by a few gentlemen who organized the Washington a.s.sociation to preserve the historic building and grounds, for a national possession, many will remember how Mr. Nast entered into the spirit of the Centennial Celebration there in 1875, when so many of the prominent men and women of Morristown took part, wearing the dress of the Revolution and working hard to accomplish the end of fitting up the building by the proceeds of the entertainment. All were astonished by the result in sales of tickets, collation, and little hatchets, of between eleven and twelve hundred dollars in one single afternoon and evening; so much, that the amount was divided between the Headquarters and the "Library" of Morristown, then in its beginning. Mr. Nast had much to do with this success. He worked early and late at the decorations and filled one of the largest rooms with his immense and humorous cartoons of scenes in the Revolution and the stories of George Washington.

The book published by Mr. Nast is now in our library, "Miss Columbia's Public School", and is a clever satire on the Northern and Southern boy and the general condition of Miss Columbia's pupils in the time of our Civil War. It was issued in 1871.

Another charming publication of Mr. Nast was brought out by the Harper Brothers for Christmas, 1889, under the t.i.tle of "Thomas Nast's Christmas Drawings for the Human Race". Of this says one of the critics of the time: "His Santa Claus, jolly vagabond that he is, seems to radiate a warmth more genial than tropic airs, and a gayety that overbears the sadness of experience. 'What a mug' does he show us on the t.i.tle page; so kindly, so roguish, so venerable, so comical, so shrewd, so pugnaciously cheerful! How seriously he takes himself, and yet what a wink in those twinkling eyes, as who should say, 'Confidentially, of course, we admit the fraud, but mum's the word where the children are concerned!'"

Thomas Nast came from Bavaria, with his father, at the age of six, and at fourteen was a pupil for a few months of Theodore Kaufmann, soon after beginning his career, as draughtsman on an ill.u.s.trated paper. In 1860, as special artist for a New York weekly paper, he went abroad and while there, followed Garibaldi in Italy, making sketches for London, Paris and New York ill.u.s.trated papers. His war sketches appeared in _Harper's Weekly_ on his return in 1862. The political condition of national affairs gave him opportunity for manifesting his peculiar gift for representing in condensed form, a powerful thought. His first political caricature established his reputation. It was an allegorical design which gave a powerful blow to the peace party.

Besides the _Harper's Weekly_ sketches, Mr. Nast has contributed to other papers and has ill.u.s.trated books in addition to those mentioned, in particular Petroleum V. Nasby's book. For many years, he brought out "Nast's Ill.u.s.trated Almanac".

In the princ.i.p.al cities of the United States, Mr. Nast has lectured, ill.u.s.trating his lectures with rapidly executed caricature sketches, in black and white, and in colored crayons. It is said by a contemporary writer that "in the particular line of pictorial satire, Thomas Nast stands in the foremost rank."

Rev. Jared Bradley Flagg, D. D.

The Rev. Dr. Flagg, recently a resident of Morristown, has just published a delightful and important book on the "Life and Letters of Washington Allston", Scribner's Sons, November, 1892. It is ill.u.s.trated by reproductions from Allston's paintings. Many remember the very striking full length portraits of Wm. H. Vanderbilt, Mr. Evarts and others, which were shown in Dr. Flagg's gallery in Morristown, on the occasion of a reception given at his residence here, a few years ago.

In addition to the book above mentioned, Dr. Flagg has written a great deal as a clergyman. He belongs to an artistic family, of New Haven, Conn. His brother, George, was considered in his youth a prodigy and his pictures and portraits attained celebrity. His style resembles the Venetian School, like that of his uncle, Washington Allston, with whom he studied. Dr. Flagg studied with both his brother and his uncle, and began as an artist at an early age, painting professionally and earning a living at sixteen. At twenty, "his love of letters, and fear of h.e.l.l," as he says, led him to connect himself with Trinity College, Hartford, Conn., and to study for the church. After an active ministry of ten years, during eight of which he was rector of Grace Church, Brooklyn Heights, his health broke down, and he devoted what strength he had left to artistic and literary pursuits, in which he is still engaged and in which, he tells us, he finds increasing interest with declining years.

Rev. J. Leonard Corning, D. D.

Dr. Corning has already been represented, in our group of poets. He has pa.s.sed much of his life abroad and has made a special study of art, upon which he is an authority. He was for several years a regular contributor to _The Independent_ and _The Christian Union_ on art subjects, and wrote for _The Manhattan Magazine_, a series of articles, among them, on the "Luther Monument at Worms", "William Lubke" and "Women Artists of the Olden Time".

The fruits of his art study have largely been put into the form of popular lectures, which he has delivered in many of the large American cities.

It is remembered that some years ago, during his residence in Morristown, Dr. Corning gave a series of art lectures with ill.u.s.trations, for the benefit of the Morristown Library. The proceeds were devoted to the purchase of books on art and the volumes thus added were selected by Dr.

Corning. In this way, the library is indebted to him for very valuable additions.

George Herbert McCord, A. N. A.

