The San Francisco call. [volume], October 20, 1907, Page 2, Image 2

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
POLITICAL EARTHQUAKES
THAT SHAKE KINGS
OFF THEIR THRONES
[T Is » time of tottering thrones. \u25a0
Many beads that » have lain us
•asHy beoau*« they won crowrui
wtU soon b« freed of the burden,
ettber beeaos* they voluntarily with
drew or yielded to the wishes of their
csbjocts or some other power and go
Into retirement. a'
The case of Korea's ruler Is perhaps
the most notable of the recently com
pleted abdications.
The hermit ruler of this hermit land,
which In every phase of its life and
customs Is hundreds of years behind
the r«Esßinder of the world, a queer
survival of the past, placed close to one
of the most progressive of modern na
tions, has been torn from his throne
by Japan.
For a long time he faced the fate
(that Is now his, but the fore« that kept
Ms throne tottering was Russia.
After the war in which mikado tri
umphed over czar, Korea rejoiced that
It had been delivered from the grasp of
the Muscovite, but the old saw of out
of the frying pan into the fire gets a
new Illustration in this case, for hav
ing stopped the plans of St. Petersburg
Japan immediately takes possession
herself.
A military governor to be appointed
MONI, THE RIGHT HAND
OF
LOCAL
SCULPTORS
Hanna Astrup Larsen
a *\ \f IHT don't you write a story
\Y /about Monir' said the
Y^Vf sculptor, Arthur Putnam,
when I was leading him,
an unwilling victim, through the stages
cf on Interview about. himself. Putnam,
it may be added in parenthesis, does
not like to talk about himself. By
way of diverting the attentions of the
Interviewer into another channel,
moved also by a generous Impulse to
give credit to his bumble assistant, he
pointed to the man engaged In making
\u25a0what looked like overgrown mud pies
In a corner of the studio. The place
was the shack at tbe back of the park
museum where Arthur Putnam and
•Carl Cummings, with the help of Moni,
iare evolving art out of ugliness. Un
finished clay models, plaster casts, sev
ered limbs and headless trunks populat
ed the place. It was a matter of steering
iyour way carefully between frames
(holding plaster casts and pails full of
the white liquid.
"Who, and what la Mor.l?"
"Monl is assistant to every, sculptor
in San Francisco, and has had a hand
In every big thine: that has been done
here for ever co many years past He
has worked with Wells. Happersburger,
!Jftttcen. Tilden and Cumraingrs. I like
jto do my own grubbing, when I have
!tlxn«, but when I , have much to do I
jhave to call in an assistant, and then .
I call on 110r.i."
! The - Idea caught .my Imagination.
.There Is something fascinating in the
study of- tne humble craftsman, whose
jpatleno* and skill make the
;work of. the artist. Before the, dark
•virile bronze or, the gleaming marble
[became the .vehicle of. the master's
.thought, there was much drudgery^ of ,
Iclay and, piaster to be gone through/,
much downright, bard v ,"grubblng,V not
more esthetic than that of the laborer
in the street, but requiring Qualities"
|not found in the average laborer. .TTnen
Jdeas are chasing 'one another through
the sculptor's head clamoring .for. ex
'presslon, when visions take form in his
mind, then he is- fortunate- if he has
•at bis beck and call the skilled crafts
man, whose bands respond to the im
petus of the artist's brain.
". : The sculptor's assistant must know
Jhls materials thoroughly. . He must
know Ju6t exactly how dry or how wet
the - plaster or clay should must
know how to - equalize • pressure * and
how much to ' use of everything. His
by the mikado supplaßxs the king of
Korea. - .
France also has just completed a
piece of king deposing. But in this'
case humanity is the gainer, for the
ruler who has been taken from his
throne bore the title of being the most
cruel of all nionarchs.
