The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-01-07
ANECDOTES OF AARON BURR.
From Parton's Life of Aaron Bur
Burr and Vanderlyn,


The interest which Col Burr took IN thu
education of youth has been before alluded to.
He always had protege in training, upon
whose culture he bestowed unwesried pains aud
more money than he could always ord. The
story of Vauderlyn, thai most disting uished pro.
tege he ever had, was one which he often re-
lated in these later years.
de was riding along in g currce and pair
one day during the Senatorial term, when one
OF his horses lost shoe, and he stopped at the
next blacksmith's to have it replaced 1t was
lonely country place, not far from Kingston,
IN Ulster county, n. Y. He strolled about while
The blacksmith was at work, and, returning. saw,
upon the side of stable near by, charcoal
drawing of his curricle and horses. The picture,
which must have been executed in a very few
minutes, was wonderfully accurate and spirited,
and he stood admiring il for some time. Turn.
ing round, he noticed boy little way of,
dressed 10 coarse homespun.
T" Who did that?" inquired Burr, pointing 10
the picture.
" | did it, sad the bsy.
H. .A-t=i-A u tsssl~< .-..ic-ed into .,>s.s.-
sation with the lad found him INTELLIGENT.
though ignorant; learned that he was born in
the neighOorhJ3d; rad had no instructions in
drawing, and was engaged to work Cor he black
smith SIX months. Burr wrote few words on
d piSte vi paper, anu sAu, az ne wrote:
My boy, you are too smart a fellow to stay
here all your life If ever you should want to
change your employment and see the world.
just put clean shirt in your pocket, 90 to New
York, and go straight to that address" handing
the boy the paper.
lie then mounted his curricle, and was out of
sight In moment. Several months passed
away, and the circumstance had nearly faded
from the busy Senator's rec collection Az he
was sitting a. breakfast one morning, at Rich
mond Hill, servant put into his hand small
paper parcel, saying that it was brought by
by who was waiting outside. Burr opened
the parcel, and found coarse, country.ma
clean SHIRT. Supposipg it to be mistake, he
ordered the boy to be shown in. Who should
enter, but the Genius Of the Roadside, who
placed In Burrs hand the identical piece of
paper he had given him. The lad was warmly
welcomed. Burr took him into his family,
educated him, and procured him instruction in
the art which nature had indicated should be
the occupation of his lifetime. Afterward.
Burr assisted him to Europe, where he spent
hive years in the study of painting, and became
an artist worthy Of the name.
While Burr himself was wandering in Europe
Vanderiyn was exhibiting pictures in the
Louvre, at Pairs, and received from Napoleon a
gold medal, besides compliments and felicita-
uons from the Emperors own lips Vander,vn
ala all he could for bis benefactor in Paris. but
unaappiiy he had the successful artists usual
fortune-poverty embittered by glory. He
afterwards had commissions from Congress.
and painted the elknown "Landing Of Co
lumbus for panel in the rotunda of the Cap
itol at Washington. He also painted the Dor.
traits OF Colonel Burr and Theodosia, from
which the engravings were taken By which their
llneamens are now known to the public Van
derlyn died only five years ago, at Kingston.
uear the spot where he drew the charcoal
sketch which decided his career.
SANDER Stays More than tho Sword.
One day, in his Office, a gentleman talked in
the usual halftrue manner of the evils of war
Burr remarked
SANDER has slain more than the sword
To friend, who censnred him for allowing
80 many hundreds OF injurious paragraphs to
circulate without contradiction, he replied. tha.
ne had formerly supposed that his character
was strong enough to bear such petty assaults
and he had felt himself safe in treating tban,
with contempt. "But," he added. AZ fear that
have committed a great error; the men who
knew their talsity are mostly dead, and the gen
Grafton who now read them NAV take them for
truths, being uncontradicted. | admit | have
committed capital error, but il is too late to
repair it."
Cold Fridays Adventure.
Returning, one day, in about the SEVENTEEN
year OF his age, from professional visit TO Or.
snge county, New York, he related, with EVIL
d snt delight, an adventure which Re had had
during his absence. have the story from the
lady 10 whom he told it frst.
Ii was one of the "cold Fridays" of tradi-
ton, when the incident occurred So cold WAS
II, that few living creatures could long support
life, exposed to the blast. The snow Law deem
on the ground the roads were imperfec,lv
broken; the air was filed with PARTICLES of snow
blown about by the wind. Colonel Bur. had a
ride of twenty miles before him that dav. TO ar.
tend court which met on the day follov;np
he had companion with him, his partner in
the law, gentleman forty years his Junior. who.
siter trying IN vain to persuade him not 10 At
tempt the journey, refused, point blank, 70 &C.
him.
Barr consulted lis man, and, finding him
willing to 90, ordered round his sleigh. thee
set oil about the middle of the day. As niObt
ireW on the roads became worse, and the cold
increased to such a degree, that, to keep the
o'ood In motion required laborious .exertion.
as tue Wind swept down from tie mountains,
even the horse shrunk from facing it. and gave
Signs OF yielding to the cold. For himself.
iturr had no fears; no weather could subdue
MN, but his driver began TO occasion him con-
stan. anxiety, as the drowsiness, premonitory
OF the torpor that prccedes freezing, was com.
ing over him. Finding that the drowsiness in