The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 23, 1896, Page 25

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 1896. HE NIGHT CLASS The latest addition to the educational facilities of San Francisco is the night class that has lately been opened at the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art. Itisthe first art night class ever started in this City, in which respect the metropolis of the Pacific Coast is about ten years behind otber places in the country of the same size. To be sure there have in the past been a few private night classes, where the students hired their own model and studio and divided the expenses among themselves. The Me- chanicy’ Institute and some of the' public night schools have had classesin drawing, but all of an industrial character. None of these in any way filled the place of the Hopkins Institute night class. The hiring | of the mode¢l by the students was expen- | sive, and besides they had no instruction. The night class at the Hopkins Insti- tute is on & par with any other similar class in the United States. It has the facilities, casts and life models, and the instructor, John Stanton, is an artist who stands at the head of bis profession. The price charged for tuition isa little lower than in either St. Louis or Chicago. Coming back to first principles, it is the same as the private night classes that ex- isted in the past—just enough to pay ex- penses, It is so low that any stuaent who really wants to study can pay it. As things are now there is no need for talented young men or women to com- vlain of the lack of opportunity. If they feel that they have talent and cannot | afford to give up paying employment to | attend the day classes they can go to the night classes and be sure that they will be put on the right track. The history of art study in the United States shows that a great deal more talent has been discovered in the night schools than in the day schools. The Art | Students’ League of New York, which | started as a night class, was really the | means of giving about twenty-five gredt | artists to the world. Had it not been for | the night class these men would now, | most likely, be still working at the same uncongenial trades they were when the | league opened its doors to them. As it| was in New York, so has it been 1n other | cities, and so will it be here. If no talent | is discovered, it is safe to say that none } i did’ all his work by inspiration, but it might be well to remark that he worked on an average fourteen hours a day. It isalso known that he worked ten years in a dissecting-room to acquire his won- derful knowledge of human anatomy. The class of instruction furnished at the Hopkins Institute night class is bf the highest order. The aim of the instruction is art. There is no industrial work of any kind. The students are not taught to make pen-and-ink illustrations, nor to de- sign furniture or gasjets; they are taught to draw. The methods used are the same 28 in any of the great art schools of the world, and whatever the student is taught will never have 10 be “unlearnea.” There are at present thirty-five pupils in the night classes, nearly evenly di- videa™ss to sex. They attend Mondays, Wednesdaxs and Fridays of each week and occupy Nhe same rooms and work from the same mvdels as theday students. There are three classes—the elementary, antique and life. The rooms are well lighted by incandescent electric lamps, shaded and tempered by reflectors. As far as facilities go there is nothing lacking, except daylight, which, after all, is not of any great importance for drawing in black and white. All of the stuaents of the night classes manilest an earnestness of purpose that is most encouraging. They have no time to waste. The two hours of each night must be made the most of. As a consequence the rooms are almost silent except for the IN THE LIFE CLASS ROOM. shading. All tne student is expected to do is to draw on paper the object in front of him or her as the case may be. This is art. The shading can be acquired later on. 1t is somewhat difficult to im- press this fact on many of the new stu- dents, They do not realize that the draw- ing is the hardest part of the study. In order to get into either the antique or life classes students must show samples of work displaying proficiency. If they cannot do that they must start in the *‘in- fant” class. Most of them have started there in spite of the fact that they brought some elaborate samples of magnificent stump shading. Many came to the school with exalted ideas of their own powers and specimens of commercial work from lithograph to colored photographs. Uniess they have a good drawing made from block, cast or life, they have to go into the infant class. Many of them show signs of great dis- appointment at being compelled to do this. “Why, I worked a whole year with Pro- fessor —,” said a certain young lady who ' exists; or if it does the owner of it is too lazy to attend the mnight school, which practicaily amounts to the same thing, for a lazy person will never make a success of art, even