Jefferson County Online A part of the IAGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects Who's Who in 1921 & 1922 John Suffix Rumer

"The Fairfield Tribune"
Thursday, September 1, 1921
Page SIX

NO. 27

JOHN SUFFIX RUMER

Gladsome is the life which has for its calling the brightening up the premises, if not the lives, of others. Of cheery disposition must be the man who is constantly covering up the dark and ugly spots (at so much per cover which lie in our pathway. To go blithely about touching this unsightly spot with a touch of salmon blue, and that spot with a dash of azure pink, spreading bright, clean colors over dull, dirty ones--this is the life to appeal to the best we have in us.

Which brings us to the subject of a certain well known spotter and toucher, one John Suffix Rumer, the worthy hero of this veracious narrative. In fact, as a spotter and touhcer (sic), John Suffix has few equals; he can spot a prospective customer miles in the country, and as a toucher--well, John touches them for all he thinks they'll stand. John isn't like a great many other renowned artists; he doesn't practice "art for art's sake," but rather inclines to tbe (sic) belief that the artist, like the laborer, is worthy of his hire.

With a father who was a master painter, John Suffix early in life began a study of the fundamentals of the trade . It is of record that at the age of three he had the south side of the woodshed at home done in some rare sunset effects porduced (sic) by a liberal and non-selective use of the pigments found in miscellaneous paint cans. At the age of five he proved himself to be eligible to the present-day-impressionistic school. Some of his mural decorations of the aforesiad (sic) woodshed being of the most advanced type of impressionistic work.

But it was a bit later in life, when John was about fourteen, that he made his real debut as an artist. Until this time he had never done any interior or portrait work. It was spring house-cleaning time. The chimney had acquired a writer's accumulation of soot and it was decided that the embryo artist should go up on the roof and push the soot down with a swab. John went to the roof and got his swab in position; then he called down the chimney to his mother,. The good old lady applied her face to the aperture below, and John let go the swab.

The effect was as instantaneous and was all that could be aske (sic) as an interior study in black. Objects in the room were charmingly done in silhouet; likewise the portrait of his mother was a perfect silhouet--but an exceedinly lively one. The whole effect had that true artistic charm which comes from unstudied execution.

The interview which John Suffix and his father had in the woodshed a little later was of such a painful nature, and impressed John so deeply, that to this day he can't bear the sight of black paint. This may serve to explain much of his fondness for light, bright colors now.

It will be seen from this that early in life John Suffix Rumer had a great fondness for spreading color. It was natural therefore, that he should succeed to the established painting business of his father. And he's been sticking to it pretty closely all these years. Did quit it once and go out to western Nebraska to work in his brother's store. John says the wind blew so hard out there it blew nearly all his hair out till he didn't have much more left than Frank Crail and Wilbur Dole have.

In the picture which heads this narrative, John Suffix is presented as making a promiscuous use of his paint from brush and bucket. Now, that's a bit of exaggeration, for John isn't that kind of a painter--and besides, paint is much too expensive these days to be wasted like that. No, John belongs to the new school of painters which believes that paint should not be put on any place but where it is needed and wanted.

You will note that John has a Suffix in his name, but he never wears a prefix. Fact is, he's a democratic sort of chap who would probably answer if you called him Mister. Logs of folks think they're having fun with John when they kid him about his name--pull something about there being a "rumor" of so-and-so. John's heard them all, but he 's so polite he still laughs when one of these puns is sprung.

Barring his early experience, as an interior decorator John Suffix Rumer has been getting along very nicely, thank you. There's very few homes in this town that do not have one or more rooms made brighter and cheerier by reason of his skillful touch--and there's always a long waiting list ahead. And, as was remarked at the bginning (sic), it is a gladsome life to be able to alwayss (sic) be brightening up the dark places, so there's plenty of people to envy John.