Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 October 1894 — Art in the Occident. [ARTICLE]

Art in the Occident.

Harper's Magazine. The following is said to be a ver batim account of the introduction ol an eminent violinist to a far Western audience; “Ladies and gentlemen,’’ began Col. Handy Polk, the well-known real estate agent, stepping to the front of the stage and addressing the audience, “it is my privilege tei interduce to you Signor , the notorious furrin fiddler, who will endeavor to favor us with some highclass and A No. 1 violin playin’. The signor was born and raised in Italv, where fiddlin’ is not merely a fad, but as much of a business as politics is in this country, and when it comes to handlin’the bow he knows emphatically where be is at. He hasn’t dropped into this place by accident but comes under the auspices of the Literary Society, which is payin' his wages and backin’ him to the last gasp. So let it be understood that if you happen to have any criticisms to offer, you are to do your kickin’ ,t;i the society and not to the signor. I’ll jest add that it you expect him to swing the fiddle arouud his head or play it under his leg, like we used to skip stones across the swimmin’ hole when we were little boys and girls, you may just as well go right now and git your money back from the doorkeeper, for the signor hain’t that kind of a player. That’s all I have to say at present. Start her up, signor. '*

“Have you noticed the novel scheme I’ve devised for attracting attention to my window?” said a a downtown tailor, yesterday. “You see, I take a great pride-in making a neat window display, but many people used to pass right by without taking any notice of it. Then I set my wits to work. As a result I procured some old glass, and after breaking it up in small pieces, pasted it on the inside of the store window. Now the whole pane looks as if it were cracked, ana hardly anybody passes without stopping a moment tu examine it."