The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-02-01
WASHINGTON. January, 1853
For The Union.
CINcINNATI, January "a, 1853

llNClNkAIl January Sls 1909.
have just been into Mr. Longworths drawing room,
10 enjoy another look at the wonderfully beautiful bust
Of Geneva, the very earliest work in stone
cued by Powers. Ii is great production with sign
Of the feeble hand Of the beginner about it, But Powers
novice from the first start he master
Of his art The buss he cut at the beginning of his
drew from the connosseurs OF Italy, and OF all Eu
rope The concession OF his preeminence in that depart
ment of sculpture; and now he has few rivals and
equals, in any branch of it, Without apprenticeship,
instruction of any sort. the clock member Of Cincinnati in
day became the great artist The story of IT, as have
il from Mr.. Longworlh. his early friend, is this
During the sojourn here of our Safeguarding old
quantance Mrs. Trollope being one day al the rather
poorly furnished museum then kept by Dorfeu she sug
ges,ed that he might increase the attracyeness OF his
show by getting up some piece Of mechanical puppelry
and recommended that the subject be drawn from the de-
scriptions Of hell in Dante's Inferno "Ah, madam
said the man, ga thing of that sort would be
sure TO take but where shall find mechanic in these
parts capable of executing such a task :" will find
you one" said another vser--a Mr.. Watson who kept
| clock store" have young man now IN my employ
mending clocks. don't think he the work you
speak oil but if you will only let him have the book Will
guaranty that he shall make hi, tools and produce
something worth seeing Accordingly the poem OF hell was
placed in the laads Of young Hiram Powers aud IN
few weeks the result appeared the shape of that piece
of wonderful mechanism and original diablerie known
as :" the internal regions which, after for good while
serving to fill DorleuiPs museum with startled and de-
lighted crowds, exhibited with much profit and eldt
through the whole Union
The success induced Powers TO try his hand al wax
figures and then at modelling husts clay Soon appre-
ciang friends gathered round him, and found
for him pursue his art where alone it properly be
pursued in Italy have not yet encountered any OF his
work, but can well imagine that the productions OF
such head aud hand have been rather better than
tba Miaap lhv has ayhihifed In
wondering villagers We have hint of this from the
following anecdoe:
The fayorte actor of the West, in those days, was
Drake grandfather of Julia Dean, and his favorte song
was /" Love and Sausages" One evening, on the rising
OF the curtain, many cheers greeted the appearance OF
the favote dressed in the usual costume and standing in
the usual attitude, for singing Love and Sausages
Though the house became still. however, the actor
manned so too--cheeIs again--stll no song. why,
what's The matter with YOU" cried the pit He's
drunk, yelled the gallery Then hisses and tu-
multi, in the midst OF which the curtain fell Blu, il inn
mediaiely again, with Drake still there but this
time longer silent He sung the song and again,
out the mystery remained unsolved and not till the next
day did il transpre that the frs, Drake seen that couldn't
sing, made by Powers. 1t is said that none, not in
The secret guessed the cheat
| Mechanical genius and artistic must be combined in
order 10 make up great artist. Many creative intel
lect has failed for want OF the mechanical faculty, Pow
still mechanic. delghng now, always, in his
workshop lathe, and TOOLS II report speaks true, he is
now perfectng invention that shall than ever
render the debtor mechanics It's aim is no less
than 10 enable the sculptor easily to produce his figures
from the marble, without the intermediate modelling in
clay, and the subsequent labor of the mere chiselef
Should this succeed. it would our sculpors from
wearing away their lives in exile, removed from that
sympathy OF the masses OF their coanlrymen, whose
wholesome influence the artist is essential TO the
forming OF national and Characteristic school OF ar as
important TO those that they receive The
teachings OF the ones best qualified TO develope refine
the love OF the beautiful that lives in us all