Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-12-24
AN HOUR WITH CLARK MILLS.
How Our Statues are Made.
The Great Bronze Foundry Of the Country.
The National Lincoln Monument.
Lively Time with Mills Bull Dogs.

Passengers TO Washington by the Baltimore
road who stretch their heads from the car win
lows TO get look at the d,smsl alder-fringed
wal known as the Bladensburg duclling
ground, have their attention caught next by
The conspicuous tofab and So -cophagus 0
John q. kiyes, and almost Immediately there
after by another curious Obiect-a cOlloS-a'
horse in bronze rearing from pedestal,
and seeming about to spring in.O the open
air. Sur ounding this bronze horse is
group of buildings dominated by a large oc-
tagonal structure OF brick and which structure
hears on its ro0f-snges series of busts, looking
DOWN upon the passenger like so many gar goyles
;lom an old world cathedral. This clSster of
buildings is the SIMMER residenee, studio
workshop, and foundry of
CLARK MILLS, TIE SCULPTOR,
sbo, for good or bad the critics differ-hs> put
lis stamp in pretty indellible characters upon
he creations OF American plastic art, and
whose name is identified with all the most con-
spicuous national art works in bronze.
Passing between the workshop and the foun-
dry, the railroad heads in perfectly straight
line to the Capitol building, and as if the Senate
chamber were the Washington station. And
one gets re alizing sense of the Immense size of
ihe Capitol when assured that il is exactly three
miles distant IIon Mills by this straight rail-
where as it is difficult to IT ale the eye believe
that il is more than half a mile. By the turn
pike it is four miles, and as there i. no station
at Mills place, it is by the turnpike that one
let's out there, 2. We did day or two since
pleasant drive it is, over the beautiful series of
wooded hills bounding the city, and which have
such capabilities for the finest park and land
scspe gardening, as shown at " HARDWOOD
Mr. Corcoran's country Feat, and At the Sol
hna tPha
glimpse Of the
TWENTY NILE CIRCUIT
OF unsurpassed drives that the washingtonians
OF the next decade will enjoy, over the series OF
magnificent hills that form the rim of the basin
m which the city IS planted.
Artist folk are law to themselves, and so il
wasn't much OF surprise TO find what shou'd
be the f.cnt gate of Mills hOuse-a plain
Viii farm hou,c-padlocked, and a pash
running round TO The right, indicating that the
entrance was to no effected at the rear. 1t
seemed the correct thing, too, for an Equestrian
statuary TO have
TRIsKY MODEL STALLION
cutting Up locte ia ;lat back yard, also that
tLeTe =hoUld be few ball-dogs about tied TO
peach trees or in kennels. But when the risky
stallion commenced kicking mp behind and be-
,Ore, ard The bulldogs to>Suake Iunges at u
weak, and a few 'ooys bulldogs made their ap-
gCar&uce, things began 10 look rather 700 pic
sTft. que. 50 We DIDN'T 20 a great WAYS inside
&c SsTd' but banking ouT sbapcly calves
sla'Tsf ;he renee, 4" bo'lsTed" orr inquire, 10
Servant gin, over tie ClamCrs OF the co-s and
we're pointed 70 white door in the huge octa-
oual building as The entrance to the studio.
iLithCT We went, escorted bv
TWO WHITE ECLL TUEas."
and CT knocking, were met @: the door ~ the
..tE IL 4 .vp5
nan of - probably, white of hair acc
'lisheIs, bat erect, quick OF Voice and motion.
nd with keen eyes CT blush grey.
star msn-''RIr. Mills YOU seem ~ he UrII
1t ,or deg" ('hree cold noses distinctly per
,epubie through our winter pants at the
ai'is.-'weiI. yes. Its The only way can
project my property and then he went on to
ell of the depretiaiOns Mode upon his premises
ana the unlikely things stolen, articles that
'culd be OF no possible use bat 10 the artist out
shich SEE med TO possess a great fascination for
be thieves.
Entering the studio we were confronted by
,undry
COLOSSAL FIGURES IN PLASTER
designed for the National Lincoln Monument
Niils.-DO YOU recognize any of these?
Star maD-Ob! yes. There is no mistak:pg
he Chief Justice, or that of Stanton and this IS
Bishop Simpson, and who have we here:-
George II. Stuart. is it?-and that i Beccher,s
aggressive phiz-but you have Mt made him
-tslEy enOush-Or stanton either
Mills--Iou forget that the figures are 20 be
elevated
FORTY FIVE FEET FROM TIE GROUND
They mrst be elongated to allow for foreshort-
euirg when they are elevated.
Star lnan.-At that height then they are to
appear the size OF lie.
Niils.-FIactly. and in the characteristics At
sjtudes Of life. When Miss Nettie Chase came
out to see the model of Der father, the head hap
ptICd to he detached from the body. but the
moment she saw the trunk she called out, ..AI.
ti@t is fathers figure, I should know that any
WLeIc' one q BeecLCr's peH-h0lders came
here tho other day, and after walking round the
moCCl said, Wen
THAT'S EEEcHsR
=UTe enough should know It by the hang Of
The shoulders. il his face wasn't visible
The fact is." said Mills, 81 went on 10 Brook
iyn to hear Beecher preach. Just to get good
ci arecterist'c pose Of him
Star msn.-Did be know you were there?
Mills.-Not bit OF IL. didn't want him TO
put on any
sELP-CoSsCToUs PULPIT ATTITUDES.
got Just the Beccher wanted
Star man.-Wbat is the idea OF that scroll in
Beecher's hard?
Mills-He holds the Christian Ministers Com
mission, which reads like this
He hath Amounted me TO preach the gospel
10 the poor, to set at liberty them that are
orCiseO.' wrote TO Beecher to know what the
mblem should be, and this was his answer
Star mainland those are
GRHENBACRs
in Chase's hand?
Mills.-Yes. He holds out a roll of green
backs to the country i'm his right hand, aud his
let rests upon bag of gold, sho wing the basis
upon which the issue OF greenbacks was m ade.
"TBE NATIONAL LINCOLN MONUMENT"
And, first, what 10 - The National Lincoln
Monument ?" and what are its chances Of sue
cets where the thousand and one projects Of the
sort have failed? The Association for the erec-
tiCn of this monument was incorporated by
Congress in 1s61, and has for it OH GERS Senator
Harlan as President; Hon. John F. briggs, Vice
President; Gen. Spinner, lof the Treasury De-
sartment,) Treasurer, ard Judge j. NJ. Ed
minds, Getty postmaster, y Secretary.
The proposed monument 10 decidedly am
81 Ious untertsliDg, designed, according to the
circulars, to
- sUkPAss ALL TIE MONUMENTS or THE
WORLD
in its vast proportions and grandeur" 1t is to
he the puhie ground MAR the Can.