“HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE.”

Evening Star, Issue 3092, 16 January 1873, Page 3

“HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE.”

To the Editor,

—lf my memory serves me right, 1 think it was Handel, the greatest musical composer of his day, who, after having performed one of his greatest symphonies Wore crowned heads, was obliged to remonstrate with the fellow who happened to blow the organ bellows upon the occasion; he (the org in blower) having insisted that “ we—ie , he and Handel—had done it well.” The remainder of the anecdote is too stale to take up your space by repeating. As well might the humble artisan, who, by a single stroke of his hammer, on notice being given, displace ! the wedge which held the Great Eastern on the stocks, have claimed from Brunei, the first eng neer of his day, the invention of the ship or the mode of launching her. Another fellowworkman —a north countryman visiting Loudon—looking at a view of the great ship, read, as recorded thereon, “Isambard Brunei, engineer: Scott I'ussell, builder; T. Harrison, commander.” “ 1 -ike Brunei’s impudence,” rejoined the artisan, “it seems that engineer thought it would not add to his ‘fame’ if the public were made aware that I rolled the plates for her sides.” With a similar feeling, on the production of the finest piece of sculpture of modern days— Canova’s Venus—the ordinary stonemason, who happened to be emnlqved to. reduce Hy* oOcvpoioia max me to something like a rough outline of Caaova’s .model, was greatly offended that the critics of the day had omitted to record hits part in the transaction. So mi.ht Mr O’Brien, artist, or every other draftsman, who, for the time being, happens to be engaged in an engineer’s, or architect’s office at a weekly wage, as a copying, tracing, coloring, or printing clerk, claim the mental conceptions of his employer—say, for instance, the designs for the University, the new Daily Times office designed by their several architects, and subsequently illustrated by a dash of color from the facile brush of Mr George O’Brien, artist, who has been paid by the hour for his work. Upon the same principle, the Messrs Burton, photographers, may claim the pa'entity of the Port Chalmers Dock, having recently sun-painted it, thereby displacing the memory of its designer, the lamented late Mr Balfour.

These examples might he multiplied ad infinitum, to the exclusion of all other matter from your columns. Let it suffice to say, that it would be rather unusual for your compositors, or the “Printer’s devil,” to claim the paternity of your leaders, because they aided and assisted by happening to be on your staff, and employed iu setting them up in type.—Yours, &c., Millar, F.S.A.