Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-02-09

the glory of dong this work, OF leaving Il
posterity representations of other eheroe
and great men of America, and of grea
scenes and events in his eountry's history
and, above all, of the glory of making 8
mighty colossal statue larger than any
thing in the world to the Father of his
Country. He decided to make the Jack
son statue. He knew the amount offered
would not pay him, much less reward
him, but he said, sfI will work for fu-
ture-that shall be my reward" He in
formed the committee of the resolution
They desired him to make miniature
model. He returned to Charleston. His
friends there were offended with him.
Some hardly noticed him. They re-
preached him with presumption and folly;
said 'he was going to throw himself away
and sthat he could never do such work.
1t was in vain to appeal to them from what
he had done-to point to the bust of Cal
houn ; they could not possess the mselves
of his idea, nor comprehend his capacity.
After eight months he produced his mo-
del. They were satisfied he would sue
ceed, and voluntarily offered to become
his security. He returned to Washing
ton. The committee approved of the
model, and made contract with him.
They required security. Ten gentlemen
were his bondsmen for the due perfor-
formance of the work. We give the
names of these gentlemen, as it is highly
honorable to them for this act of conf
dence and kindness. They are all men
of prosperity in the city of Charleston,
and in the State of South Carolina
Their names are James Rose, James
Gadsden, H. Goodrin, F. H. Elmote, D.
B. Northrop, Charles D. Carr, Edward
Frost, N NJ. Porter, j. Schnierle, and
George Kinlock. The contract required
the statue to be third larger than life
1t is little more than that. Government
furnished the metal, which was old can
non, and some of which was captured by
General jackson. Congress voted FIVE
thousand dollars for the pedestal on
which the statue stands. All other ex-
penses have been borne by Mr.. Mills.
What an undertaking for Charleston
plasterer! What an instructive comment
on the history of genius and on the pow
er of Republican Institutions in develop
ing the qualities of the mind. Mr.. Mills
was then thirty-two years of age. A man
in whose personal appearance there was
nothing to strike an ordinary observer as
remarkable plain in his manners and
dress, and exceedingly modest; never ad-
yancing in conversation, but retiring, ex-
cept with familiar friends, and on the
subject of the statue and of arts then he
would be free, communicative and in
structive for though he had never seen
any work of art, he had, in his leisure
hours, read much, and had studied anato-
my. He had an ardent mind, and tenn
permanent, controlled by sound judg-
ment, and thorough practical knowledge
of men and business. This, with a well
balanced mind, so uncommon in artists,
he has acquired in the school of poverty
and in the struggle of everyday life. His
mind is characterized by ready and just
perception, especially of forms, and for
great tirmness of purpose. He is pas
sionate, but ready to forgive. In perso-
nal appearance, he presents the figure oi
a man about five feet ten inches in height,
well and strongly made-not stout-with
a quick and energetic step. He has a
searching light grey eye, good, regular
Caucasian features, and grey hair, turn
ed grey during the period of his labor and
anxiety over the great work he has ac-
complished. This is Mr.. Mills. We have
been thus circumstantial, because we be-
lieve posterity will wish to know some
thing of this remarA able untaught, OF self
taught artist.
Now he commences his work. On a
vacant lot of ground, near the Presidents
House, at the corner of Fifteenth street
and Pennsylvania avenue, he erected a
small frame building for workshop and
residence. He bought horse in Vir-
ginia, known in the Turf Register as Olym-
pus. This he trained to present the att
tude he wanted. This horse is well-known
in Washington now as the model horse.
He dissected horses; he studied the
breed and character of different kinds OF
horses. He selected the various points Of
beauty and strength from them all, to
produce the splendid bronze one he has
made. As the various points of female
beauty never found in any one female, yet
all perfectly natural are found in the We
nus de Medica, so he resolved to make
his horse /; yet it is a perfect war-horse.--
He studied the character of Jackson, and
the best hkness that could be found, so as
to give faithful representation of him
He took from the military dress of Gene
raj Jackson, deposited in the Patent OF,
flee, the model by which he clothed the
hero. The very sword he wore, and
every minutie OF the saddle, holsters
bride, and even buckles, is faithful tC
history. Yet there is nothing stiff ol
awkward in the entire group-an is true
natural, and easy. He modelled hi
colossal group in plaster. He was no
quite two years in doing this. The mo
del was exhibited to the public all ad
mired its beauth. But critics, artists anc
scientific MEN declared it could never
stand. The statue stood on its hind fee
a'one. This had never been done be