New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-27
THE LATE THOMAS CRAWFORD.
HB CIYEyB CqARa fgs AND wjRKs
A E u 10 q Y:
nsvsr,a las, evening before the Century Club stss
Rooms No AZ gas Fifteenth stree,
ny THOMAS Incks. IA

Century after cen,urythe ocean wSse' ''s shores.
d..b,y ssan., tire rocks. or rising StS graceful hae
M the sands, breaks and rrcedss again. Sometime.
the long monoi Jny iuieruii,ed By wreck and loss o.
lie and We recognize the OmDipOtenoe Of merosess
element. So Death constantly lcads swsy I,s victims
,..,pg the bloom from the cheek u health and hush.
-, soycxtr the voice of wisdom and friensshp. Ma
,rre with her endless variety Of III, and high, darkness
and oecav. move, onward and sacien!y we are
startled and cast down in sorrow. nations snd ndi'h-
~ ~. cour,on mourueFs for @ great calamity has
fallen upon the world
rhor'.. C,.uf,rd was born in the Guy OF New
York March ~ 1919. and died in London on the iwn
Of October 1857. When the news oil ms DEAN teae'
Rome a meeting Of the artists was heid' co"P'Se" "
Italian. Germans. French. English and AMERICANS, o.
which Mr. Terry and Mr.. Freeman. his eNiy sssocses
in Rome were the offcer. After appropriate reso'n-
,ions had been adopted Nj Gibs,E, the venerable
and distinguished English sculptor; SPOKE :" 80
ford genius the most unqualified Language ana 'he
next day wrote TO Mr.. Terry the following ieI'cri
"pr,R Mr. TrRRY: Among the msay nr werk' ~hisa o.,
a.e much snen,ed ud C'sword hss lef to this eoanS'
A.r Ii. death began think ~hs, compliment his f.ed.
and counrymen could 20 bis memory aud nsA ne ,as
.on4 6n public hs whrre the people could see eo.s me
eyetnes 20 , p,s Who d.tnrubes h.efs, RSGe fa
many years remain desf Dir Ter1y ire, ,og S ntRsoS-
The career Of this eminent msn IL instructive ana
,ro,,bv az cnmmemoration from two pu,nts oi yew-
from the high position he achieved ana sustained in
his art and the genial relationship ne pore souS s
fellow men. A. msn OF genius oeiore wv "a
dus,ry and perseverance no Vb-tace cvun s'anu ou"
a father and friend whose fidelity and love were onc
unbroken stream of usefulness aud en). !mea'' "a
artist whose name has now become lEtoIlcsli man
whose frank and ardent heart ourheu INTO s!"P"'u'
with every generous impulse. -, -. -
There il similarity in the lives OF MI great men
They are cast in finer molds; they are moded IN hhef
CLAW; and while boyhOod Is yet IN us uhsi,ng asuoi,
resiess with exuberant health and spirits, the natuIa
b;as of superior intetcsshty 10 shown, ana literally
the how is father of the Mozart, when four years
of ace had learned, almost voluntarily, 10 play com
Lcs,od music an the harpsichord: and the drawings
The shepherd boy Gotto attracted the attention ara
excited the surprise of the serious Cmabue whose
pupil he became. The boyhocd OF Crawford eshiohed
similar precocity under LEES fortunate circumstance
The atmosphere which Mozart breafhed was Que OF
music; and the genial Influences ct religion and arr
charmed into perfection the graceful genius 81 GlIo
Crawford was born in n new country, AT PERIOD Wnen
nanting was couued almost exclusively 10 portrannre
when sculpture ~ tne-art wss unknown, or was
only s,urglng into rude shapes IN the stonecpttcrs
shop. Without the force OF example; 8nu WI sur
rounding circumstances adverse aud ungenal, ne
shaved an appreciation Of form, and was constantly
seeking the means to carve 10 into exprcsscn Inc
divine spark thus krded, to burn brighter ana
brighter o the close Still IL was hts good fortune 10
have a sist. some wears older than himself whose cu
tvation and sided in the development OF bis
mind and whOse virtues gave to his moral character
the high tone and purity from which II n-ver swerved
From nine to fourteen years of age, HE mind was
necessarily occupied with drawing aud sketchng For
these occupations his lessons were neglected, aud
when he was not engaged with water colors, tnting
some engraving according TO his fancy the print aud
picture auctions offered feast which he could not
withstand He was determined IN bis course, aud
made such progress that he was placed regularly at
drawing school, and the hours not engaged there
| spent wherever eDgravngs and other works Of art
were to be seen or sold The time arrived when
| he must engage iu ZONE employment, bat he obstk
nately refused to accept the common occupations 81
store how or Office clerk AID sbe habit Of watching
| the carvings of ornaments for churches and other
buildings was absorbing. that be placed himself
with wood carver in preference. Ihus the talent
| with which nature had endowed him was leading hun
TO that particular branch Of ar IN which he became
so distinguished lie then believed, ~ he said that
II be could learn the use OF tue tooF ne could create
something beautiful" His talent wa- developed with
wonderful rapidity, and soon outgrew toe limit o.
