Life — April 24, 1913 — page 29: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Three Purses of Gold $2000.00—$500.00—$500.00 to successful Artists painting a great subject, The purpose of this competition is to secure original paintings so skilfully exe- cuted that they will express certain hu- man experiences and send them clearly to the mind of any observer. Preliminary color sketches are ex- pected. The judges select six of the most promising and notify the six artists who can then finish in oil. The principal figures to be not less than one-third life size. ~ When the six finished paintings have been passed upon by the judges, the artist accorded first prize will receive a purse of $2000.00 gold. Each of two others will receive second prizes of $500.00 gold. The remaining three pic- tures will be returned to their owners. Ownership in each of the accepted pictures will be transferred to me and they will be hung in my collection at Battle Creek. Plainly printed rules governing the contest will be furnished by mail on request. Each artist should thoroughly con- sider the subject, and absorb the facts in order to produce a great work com- bining realism and art with such skill that the finished picture will tell the story of three servants who appear in many men’s lives, and who might be valuable if used only as servants in time of need, but from familiarity become tyrannous and cruel masters. They gain a power that seems hyp- notic, under which the employer ap- pears powerless to dismiss them even when their smiling faces and alluring promises are later followed by demoni- acal grins of contempt as they rob him of health, power to properly conduct his affairs, and frequently humiliate him before others. Carefully observe the men you know, and perhaps study yourself and your acquaintance with these three servants, TOBACCO, ALCOHOL and COFFEE. It will prove a most interesting occu- pation if conducted without prejudice either way. (The writer has “enjoyed” some personal experience.) Start with the premise that each one is a well known drug, two of them of | “Dangerous Servants importance in certain conditions of human disease, when administered by a skilful physician. Hence at such rare | times, and when under control, these servants are useful. But drugs are intended tod combat disease and their use otherwise is resented by Nature. Certain punishment in some form or other, light or heavy, sooner or later is sure to follow continued use. Frequently men assert, “they don’t hurt me.” Let us most earnestly wish they never would, for most men of that mind can’t dismiss these domineering servants. By watching men who are now being tuled, it will be observed that they use the Whiskey, Tobacco, or Coffee in a search for nerve rest and happiness. Think it over carefully and see how close you come to that conclusion. Now suppose that no harm to the body, mind, business or friends resulted from a man’s keeping well drugged day by day, certainly no one could then ob- ject. But when the final breakdown of the nervous system shows itself in weak- ened heart, or failure of some other or- gans, caused by the lack of nervous power to properly operate them, then we realize that the daily introduction of the drug was permitted by Nature under mild protest at first, but a rigid account- ing demanded later on. So long, however, as the user of drugs harbors the belief that they bring him happiness he will stick to them. A man, in a supreme effort to rid him- self of the whiskey habit, may go to some cure and be helped, but whenever he again believes that whiskey will bring him happiness and forgets the hurts and humiliation, he will go back to it. So with the man dominated by Coffee or Tobacco. When he runs for a car and his “Coffee heart” or “Tobacco heart” fails him and sudden death looks possi- ble, or when some other ugly symptoms appear, he may break the hypnotic spell for a time, but go back some day when he is better and thinks a little of his pet drug would make him happy. Once he shakes himself entirely free | ” from the hypnotic spell and fixes his mind steadfast on the fact that health, strength of muscle and mind, power to do things and win and hold position, bring happiness, and when he remem- bers that haven of rest, the peaceful sleep of an undrugged body, he_will never go back, for he knows the false- hood behind the promises of the servant who abused him so cruelly. That’s the story. It will not be be- lieved by the man still in the hypnotic dream of “drug happiness” until some day Old Mother Nature, tired of mild protests, will give him a sound trouncing and, with blinking eyes and returning consciousness, he will begin to wonder if the story isn’t true after all. It seems, at first thought, a pity that Nature will not allow tired and worried mankind a surcease from weariness by drugging and not demand the wretched bill, but Nature’s law is fixed and finally man comes into the knowledge that only real peace and happiness is enjoyed by a clean, clear mind operating in har- mony with a perfect and undrugged body. Get that great fact clearly into your consciousness. There will doubtless be a variety of ideas as to the most effective way to tell the story with a brush. The ingenuity of each artist will have full play. Each servant should depict in some manner one of the drugs and be shown with a beautiful, alluring face, also some hint of an unhealthy body, possibly with a partly hidden dagger. In some way tell the story of deceit, the fascinating promises of rest and peace to be re- deemed in pain and distress. “There’s a Reason” for the picture; let the reason show forth in it. All preliminary sketches must be pre- sented before July Ist, 1913, and the finished pictures before Sept. 15th, 1913. Artists who may be interested can ad- dress the undersigned at Battle Creek, Mich. C. W. Post. comicbooks.com