Thanh Thai was king of Annam, in
Cochin China. Annam is a French pro
tectorate, but as in other instances of
colonization by European governments
in the far east, it has been deemed
policy to let the native king maintain
his authority, provided he admits his
.obligation to serve the interests of
France. By permitting him a quasi
authority the affairs of the kingdom
are kept under better control, the peo
ple will yield readier obedience if one
of their own kind maintain" the sem
blance of power, and the tendency to
rebellion ls^kept in check by granting
them a native king.
This policy works^well except for oc
casional outbreaks like that in 1889,
when the French government had to
depose Horn Nghi because of the mas
sacres of French residents he permitted.
Horn Nighi was replaced with Thanh
Thai, selected for his^alleged intelli
gence.
Thanh Thai gave no offense until
within the last couple of years, when
it is said he became insane. Then he
developed the most ferociously cruel
tendencies.
About seven months ago France was
horrified by a story too circumstantial
hands must be trato«9 tm tb*r «f«
almost , as ; deft and sensi tire as the
master's own, and his «ye most note
the slightest shifting or divergence f rota
the original model, while the many pro- '.
cesses of taking to pieces and putting
together, of > casting and recasting, are
gone through. He must have \u25a0 Infinite
patience, infinite ,' capacity -- for ; taking
pains, nicety of perception and delicacy
of touch.
San ; Francisco artists have such .'a j
man in Carlo ' Moni, the \u25a0 man whom . I ',
saw ' making mud pies 'in Putnam's
studio. He ls> tiatlve of Italy,* and it
would-be pleasant. to think ; that h!8 =
gifts ; as a : Tnear artist" : were Imbibed "\u25a0
.with the atmosphere of the land where
masterpieces '; crop out , of - the . ground \
with the ; turning of : the" sod. The fact c
• is, however, ; that the . qualities " needed ;
in : the man who - enables a ' sculptor
to be doubted, yet which; rivaled the
horror stories \of the most morbid mas
ters of fiction.
It was said that the king mid given
a feast in honor of the murder of seven
of his wives, and that the body of , the
wife he liked least- was cooked, and
served, and that on pain of ., death* he
compelled his courtiers to feast on the
remains. ; .
The power of the monarch, over his
own people is absolute," for he is held
in religious veneration, and none dared
resent his acts or " even complain to
France. of them.
But the clamor forced the starting of
an investigation. Then it: was found
that the king had been subjecting his
people to the most awful tortures. The
palace frequently looked more 'like an
abattoir- than the dwelling of a king.
Some of his wives hung from the cell-
Ing,' fastened by prongs, with pincers,
in their flesh; others bad their tongues
cut out, and; could only in muteges-.
ture express their suffering; .some had
been boiled in toll; others caged with
wild animals and torn to pieces.
Such a condition of affairs admitted
of orfly one remedy. The king was di
vested of all power and . made, a virtual
prisoner in his capital city of Hue. 'The
affairs of his country; will In. the future
be i administered by. a regency consist- 1
ing of the council of ministers, with the
minister of justice as'presldent. *..
The 6,000,000 subjects of this monster
have profound cause to be thankful for
this deposition, for none knew, from one
to "WOTi: aJonjrfMTfce of loast resist
ance 60 - not \u25a0. necessarily include '- any
especially developed artistlo sense, but
merely the sense of the skilled crafts
man. : Still it goes almost \ without > say-
Ing that oonturiss of | familiarity with
art bar* I developed ila % even \ the . peas
ants :of - Italy f a reverence j for art i and
a .<\u25a0 sympathy v* .with S the s artist"?: which *
would be much less * likely to : be found
In Texan or Tennessee. , s '\u25a0
';? **How Glongl have been : in^this
country 7*; was; asked,". v % : '
Moni looked blank, ' :
"Quando anno you San Francisco7"-^
or. something like that- -asked : Putnam,
coming. to the rescue.
