“All the leisure I had to myself, evenings and holidays, I spent in
making comic sketches, and I took them to the comic papers,—to the
‘Phunny Phellow,’ and ‘Wild Oats.’ I just submitted rough sketches.
Soon the editors permitted me to draw the sketches also, which was
great encouragement. I met Frank Beard, and called on him, by request,
and he proposed that I come into his office. So I left the store,
after having been there eight or nine months, and ceased drawing
show-cards for the windows. I drew for ‘Wild Oats,’ ‘Harper’s Weekly,’
‘Frank Leslie’s,’ and the ‘Century,’ which at that time was Scribner’s
publication; and later for ‘St. Nicholas.’”
It was then that Mr. Opper had an offer from “Leslie’s” to work on the
staff at a salary, which he accepted.
“I was only a little over twenty years of age,” he continued. “I was
a humorous draughtsman, and a special artist, also; going where I was
directed to make sketches of incidents, people and scenes.”
Six years before, Mr. Opper had left the village school with a burning
determination to become an artist. It can be seen how well he sailed
his bark,—tacking and drifting, and finally beating home with the wind
full on the sails. This shows what determination will do.