if he had the talent of Michael Angelo. Itis true that some say Angelo i scratching of charcoal and the voice of the instructor giving his criticisms. All the students in the Hopkins Insti- tute night classes work with the same material—charcoal and paper, with bread for erasers. There is nostump and crayon wanted to go into the life class, ‘‘and he said I was able to draw anything. And I bave got a diploma from him, too.” “Well, just sit down at thiseasel and make a drawing of the block in this posi- tion,” said Mr. Stanton, placing it in the easiest way to draw, “‘and if you doitright you can go into the life class. If Bougue- reau should come here and I didn’t know him and was not satisfied with his work I would make him draw a block just the same. Afterthat he could get along as fast as he pleased.” “Oh! that's easy emough to do,” said the young lady almost contemptuously. ‘A little thing like that won’t take me a minute.” But she worked a whole hour and then had only a tangle of lines on her paper that had very little resemblance to the object in front of her. They ranin all sorts of directions and the block appeared to be out of plumb, lopsided and bigger on one side than the other. The young lady worked hard and rubbed out and did it all over again, so that when Mr. Stanton came back she was feeling a little discour- aged, but fully convinced that she didn’t know anything about what she was trying to do. “You see,” said Mr. Stanton, “you know nothing about perspective.” “Perspective " she almost screamed in surprise. “Bo I have to know anything about perspective to draw a little block like that? Professor — never said any- thing about perspective and 1 made several large drawings under him.” “Most assuredly you have to know all about perspective,” the teacher answered. “There is just as much perspective in that block as there 1s in the Mills building.”’ “Oh, dear, is that so? Then I didn’t learn anything at all from Professor — and I cannot go into the life class.” “No, you cannot go into the hife class for many months, and what is more you will have to unlearn a great deal. What you have been taught in regard to this work is all wrong and you have to forget every bit of it.. Until you do that you can make no progress in drawing. Now, I will show you how this block should be drawn and then you can gain an idea.” “Why, it looks like a block already,” she said after the teacher had made about balf a dozen lines. *And can I learn to do that?"” “Yes,” he answered. ‘““All yon have to do is to get the lines in the right places and it will look like a block. Now you try itover.” Oh, what a struggle it was for that young lady todraw that block! But be- fore the evening ‘was over she had somethingon her paper that looked a little like the simple object in front of her and real- ized thatshe was really learning something. As she said herself,she could hardly wait for the next class night. All the next day she thought of what she bad been toid about lines running to a common center, and perpendicu- lar and horizon- tal,and wasicrazy to get at that block again. And she did. And by, etudy she drew it as it should be drawn, and is at present on the way to success, althongh at the bottom rung of the Jadder. But she has got the right ladder and is really climbing. “Do youlknow,’ she said last Wednes- day night, in confidence to her teacher, “that when you gave me that block to draw the first night I was disgusted with you. I thought it foolish to waste time on such things. The more I failed the more disgusted I became and was almost ready to go home. I thought you were trying to make me do something just for the sake of doing it. But when I saw you take the charcoal and do in ten sec- onds more than I could do in an hour my ignorance dawned on me. Isaw that you could do something that I could not and that gave me confidence in you.” The work in the antique class is done the same way as the elementary work. The students first make drawings of “frag- ments” of the hnman form from casts. First feet and hands, then arms and legs, and tiren heads. When they have mas- tered all of these they make drawings of the whole figure. All the drawing is done in charcoal, and the fragments are nearly always made life size. The life class, which is the Mecca of all art students, is on the floor above the an- tique classes. Only the full-length nude model is used, and the method of instruc- tion is to teach the student to draw the man in front of them. Not puta man in the same position as the one in front of them, but that particular man as he is from head to foot. Detail is not consid- ered. The student must show him by the character of the figure. There is as much individuality of character in a man'sarm as in his face, and that must be delineated by the outline before the work of shading begins. The work of putting in the muscles, veins, etc., is a comparatively easy matter. ’ There are not many students in the life class at present and they have all had con- siderable instruction before. However, there are 8 number of promising pupils in the antigue