Ai." grin V ». of i comprehension : , flitted
across Monrs features,' and ho gave the ;
number of ; bit * years . in Calif ornia as :
eighteen.',' ':;\u25a0"\u25a0<' V y .\u25a0'.:';\u25a0.-.\u25a0;. '^/.V => -I-.';h*; -;
"you came \ from Italy 7V I asked, en
day to the next what his newesttbar-
barity- would be. '\u25a0-
Several^ other ; abdications or deposi
tions are possibilities of the near fu
ture.;— "\u25a0'. -:; : ' ''"\u25a0:""-\u25a0.' '•z\ y :J-W~-i?hl'£ •".'
It is knowrf that- the aged Emperor
Francis Joseph would gladly yield up>
the cares of state and retire ; into
privacy. Life has not dealt kindly, with:
the beloved ruler of Austria. Hungary,
and even .the affectionate support of his ;
people cannot -make him anything but;
thesaddest of old men. •
The^ mysterious death of the Crown
Prince Rudolph' 18. years ago.Hhe mur-;
• der ; of ' his wife and quoen, the • lovely
Elizabeth, were all blows that knocked
thejoys' of llfefrom the monarch's px T;
istence," and it; would be no surprise at'
any time >to ;see him pass from the
sphere -of power. *
King' Peter, ; of .Servia is another*
European^ ruler /who at any time may'
: : flnd' himself divested of power.r.lt is ;
: said that he Is the most desolate of all
of the old world. He walked'
to his- throne through blood, for it is a
pretty' well, establlohed fact. that, he
knew in advance of the contemplated
murder of Alexander and Dragaand,,
had agreed to take the throno when
that horrible . assassination had cleared
the, way for him."
Since . he ; came to Belgrade as ruler I
King Peter has never known a_ peaceful
day.fpr surroundlnir him in high places
of ppwer ar^ those who took the lives
of the former .king. and queen. Peter
dare not punish": them, and:' he cannot
lightened by the - sculptor's pidgin
Italian. ' \u25a0.\u25a0 - : \u25a0'••;-• : . ;\u25a0\u25a0 ;'-•<.". \u25a0.; ;' v./ \u25a0\u25a0\u25a0--_\u25a0,
; .'.'No Italee. : No likee Italee," said; the
man who • had - not yet : learned .the : lan- : :
Kuasro of .his i adopted \u25a0£ country. U "No "*
money; in j Italee. % ? Money In ; name, : no -
money, in pocket,**, he said, thrusting his -
hand in^ hia pocket .with An ; empty, thud .!
and J \u25a0preading,; the": fingers \. meaningly.^
He could pun- ln^ English anyway. ? ' *;;
-"But" when 'you iiba.r*'y- madei monejr
here ; you "will t surely go back and : *••
the old' country?" '--. .' :/\u25a0' ':\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0> '..;\u25a0 ! "V ; - :- \u25a0\u25a0:/},
:\u25a0 1'Monl : never get* . rich," laughed . Put-"
nam.; "There i are I % not *of' us \
sculptors to; keep him , e olng. Bometirase l
he works ; for a* month." and then be has :
to She" idle. Ia i month 1 and |; live <on * his ;
savings. 1':1 ':- \u25a0-.-/.-.'-•-,•'; V s -" '.'- ; \;... : '- : ' ; .*' .-.': ' \';:^> r
'Moni sighed.. : He, has his opinion i; of;
the ; sculptors.^: Some ' are I generous .and ;
pay., him ;weU ; for lthe work; in 'which ; he '
is a master, and will take care that he
does \ not > suffer Veven'vwheh?, the -course?
of true J art Ist anything 7 smooth; \
.Others i aret prone I: to :i visit font hlmSthe
pecuniary;? troubles £of -which artists
have more than the; fair share.
I asked - for a ; list 2 of " the '• most i fan- J
portant work*" of 'art ". that * owed ? their
get tne recognition oi memunip ms
single .ruler of Europe until ' the regi
cides have been -punished. -Thus; he
lives in continual' isolation and terror.
