The Artist and the Terrier: A Seattle Romance
A down-and-out clerk uses his only asset—a well-trained terrier—to win the favor of a grumpy painter and the hand of his beloved in 1870s Seattle.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Charles J. Fairfax, owning nothing but himself and his terrier, Spider, found himself in a precarious position. He was deeply in love with Mary Wrede, the niece of Hayward Surghnor, a talented but notoriously difficult artist who lived in fear of poverty. Knowing Surghnor’s obsession with painting a perfect terrier and his disdain for the penniless, Charlie hatched a plan. He arrived at Surghnor's studio, posing as a fellow artist, and introduced Spider, who performed a trick of standing on his hind legs. Delighted, the old painter welcomed Charlie into his home and studio. As the two men worked together, Charlie earned the artist's trust and respect. Over time, Surghnor grew to view Charlie as an equal, eventually granting his blessing for the marriage between his niece and the young man, having realized that talent and character outweighed immediate wealth.
“You wouldn't bring me a fortune if I sold you, Spider. Yet as you are the only capital I have, you ought to be of some use.”
This 1878 tale captures the early grit of Seattle, where boarding house life was the norm for young men struggling to find a footing in the growing territory. Today, while the specific trade of 'terrier-painting' has vanished, the anxiety of winning over a gatekeeper in a prohibitively expensive housing and social market remains a quintessential Seattle experience.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.