Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-09-23
sHIRAM POWERS, THE scGyrToR-rExrnAcrs.,
BY s. YoRKE A1rK

village companions in the alternate abors Of the farm
4 and school-house
In 1919 his father emigraed to the Safe of Ohio and
settled farm about six miles from Cincinnati On
recovery from years ague, Hiram wet to live with
his BROTHER lawyer of Cincinnati, with whom he 80
Journed about year. going to school, coming the rudi
ments OF the Latin tongue, and and then opening
Coke upon Littleton
his hrst enterprise the suggestion of the keeper
OF the cnef hotel in Cincinnati The landlord proposed
the establishment Of Reading Room, appropriated an
apartment in his tavern for that and promised
Hiram decent support if he would act as oyerseer there
Of Nothing could please the boy more and he fell in
with the scheme with all the enthusiasm of seventeen
This employment to use his words al was forced
to leave my clothes and shoes were fast me
He then taken into employment by Messrs Heating
Bell traders in -four, salt &c., produce merchants as
such termed in the West. With them he remained
time and it during this period that he modelled
his first figures In his moments Of unobserved leisure
he unheaded the fkns Of butter and after scupurng
the ducle esculent into such horrd forms as gaspne
"loggerheads and rate rattesnakes he would replace
the and enjoy in his sleeve the inevitable asonsh
ment of the customer.
The next transfer Of Powers was to Mr. Luman Wat
son. who was engaged in similar line of business In a
short time however, Mr. Watson sold off his stock of pro-
duce and invested his capital in clock and organ fac
tory During the Powers on collecting
attachment having already taken place between his en-
poyer and himself he became clock maker and organ
builder. His occupation suited him and Mr. Watson
has often spoken to of his surprise the aptitude
dusty, and skill OF his young workman In very short
time Powers became the first machinst in the factory
whether theoretical practical Whatever no touched
he improved and whenever he could take the liberty
his work the pattern There several
in Cincinnati whose melody his genius has enriched He
made great improvement too in the reed-stop, which
he tuned by merely turning screw.
~ psv1 30 NJ ="
became conscious Of inclination for sculpture La
ayette had visited Cincinnati and Mr. Eckstein resi-
dent artist was occupied in modelling the bust of the
TONS guest All Powers's leisure was passed in Eek
STEMS studio and the course of desuitory CONVERSE
on his great passion excited and directed BY the
time the work was finished Mr. E. well satisfied
the bust from the model. Mr.. Powers about the
me also cast from models of the artist busts Of
Clinton and Jackson. OF Mr.. Ecksein Mr.. Powers re-
ceived a few lessons in French and drawing.
Mr.. Powers began to try his own hand at model
ling, in his room and his first efforts ami
mate the dull clay with the beauty Of Miss Agnel and
Miss Foote who, at that time, pretty little school
girls.
Mr.. Powers does not after the custom Of many form
his model from plaster masks cast the face Mr.
Powers takes bust painter takes portrait, the
subject Of his standing before him. He must then,
depend alone minute observation and exact judgment
Mr.. Powers had been with Mr.. Watson several years,
when Mr. Dorfeulle offered him the situation Of general
assistant and artist Of the Western Museum, in Cncn-
natl. Here he had room fixed up after his own fancy,
made himself lathe for turning metal &c., and began to
try his hand at all of things There is considerable
invention about this lathe 1t the admiration Of all
the ingenious men in Cincinnati. He now made three
has, relies of them being likeness Of Mr. Luman
Watson, just previously deceased whose memory
he chershes in his hearts for he was his first friend
1t under his auspices that Powerss mind found free
dom to expand and his difden attempts were by him
first aided and commended.
Mr.. Powerss next work was the bust of M. Hervieu,
the compagnon dn voyage to the well known Mrs Troope
we tn fOr
that gentleman among for he the remote Of
the wide popular reputation of the artist.
Every one in the West and great many in the East
has heard of the Internal Regions at the Cincinnati Mu
This is the work ofPowers; but Hervieu in-
strumental in putting his wits on such a track.
Hervieu fine but eccentric painter; and. while in
Cincinnati struck off large and terrific transparency Of
Hell, as described by Dante TWAS exhibited in the Mu-
scum at nights but becoming dmmed by the lamp
smoke was found necessary to add onssra hor
rendd Powers set to work and produced some Of
the most strangely daboca things that haunted the
brain of hypochondriac The idea set agong it
WENT and every week behed some horror. The new
Pandemonium finally crowded out the picture and
the whole upper loft of large building filled with
such assemblage of figures machines, and conrvances
to sarte shock, and terry that it every evening
crammed by people who liked to be frightened and feel
bad purpose 1t the moot profitable curiosity in
the Museum
Mr. Powers has also modelled in wax and placed in
the Museum six figures large fe Of which
of Alexander Drake the late celebrated comedian Of the
West He is taken in the attitude Of singing his crack
song of Love and Sausages yea the identical dress Of
the original clothes the figure There comcal
tricks played with this figure when it but just
finished and before the public aware of its exist
ence 1t night taken to the theatre. 1t had pre-
viously been announced in the bills in very ambiguous
phraseoogy that the favorte song of Love and Sauagcs
would be sung tlat evening by sort of double Alsck
Drake; and there was good house. Drake uni
versa favorte and every body the lookout for
ers bell the musicians their places in the
orchestra Another ring, and the curtain rises There
stands Aeck in the customary attitude and they greet
him with several rounds Of applause They pause hear
the favorite song Aleck holds the attitudes his
eyes staring wide open and the usual ragged dirty
white handkerchief bangles mooness in his left hand
Some thought he had got fit, and began whis
per that he blue! The musicians impatiently re-
peated the key note and tired themselves da capog the
symphony; still no sign Of q sound from Aleck
The people began to hiss the prompter rang the BELL
and down went the curtain.
What can the matter be 7" Two three doctors de-
manded their checks and hurrying round to the green
room door, offered their services They informed that
he has recovered and that the prompter abeu ringing
up the curtain second time. All hasten back to their
places, and the dumb is enacted again
The house is amazed, mysfed, mad. Cents, apples,
nuts &C. jingle bounce and skip about the stage and
the curtain falls in uprosr Every thing ripe for
brakes perversy would have brought down terrible
tributon the management But Aleck was pet, and
the camor hushed at the first sound of the promp
ters bell The curtain again Aleck did sing this
time and was encored till he tired out The house
was completely hoaxed with Powerss likeness of Drake,
which now stands, believe, in the Western Museum.
Mr. Powers, after this, steadily and exclusively de-