which wood.carying restricted II. lie carried on, nj
the same time a study Of architecture. aud ia the
eadng necessary 20 this study he became more aud
familiar with the great architects and srulp,ors
81 Greece aud Rome. little while ago his LEISURE
hours passed looking NJ pictures aud engrayiags
now every moment IN which he was not At work he
pored over the biographies Of those great artists
Stimulated by their renown, the works they had &C
complished, and the esteem in which they were held
by ootemi orary greatness, his ambition to do great
md noble things Wa ava ened and ne passed from
carving IN wood To work. IN marble. We next fnd
him, at the age Of nineteen. IN the studio Of Mes-rs.
rfhLee Launtz monumental pculpiofs IN this city.
lie had already gotten together a colccton ~ casts
among which was one FROM that noble work Of Thor
wadrens, The Triumph -. Alexander" lie had
Also entered the rchool ~ the National Academy Of
Design, and his -tudentlife fairly commenced
senre of justice aud isiuess began now more
strongly than ever 20 mark his character Jie asked
his employers 10 pay hun more for his labor and a.
they treated bis demand with lees consideration than
he thought Il deserved the following day he did not
return. Aner several days absence, Mr.. Laant1 be-
gan 10 think strangely Of a. and ~ he was passing
through Elm street, he Crawford nj work in the
shop Of his former employer carving ornamental wood
work lie approached hun ADD asked him wby II
meant Crawford replied, he had refused 10 pay
what bis labor was worth, and what the carver was
ready to pay. Tut tut said LAunitg come
back TO me, Crawford, aud will give you What YOU
want, and the next day found hun again AZ work IN
marble lie showed the greatest taste in modelling
nOwrfs' leaves, aud other natural objects Of beauty
and glAce. lie also composed or his master several
monumental designs, and worked upon portrait busts
among which wa that e Mr.. Perkins 81 Boston for
the Aiheuaum, aud that Of Chief Justice Marshall.
The iiee Of going some day 10 Rome had existed In
his mind q vague Diobab liiy-a dream aFouad
which clustered splendid aiions. TIE destiny
Il genius with him, and under the influence Il M.
determined WI, this vague dream became a reality
LAuniiz who his fac, friend had discovered
hi- per'sverng industry, taste aud facility a. wort.
maj aud urged bin Ia go 10 Rome where he could
study the great works.
In the Spring Of 1895 preparation. were mad. s.r
his cepartupi BE- took lsay. ~ his parents aud his
sister, who had watched BIN with sueh sppreci.fnr
tenderness; and accompanied by his friend went 10
the Vesse. The only voice 20 soy good BY and the
only hands to shake we're those II LsantEi other
hearts were sad and eyes mOis'eped by tesrs,
but no group Of iends stood 90 the wharf With part
ing adi.ur the little brig moved cut Of barring sihp.
While IRON amid he strange, rough faces oi sailors
ana sieyedores beamed that of launiit' WIS waved