: ~ His resignation. at any moment would
be no surprtae/^or-he may "be removed
by other " means a£ any time. ;
The czar, of Russia makes -no denial
that- he faces the virtual : certainty of
eventual assassination. It Is hardly con
ceivable," with' all the " forces '..that are
working to secure' hi« destructtoa, that
he; will be able to 'escape-" Anarchists
drawing l^ steadily \ closer to the throne
have killed off his best generals/ mem
bers" of his cabinets and a member of
his iroyal • family.' Grand ( Duke Sergius,
uncle'-of the -czar and the most hated
man-in the whole autocracy. , . '
Nicholas was * neyer the . material of
whfch monarchs are mode, especially in
a ..country^ so;: turbulent' and where
strength alone can : keep "• order. He" is
weak and amiable.;. He loves his wife
and children.', and would b« most happy
to be faraway from the cares of state
where, he | could be with til* own, free
from the shadow that ever hangs over
them" all. •. . , •/\u25a0
. His m! n isters would not object to his
abdication,',- in fact,, would welcome it,
for while 'he fflves them reasonably full
sway he lacks the* brumal, ruthless Im
pulses .that they would like to see used
in \u25a0 repressing the turbulent peasantry.
Servlahas in the present -generation
seen an: abdication King Milan
turned over the' crown to his ill fated
son, Alexander. *..'.'
earlier \ clayey ;_pr, chalky : form I to , MonFs^
manipulations; and '%. tho sculptor : came
to ' the; assistance of Moni'a memory and
my linguistic Imperfections. ,\u25a0'''\u25a0
~c : . The j winged ; Victory spurning - with
her tpelthe^top^of ;the column in Union
square owes her existence to Altken's
brain iand^ Monl's s hand. <* The .Donahue
fountaln*by. Douglas Tilden^ inglorious
ly a referred .'to* as ; "Donahue's \ pump,"
sprang into;life; ; under the; manipula-
: tlons ; of .7 Caro : Monl. \ .. Tilden's
I Bon swinging his * banner, aloft . at Turk
andtMarket v ' streets, -.was! one.- of the
difficult v- tasks vv of \u25a0: -; the -j sculptor's \ as
sistant. .The , statues at \u25a0 Leland Stanford
: university,' w ; ereTisome } of \ his swork. :
\u25a0 ;*Moni ; was : helplng£Aitken I to! make a
statue', of i' Bret ' Hartei thai .was Uo have
' stood iln rthe - park,"ibut %vras , destroyed .
Ih j the {earthjquake," \u25a0 said ; Putnam." J'And
\u25a0there is' a* lOJfoot; lndian* statue of mine
at San Diego that he made. .What else
ttdiyQuldofiiaonlTt/ i- \u25a0>'\u25a0" >vX
| drinking- r -so,'* \ said : Moni." / He
: was 7 orouching '\ 6rCi the'i floor.,'. with '.-. his
hands , held-up |bef ore his mouth as If to
drink [' f rom': themi -~i I > recognized at * once
the perennially, thirsty, man I had often
seen sitting on the edge of the 'dry
.The San Erancfeco Sunday Call 1
, Not often Is an' abdication entirely <
voluntary. a monarch gives up
to save his life and that of his family.
_ There are instances, too. of where
kings have waived power and gone into
retirement because they did not. wish In
the pages of history to be identified
with a national policy which they have
thought contrary to the best Interests
of their countries.
When Emperor Ferdinand of Austria
gave up his throno in 184* he did it
because be had been forced to the
granting of a constitution that In his
opinion cave to the people too many
rights and granted extremes of priv
ileges whleh he was sure' would work
ill. Forced to grant this ' constitution
be resigned immediately to testify his
disapproval of It. ", ,
On similar grounds bis younger
fountain }, at North. „, beach. » It Tls the
statue by Cummlngs^at Union street
and Montgomery "avenue.