class almost ready to come in. There is no woman'’s life class yet, as there are none in the night school competent to enter it, a fact which was a. little sur- prising to the instructor. It was also dis- appointing, as a model for that purpose was on hand the opening night. Assoon as there is even ome woman student com- petent to enles such & class it will be started. The idea of the night class is to give the same opportunities to women as tomen. Many ofthe ladies in the antique class have had considerable previous instruc- tion, but the only ones who 2‘* \\ ssked to enter the life class LT- ' were those with no knowledge = of drawing at all, Bt “The board of directors is 7 particularly well pleased at the number of students we have in the night class,” said Secretary Martin when speak- ing of the matter. “‘The school has been open only three weeks, and the showing is a creditable one. But there is room for a good many more students, and I guess we will get them if they are in town. “There has been need for & night art class in this town for many years, but the school was never before in a position toestablish it. You see in a class of this kind the tuition must be low, and the board of directors are willing that it ghall be run if there is enough in it to pay for the instructor, the light and the model, which is really a big part of the expense.” There can be little doubt but what the school will soon be crowded, as students cannct fail to appreciate the advantages offered them. . The principal thing, though, is that it will be the means of discovering talent by giving an opportu- nity to all who think they possess it and put it to the test. ¢ Venders Fight a Lively Fistic Duel. ‘Exciting Scene in Daylight on a Downtown Street. The passers-by and loafers along Mont- gomery street were treated to the unusual sight of a duel between two men a few days ago—not qpe of the common modern duels, when men ‘‘draw beads’’ on one an- other over the sights of improved pistols, but the good old-fashioned kind like our ancestors of many thousands of years ago indulged in, when they went & one ane other with tooth, nail, fists, feet and every other natural weapon of offense, This duel differed from tne modern duel also in the fact that both men were quite badly used up at its termination. Like most duels of any age, the one in question was ‘‘all about aladye.” Like most quarrels, the worst sufferer was an outsider who was mot even acquainted with the combatants. The men who fought the duel are fruit- sellers, known respectively as Charley and Frank. Charley has his wagon in one place and Frank in another, and for many months the patronage and smiles of a fair lady customer have been equally divided between them. About a week ago the lady ceased patron- izing Charley and bought all her fruit from Frank. At first she did mot let Charley see her doing this, but one day she became bold. She walked past Charley's wagon, which was oo Clay and Montgom- ery streets, and up to Frank's on the cor- ner of Commercial. Charley lost his temper and followed her. When she had walked gayly up the street, enjoying the fruit, Charley called Frank into the alley and the fun com- menced. There were no police around, and inside the ring formed by the spectators could be seen a tangle of men mingling in a cloud of dust. They kicked and punched and clinched and bit, and when Frank was getting the worst of it a man whose name has since been found to be John Doe joined in the melee. Then the fight commenced in earnest. The new arrival was anxious to help Frank, but Frank didn’t want help, so he and Charley joined forces. They turned on the intruder, who was almost a match for both of them, and the air was filled with the sound of blows, mingled with oaths. Biff—bang—crack —— and the intrader began 1o weaken and in a few moments was laid out on the sidewalk, howling “murder” until a police whistle was heard. Charley and Frank forsook the scene of conflict and went back to their wagons, where they quickly wiped the blood from their faces and bezan calling their wares. As the man lying on the street contin- ued to howl for help it wasnot long in coming. He was assisted to his feet by the policeman’s club and sent to the jug in the patrol wagon. ‘When the trouble was all over the lady passed again, but this time she was talk- ing sweetly to a dudish young man she called Jim, and failed to even see the two bruised fruit-sellers. He‘Sa\A) Father i VINCIENTE, THE SONOMA INDIAN, WHO IS AND WAS ONCE GENERAL Junipero Serra 115 YEARS OLD, VALLEJO’S BODY SERVANT. \#ram @ photograph taken for “The “Call.”] An occasional visitor to the quaint town of Sonoma is an Indian named Vinciente, who is the oldest inhabitant in that part of the country. He declares his age to be 115 years, and that fact is pnclic_auy veri- fied by many of the first American set- tlers in the locality, who say thatin 1849 Vinciente wasa very old man. He was badly wrinkled, and had no taste for the sports of the younger members of his tribe. Vinciente likes to talk about himself. He speaks only his native tongue