Mr. McCord, of the National Academy, is best known to us as an artist, bringing before us, with his magic brush, historic scenes of England, picturesque views of Canada, on the St. Lawrence and elsewhere, and many of our own country, among them spots of beauty about Morristown, which other eyes perhaps have not discovered until shown to them by him. But, he is also an art critic and one of those writers of out of door life, who find, like Hamerton, both rest and recreation among the scenes which he transfers to his canvas. Often he contributes to our papers and magazines current news from the art world to which he so essentially belongs. Sometimes, in his contributions to _The Richfield News_, for which he writes, he gives us a bit of word painting that is scarcely less poetic than the creations of his canvas. More than all, Mr. McCord is not a croaker. He never comes before us with that chronic wail of the neglect of American art. On the contrary, he tells us cheerfully that the most prominent dealers in foreign art productions are buying and selling works of American art. We like such cheerful summer writers, bringing bright visions of the future to our world of art.

Mr. McCord's beautiful picture, "The Old Mill Race", transfers to canvas a scene on the Whippany River. It also makes a fine addition to a little collection of "Choice Bits in Etching", published by Mr. Ritchie.

DRAMATIST

William G. Van Ta.s.sel Sutphen.

Mr. Sutphen, who is now permanently engaged in journalism, is no less a successful dramatist and, from the first, has shown those most attractive and rare qualities which are essentially requisite to reach dramatic success. A list of his more important published works will show that he is no idler, and includes several bright clever farces contributed to _Harper's Bazar_, among them, "The Reporter"; "Hearing is Believing"; "Sharp Practice", and "A Soul Above Skittles". Not long ago appeared a romantic opera ent.i.tled "Mary Phillipse; An Historical and Musical Picture, in Four Scenes." This is founded on certain events in the history of the city of Yonkers, Westchester County, New York, between the years 1760 and 1776. It was set to music by George F. Le Jeune, and produced with marked success, June 30, 1892, at Yonkers and on succeeding dates. "Hearing is Believing" was performed twice in Morristown in the same winter.

Mr. Sutphen has only lately published in the July number of _Scribner's Magazine_ (1892), a poem ent.i.tled "To Trojan Helen" and containing some fine verses. This is worthy of high place in Mr. Sutphen's intellectual work. Another poem of merit, "Insciens", appeared also in _Scribner's Magazine_. In addition to these, miscellaneous verses and sketches have been contributed to _Puck_, _Life_, _Time_ and other periodicals, and in most cases, anonymously. For the past eight years, Mr. Sutphen has had charge of the weekly edition of _The New York World_. While at Princeton College he was one of the editors of the _Na.s.sau Literary Magazine_, and one of the founders and first editor of the _Princeton Tiger_, an ill.u.s.trated weekly, modeled on the _Harvard Lampoon_. "Condensed Dramas"

and "Latterday Lyrics" should also be mentioned, a series of light sketches and verses contributed to _Time_ during the existence of that periodical.

It is, however, by his dramatic talent, that we wish to represent Mr.

Sutphen, and for this reason we expected and would be glad to give in full, were it possible, "The Guillotine; a Condensed Drama", which first appeared in _The Argonaut_, a San Francisco Journal. This is an extremely clever and witty comedy, perhaps the best of his dramatic writings, to which an extract will hardly do justice. We are thankful to Mr. Sutphen for contributing a little of the laughter element to the condensed ma.s.s, included in this volume, of theology, history, philosophy, poetry, romance, mathematics, medicine, art and science.

EXTRACT FROM "THE GUILLOTINE."

_Scene: The Public Square in a French Town. In the centre of the square is seen a guillotine. Enter venerable gentleman of scientific aspect reading a newspaper._

(In the first scene the professor, finding himself alone with the guillotine and seeing a notice of an execution to take place three hours later, is impelled to examine the instrument. He adjusts the axe and works the spring until he masters the mechanism, and finds the spring on the right releases the knife, spring on the left, the head. Finally he decides to put his own head on the block to try the sensation. Horrible! he cannot remember which is his right hand and which his left. While in this position, a party of tourists come along, armed with Baedekers and accompanied by a guide.)

GUIDE (_gesticulating_)--Zare, ladies and gentlemans. Ze cathedral! Ah!

ciel! Look at him. Magnifique! (_Chorus of "ahs" from tourists and general opening of Baedekers._)

GUIDE--Ze clock-tower ees of a colossity excessive. It elevates himself three hundred and eighty-six feet. (_Immense enthusiasm._) At ze terminality of ze wall statue ze great Charlemagne. Superbe! Chuck-a-block to him, Dagobert, Clovis and Voila! (_Catching hold of elderly tourist._) Le bon Louis. (_The tourists take notes with painful accuracy and minuteness._)

ELDERLY TOURIST--Very interesting. Rose, my child, have you got all that down. How old is the cathedral, guide?

GUIDE--It has seven hundred and feefty-six years.

SPINSTER AUNT (_Severely_)--Baedeker says seven hundred and fifty-five.

GUIDE (_politely_)--It ees hees one mistake. (_An exclamation from Rose.

Everybody turns._)

ROSE (_pointing to guillotine_)--Oh, do look there!

SPINSTER AUNT--It looks as though an execution were in progress. Baedeker says--

ELDERLY TOURIST (_eagerly_)--Is it really so, guide?

GUIDE (_indifferently_)--Yes, but zare ees no fee and zarefore no objection in seeing it. It ees modern--vat you call him--cheap-John. We will now upon ze clock-tower upheave ourselves. Zare are two hundred and one steps.

ELDERLY TOURIST--But we want to see the execution.

GUIDE--You enjoy ze ferocity? Bah! you shall have him. For one franc zare ees to see picture S. Sebastian--ver' fine, all shot full wiz burning arrows.

ELDERLY TOURIST--Never mind, we will wait. Do you think, guide, I would have time to go back and get my wife? I am sure she would enjoy it!