Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1847-06-25

and the sand Of HE bar Tor his bed, would
sleep soundly ill morning when he
would arise from his Iowly couch eat his
breakfast before the rays of the rising sun
| had dispersed the humid mist from the
surface OF The river-lhen would he start
/ fresh 10 his task again. In this way he
spent over four hundred days, making the
preparatory drawings. Several nights du.
ring the time. he was compelled 10 creep
from under his skif where he slept, and
sit all night on log. and breast the pel,>
ing storm. through fear that The banks of
the river would cave upon him, and 10 es-
cape the falling trees. Dnrng this time, he
! pulled his litlle skih more than two thou
sand miles. In the latter part of The sum-
mer he reached New Orleans. The vel
low fever was raging in the city, but un-
mindful of that, he made his drawing of
the place. The sun The while was so in
/ tensely hot. that his skin became so burnt
that it peeled from of The back of his
hands, and from his face. His eyes be.
came inllamed by such constant and ex-
lraordinary efforts, from Which unhappy
effects he has not recovered to this dav.
His drawings completed, he erected
building a, Louisville, Kentucky, to trans
fer them to the canvass His objec, in
painting his picture IN the West was TO
exhibit il 10. and procure testimonials from
those who were best calculated 10 Judge of
lis fdeIity-lhe practical river men; and
he has procured the names of nearly all
the principal captains and pilots naviga-
ting the Mississippi, freely testifying TO
the correctness of the scenery.
The following interesting letter from Sc
| lin Woodwork, who passed through
Louisville. bearer Of dispatches TO Oregon
and California to his friend Gen. Norris,
a, New York and published in the " Ma
lonal Press now the Home Journal
Of tina, city, gives graphic description
Of the artist as he appeared at work upon
his great painting.
s'St. Louis, April IS, l84G
My DEAR GENERAL: - Here | am. in
this beautiful civ Of ST.. Louis, and thus
Gar on my vi.iing way 10 Oregon and
| California. IN coming down the Ohio,
our beat Being of The larger class, and the
river at a 10" stage we were detained
several hours Il Louisville. aad took adj
vantage of the detention to pay visit to
an old school-saaie Of mine, oae Of The
master spirits Of the age. mean Ban
ward, the artist, who Is engaged IN the
herculean task Of painting a panorama of
the Mississippi river, upon more than
three miles of canvass !-lruthfuliy de-
piciing a range Of scenery of upwards OF
TWO thousand miles in extent. In compa-
ny with travelling acquaintance, an Eng
lish gentleman, called at the artists stu
dio, an immense wooden building. con-
strucled expressly for the purpose, al the
extreme outskirts of the city. Alter
knocking several times, at length sue
ceeGed in making myself heard. when the
artist himself, in his working cap and
blouse, pale, and pencil. in hand, came to
the door TO admit US. lie did not al first
recognize me, but when mentioned my
name, he dropped both pallet and Pench,
and clasped me in his arms, so delighted
was he TO see me after a separation OF six
teen years:
"My fellow-travelor vas quite aston
ished al this sudden manifestation, for |
had not informed him Of our previous in
imacv, but had merely invited him TO ac-
company me TO see in progress this won
. der of the world, that is TO be, thi, levia-
THAN panorama. Banvard Immediately
conducted us into the interior u The build
ing. He said he had selected The site for
his building, far removed from the noise
and hustle of the town. that he might APP
ply himself more closely nninterruptedly
to his labors, and be free from The in'ru-
sion of nieiiars- -Mnhin-iLe vstutli-, f!t
seenled chaos and corfusion @slt the life
, Ike and natural appearance Of d portion OF
, his great picture, displayed on one Of the
waIls in a yet unfinished state. Here and
there were scattered about the floor, piles
! of his original sketches, bales of canvass
and heaps of boxes. Paint boxes, brush
:, es, Jars and kegs, were srewed abou
5 wlhou, order or arrangement, while along
9 one of the walls several large cases were
piled, containing rolls of finished sections
g of the painting. On the opposite wall wa
:. spread a canvass, extending It's whol
II length. upon which the arts, was then a
o work. 4 portion of this canvass wa
: wound upon an upeight roller, or drum
e standing at ore end of tne building, AM
: as the artist completes his painting he thu
q disposes of il, Not having the lme Il
% spare, could not stay TO have all the i'm
p mense cylinders unrolled for our inspec
!, lion. for we were sufficiently occupied il
examining tina, portion on which the art
is, is now engaged. and which is nearl,
), completed. being from the mouth Of Re
~ river to Grand Gulf. Any description c
= this gigantic undertaking that | should at
lannr uonll can.ey bui a iaiu