and Spanish, According to his own story he has had a most eventful career, although he has never been more than 150 miles from the place of his birth. Vinciente says that he was bore in a forest among the hills, not far from the present town of Sonoma, although he does not know the exact spot. His people were wild and he grew up like the rest of them, with a particuiar disregard for clothes. The first event of importance that Vin. ciente remembers was the pilgrimuge of a large number of his tribe to ses some won- derful man in a place far to the south. He was but a child at the time, but from what he has since been tola he thinks the journey was to Monterey, where Father Junipero Serra had lately founded a mis. sion. Atany event the members of his tribe were not greatly impressed, for they returned to their homes in the north after a very short stay. As Vinciente remembers, the years went | by monotonously until the Spaniards be- gan to settle the State, He well remem- bers the founding of Sonoma and the establishment of the mission. It was here that he became a Christian and was baptized. Shortiy afterward he was hired by General Vallejo to act as body-servant. For over twenty years Vinciente served in this capacity, and was with the General all through the exciting years that pre- ceded the annexation of California to the United States. Vinciente remembers the raising of the Bear Flag, but has no re- spect for the men who did it, because, he says, they took his master away from his home when he was defenseless and also treated the members of his family badly. When all was settled and peace again hovered over the land Vinciente still re- mained in General Vallejo’s employ. He held his position until just before the War of the Rebellion, when he became too old to work and asked permission to go and live in the forest again. General Vallejo granted it and also told him to come to bim when he needed anything. As long as General Vallejo lived Vin- clente went to see him every week or so and never failed to get presents of pro- visions and clothes. He likes his life in the forest, but cannot keep away from Sonoma altogether. Hesays that General Vallejo was the greatest man that ever lived, and General Vallejo has frequently made the statement that Vinciente was always a faithful, willing and obedient servant. In spite of his great age Vincients still has considerable activity left. He walks the fifteen miles from his present home to Sonoma in a day, but has to rest a couple of days before he isable to return. He says that he feels well and stiong as long as he doesn’t exert himself, but as soon as be does he finds out that he is an old man. Abandoned Light Tower on the Lower Bay. Liast of the Old Light Towers If the captain of any of the vast fleet of bay craft takes it into his head to sail into the harbor of Alviso at night, he will have to do so “‘in the aark,” and this is no easy task. It is easy enough to get out of tnat harbor, because bearings can be taken on the lights far up the bay, but which are behind the skip per who tries to get in. Ana yet there was a time, long, long ago, when the lower end of the bay of San Francisco was like a torchlight procession. At least that is what old skippers say, as they heave a sign for the good old days of gold long gone by. It was when Alviso was an important port; when all the freight for San Jose went that wa¥, and a railroad down the valley was considered only as a wild Utopian dream. Money was not as hard to get then as it is now, and when the ship-owners and freight-handlers at Alviso found it would take years to get the Government to ap- propriate money for navigation lights, they put them up and maintained them themselves. There were quite a number, and the tishing-boat owners also put up a number of small ones, but of a different color, so as to avoid confusion. These relics of the past were all aban- doned years ago, and most of them have fallen to decay, although an occasional bunch of sticks rising above low tides marks where they once stood. But there is one that seems calculated to stand for- ever. Itisat least half a mile from the present channel and isin about ten feet of water. S 1t is said to have been the largest of all the lights on the lower bey, and the man who looked after it did nothing else. In shape it is much like the stake lights in use along the rivers, but much more strongly constructed. It rises about twenty feet above the ‘wal and the keeper had to climb a rude ladder to reach the top. It must have been a dangerous undertaking in rough weather, At present the old l_lght tower is only tipped slightly to one side. A few of the rungs of the ladder are broken off, and the top is in a dilapidated condition. Btill it is possible that it could be used for a light, as the structare itself 1s perfectly sound. The only use to which it is now put, how- ever, is to serve a8 a wharf where the fish- ermen can tie their boats while mending nets. Mineral Water That Will Explode Of the hundreds of springs in California the waters that flow from one in Mendo- cino County