Among the works that are not yet
completed but have passed in their
plaster state through Mont's ! hands are
the : Burns : statue by Cummings. soon
to be raised jin the park, and the ] moun
tain-lion . and bear, also =by Cummings,
which t are > to ; adorn . both » sides of \u25a0 the
Stanyan street entrance to the park.
At present he is helping Putnam with
some decorations. ;\
, The"-,work progressed ' as . we , talked.
The. artist and . his assistant, both look
ing like , a ; pair 'i of , very.^ workmanlike
plasterers;.; were v, pouring"" the, : liquid
plaster into a \u25a0 mold and ' stuffing It full
of what *to the ; uninitiated .. looked- like
excelsior. : The sculptor explained that
It was fibers of hemp u3ed to reinforce
the - plaster; and " keep it from ' breaking.
"\The work of ithe Sculptor's helper be
gins with the , frame ; on which the clay
model ia built The mainspring of this
Is -an* lron" rod; running* up through the
, figure and ': bent to follow . the outline
of -: thel knees. 11 .To- It •-'sire' , attache* the
"butterflies" of wood in the shape of an
X, with wires to hold the clay.* For, a
brother, ArcMux* Charles, warred n!s
rights of succession, and th» tariff)
w«nt to Its incumbent.
Two other rulers vacated their
thrones in ths sam« year. King Louis
Charles of Bavaria and King I*ou!s
Philippe of France. Th« former was
forced to because of the scandal of
Ms connection with the adventuress
Lola Montes. the latter was forced out
because his opposition to reforms had
enraged the p«opl* against him to a
point where caution demanded that he
vacate.
King Amadee. father of th« explorer,
the Duke of Abruzzi. gave up his
throne in 1373 because he could not ad
minister the constitution and adhere to
his own beliefs. Th« abdication of
Princ* Alexander of Bulgaria In ISSS la
another notabln instance.
o»s-r«l!e? only tile butterflies are used.
If the figure Is to be a large one tha
assistant sometimes packs masses of
clay on the frame ready for the mold
ing- hand of the artist.
Then begins the creative work of ths
artist. The soft clay, responsive to his
slightest touch, receives the shape that
Is to ba perpetuated In marble or
bronze. But before it reaches that
stage It must pass through the plaster
stage. It 13 an old saying that the
statue lives In clay, dies In plaster, but
is resurrected In marble. .
When the day model is finished by
the hand of the artist his helper seta
busy. The model is partitioned off with
bits of tin stuck In the clay. If It Is
large it Is often taken apart for con
venience In handling. In any. case the
limbs and head are usually severed
from the body. The artist attends to
this part of the Job himself, , carefully
markinj? both sides of the cut to Insure
the correct replacing of the amputated
parts. Liquid plaster is then poured
over the model, tin strips and all. When
it Is dry the plaster mold is taken off in
sections as marked off by the tin. th*
tin is plucked out and any clay that
may stick to the inside of the mold la
cleaned out.
The mold Is then soaped or greased,
the parts are joined again with plaster
and fibers are often added to insure
strength. When the nonow mold is
-completed plaster ts poured Into it.
filling every crevice. When it is set tha
mold is chipped oft.wtta a chisel, leav
ing the plaster form exactly In tha
shape of the original clay from which
the mold was made. Usually ths mold
is in two layers, the inner made of col
ored plaster to racllftate the 1 ' removal.
When the sculptor reaches the colors
layer "he knows that only a hair's
breadth separates his chisel from tho
model and It is time to go carefully.
Thesoap or grease on the inside of tha
-mold,' prevents "it from sticking to the
model. •"
The process just described Is the ona
most commonly used for original work.,
iltis'call«-4 the, waste mold. Tho glue
mold Is similar in principle, but glu-^
is. used In makin? tho mold. It hardens
over night and ia flexible like rubber.
The : model 13 shellacked and so pv#.
served.