Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1847-06-25
BLOOMINGTON, IOWA, FRIDAY, JUNE IS, ls47

et ceitId. IL was 10 unusual tilHg 10 see
a family coming TO witness the show
boat" the father with bushel of poa-
tees, the mother with fowl. and the chill
dFen with a pumpkin apiece, for their ad.
mission fees. On certain night, while
they were exhibiting. some rogue let The
boat loose. and ii drlfed off several miles
down the stream with the spectators, who
were landed in a thick canebrake. they
were obliged 10 make their way home as
| best they could.
AT Plumb Point the boa, was attacked
by party of the Murrell robbers, a large
organized oandilti. who infested the coun-
| try for miles around and here our hero
| came near losing his life. Several pistol
shots were fred at him, but being in the
! dark, none Of them took effect. although
several lodged in the deck of the boat
within few inches Of him. After des-
| perale resistance, during which one Of the
robbers was shot, The boat was rescued
| During the encounter. ore OF the company
received severe wound in the arm from
Bowie knife, bnt The rest escaped I'M
hurt. Mr.. Barnard continued with the
where he obtained a commission TO paint
some views. He had found the receipts
of The floating expedition TO be more po
iatoes than dimes, more eggs than dollars:
so he sold out his interest and left. We
know nothing further of tits, exhibition,
but Barnard seems to have been satisfied
with floating dioramas.
painting al New Orleans, Nalchez, and
subsequently a, Cincinnati and Louisville,
and was literally rewarded. Not content
however he executed a very true pano
rama of the city Of Venice, and exhibited
il in the West with considerable success.
and afterwards sold i, at good price
Having accumulated liuIe capital, we
mex, find bin at St Louis, as tie proprie-
tor of the ST. Louis museum, which he
had purchased of Mr.. Koch, who had left
it TO exhibit bis large skeleton the Mis-
sourian But here fate frowned again up
on his efforts. lie remained in ST. Louis
inzs}eng eeoug = 10 f0se All he had prevl-
ousy earned, and then left fof Cincinnati,
where he Jared little better. lie then pro-
cured a small boat and started down the
Ohio .;ver wi,hou. a dime, and living sew
eral days upon mats which he collected
from the Gods. His next stopping place
was small town where he did some
painting, ard sold a revolving pistol which
he had given twelve dollars for in ST. Lou
is. for tw enty five dollars. With this cap>
itai he bought . larger boat, got some pro-
duce aboard. which he retailed ont along
shore then sold his concern for fifty dol
lars. Having now littIe capital, the
young artist made several very successful
specuIaiions. and managed TO make during
this Quixolie expedition three thousand
dollars. With The capital thus accumula-
ted, he commenced his grand project OF
painting the Panorama Of the Mississippi.
He procured a small skif, and descend
ed the river 10 make the necessary draw
ings in the spring Of 1910, and the first
sketch was made just before he became OF
age. Had he been aware, when he com
Smenced the undertaking. of the vast a.
mount Of labor il required. he would have
shrnnk from the task in dismay but hav-
ing commenced the work he was deter
mined to proceed, being spurred on TO lis
completion. perhaps, by The doubts oil
some of his friends to whom he commrnl-
Gated bis project, as TO its pracIicabiity
and by The assertions Of some foreign VIII
ers, that .America had no artists com.
mensurate with the grandeur and eX'en
4 Of he, scenery The idea Of gain neve
entered his mind when he commenced the
undertaking but he was actua,ed by a pa
trioiic and honorable ambition, that Amer.
/ "a should produce the larges, painting II
the world
One of the greatest iii iiaii es!s;,e 10 on
countered, was the preparatory labor 81
: had TO undergo in making the necessary
a drawings. For this Qnrpose he had Il
! fstavel thousands Of miles alone IN an oper
. skin. crossing and re-crosslng the rape
q stream, In many places over TWO miles II
q breadth, TO select proper points OF sigh
/, from which to take his sketch his baud
: became hardened with constantly plyin,
0 The oar, and his skin as lawny as an In
il dian's, from exposure TO the rays of III
v sun, and the vicssiudes Of the weather
He would be weeks together wilhot
h speaking, TO a human being, having n
! other company than his rifle. which iuI
! nished him with his meat from the gam
: Of The woods or the fowls of The river
l. When the sun began TO sink behind III
d Lofty bluffs, and evening 10 approach. h
e would select some secluded sandy cove
y osershadowe by the lofty cotton woot
y draw oul his skifI from the water, and re
: pair 10 the woods to hunt his supper
). Having killed his game. he would returi
h dress. cock, and from some fallen 10
,. would ca, II with his biscni,, with no OIL