are undoubtedly the most re- markable. The spring in question is known simply as “Little Soda Spring,”’ and is located about twenty miles north of Ukiah, 1n a very unsettled country. The water that flows from this spring is unfit for use of any kind. It contains too much solid matter to be fit to drink even if the taste were less like saleratus than it 18, and it isso “*hard” that to wash in it is simply out of the question, The peculiar- ity of the water is its explosive power, and also the strange way in which it shatters the bottle in which it is placed. The spring is looked upon as a curiosity, but visited by very few people on account of its out-of-the-way location. If a heavy bottle is partly filled from the spring, and, after being tightly corked and wired set aside, it will explode vio- lently in about ten minutes. The strangest part of the phenomenon, however, is that only that part of the bottle above the water -line will be shattered into frag- ments. The lower portion will nearly always remain intact and retain its con- tents. A piece of iron gaspipe, with thim- bles screwed on both ends, will explode in about half an hour if 1t is filled with the water. The causes of the action of the water are hard to get at as it cannot be transported to a laboratory for analysis. To carry it uncorked for even a few minutes will de- prive it of its power. The water is of the soda and sulphur variety, and it would seem as if it con- tained some solid substance that started to transform itself into gas as soon as it came in contact with the oxygen of air. This part and the explosion might be easy to account for, but how is it pos- sible to account for the fact that it ex- plodes only in one direction, like some kinds of gunpowder. Another strange thing is that at the instant of the explo- sion the surface of the water that remains in the unbroken part of the bottle becomes of a dense black, like ink. . There is no variation in the direction of the explosion, and a bottle can be broken off one inch from the top or one inch from the botiom, according as it is filled. It is estimated that there are over am( 000,000 sheep on the face of the earth and that they produce 2,000,000,000,000 pounds of wool annually Remarkable Effect of Bottling the Waters of a Spring in Mendocino County. Story of Antone the First Born ANTONE THE FIRST BORN, THE FORTUNE-TELLER OF PETA- LUMA CREEK, AND- HIS UNCANNY BOAT. Along the shores of Petaluma Creek are more homes of hermits, tramps, Cranks, etc., than in any other part of California. From the meuth of the creek all the way up to the little city bearing its name any amount of queer individuais can be found. The cause for this is somewhat hard to discover, but most likely les in the fact that the shores of the creek are not built up, and as a consequence the cranks are left to themselves. Antone the First Born, as he calls him- self, is one of the social leaders of the col- ony. Heis a fakir of the ola school, and strange as it may seem, he makes a living out of it. He says he is a fortune-teller, and also claims that his business is legiti- mate and has been recognized by civiliza- tion for 10,000 years. . According to Antone’s own story he does a good business and a large amount of good in the world. But his fellow cranks are not his “‘clients.” Not theyv. They bhave too much sense. It is the poor bay fishermen, filled with the supersti- tions of the south of Europe, who patron- izes Antone the First Born. At any rate Antone is making a good living and doesn’t have to work. He has a boat of the most uncanny description, and filled with all sorts of mysterious objects. When he is ready for business be has a skull mounted on a stick in the bow. In the center of the craft is an incense burner. The whole vessel is painted a dead black. He wearsalong black robe when invoking the powers of Space. As Antone’s customers cannot easily come to him, he goes to them at the little settlements along the bay shore. During the day he receives calls from those who want his advice, and at night he consults the oracle and gives the answer the next day. All the tomfoolery of a pastage is gone through with, and also a good deal of incantation which is very impressive to certain minds. Antone’s charges vary from 10 cents to 50 cents, for which sum ne will cast a horoscope. “The reason I have such wonderful power,” Antone said, “isbecause I am the ‘first born” of all my brothers and sisters. 1 have completely exploded the old idea that the seventh son had mystical powers. Juage for yourself. The first born mnearly always dies an infant, while the seventh born nearly always lives. ‘Whenever a first born ‘is spared it is be- canse he has a mission in the world, I have fulfilled my mission for sixty years, 1 know the past as far back as the time when the universe was only gas, and I can look into the future far beyond the time when even the sun shall cease to exist. Thousands of men to-day are studying things that I can enswer in a moment, They are trying to find out what elec- tricity is, but I know it is nothing but astral fluid.”