第75章 An Adventure in Civic and Private Art (1)

Edward Bok now turned his attention to those influences of a more public nature which he felt could contribute to elevate the standard of public taste.

He was surprised， on talking with furnishers of homes， to learn to what extent women whose husbands had recently acquired means would refer to certain styles of decoration and hangings which they had seen in the Pullman parlor-cars.He had never seriously regarded the influence of the furnishing of these cars upon the travelling public； now he realized that， in a decorative sense， they were a distinct factor and a very unfortunate one.

For in those days， twenty years ago， the decoration of the Pullman parlor-car was atrocious.Colors were in riotous discord； every foot of wood-panelling was carved and ornamented， nothing being left of the grain of even the most beautiful woods； gilt was recklessly laid on everywhere regardless of its fitness or relation.The hangings in the cars were not only in bad taste， but distinctly unsanitary； the heaviest velvets and showiest plushes were used； mirrors with bronzed and redplushed frames were the order of the day； cord porti鑢es， lambrequins， and tasselled fringes were still in vogue in these cars.It was a veritable riot of the worst conceivable ideas； and it was this standard that these women of the new-money class were accepting and introducing into their homes！

Bok wrote an editorial calling attention to these facts.The Pullman Company paid no attention to it， but the railroad journals did.With one accord they seized the cudgel which Bok had raised， and a series of hammerings began.The Pullman conductors began to report to their division chiefs that the passengers were criticising the cars， and the company at last woke up.It issued a cynical rejoinder； whereupon Bok wrote another editorial， and the railroad journals once more joined in the chorus.

The president of a large Western railroad wrote to Bok that he agreed absolutely with his position， and asked whether he had any definite suggestions to offer for the improvement of some new cars which they were about to order.Bok engaged two of the best architects and decorators in the country， and submitted the results to the officials of the railroad company， who approved of them heartily.The Pullman Company did not take very kindly， however， to suggestions thus brought to them.

But a current had been started； the attention of the travelling public had been drawn for the first time to the wretched decoration of the cars； and public sentiment was beginning to be vocal.

The first change came when a new dining-car on the Chicago， Burlington and Quincy Railroad suddenly appeared.It was an artistically treated Flemish-oak-panelled car with longitudinal beams and cross-beams， giving the impression of a ceiling-beamed room.Between the "beams" was a quiet tone of deep yellow.The sides of the car were wainscoting of plain surface done in a Flemish stain rubbed down to a dull finish.The grain of the wood was allowed to serve as decoration； there was no carving.

The whole tone of the car was that of the rich color of the sunflower.

The effect upon the travelling public was instantaneous.Every passenger commented favorably on the car.

The Atchison， Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad now followed suit by introducing a new Pullman chair-car.The hideous and germ-laden plush or velvet curtains were gone， and leather hangings of a rich tone took their place.All the grill-work of a bygone age was missing； likewise the rope curtains.The woods were left to show the grain； no carving was visible anywhere.The car was a relief to the eye， beautiful and simple， and easy to keep clean.Again the public observed， and expressed its pleasure.

The Pullman people now saw the drift， and wisely reorganized their decorative department.Only those who remember the Pullman parlor-car of twenty years ago can realize how long a step it is from the atrociously decorated， unsanitary vehicle of that day to the simple car of to-day.

It was only a step from the Pullman car to the landscape outside， and Bok next decided to see what he could do toward eliminating the hideous bill-board advertisements which defaced the landscape along the lines of the principal roads.He found a willing ally in this idea in Mr.J.

Horace McFarland， of Harrisburg， Pennsylvania， one of the most skilful photographers in the country， and the president of The American Civic Association.McFarland and Bok worked together； they took innumerable photographs， and began to publish them， calling public attention to the intrusion upon the public eye.

Page after page appeared in the magazine， and after a few months these roused public discussion as to legal control of this class of advertising.Bok meanwhile called the attention of women's clubs and other civic organizations to the question， and urged that they clean their towns of the obnoxious bill-boards.Legislative measures regulating the size， character， and location of bill-boards were introduced in various States， a tax on each bill-board was suggested in other States， and the agitation began to bear fruit.

Bok now called upon his readers in general to help by offering a series of prizes totalling several thousands of dollars for two photographs， one showing a fence， barn， or outbuilding painted with an advertisement or having a bill-board attached to it， or a field with a bill-board in it， and a second photograph of the same spot showing the advertisement removed， with an accompanying affidavit of the owner of the property， legally attested， asserting that the advertisement had been permanently removed.Hundreds of photographs poured in， scores of prizes were awarded， the results were published， and requests came in for a second series of prizes， which were duly awarded.