Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-03-24
Y'hcosloSiu Burr.

l7Yl anu lIQ1, he was one day driving along Il
lonely country road i'll Ulster county, New "rk,
when his horse cast 4 shoe. and he stopped 1T Il
blacksmith shop to have it replaced. While
waiting the completion OF the operations he hap
pened to glance ut the door of the rude build
Ing, ami saw there Il truthful and vigorous
drawing of his vehicle and team done III char
coal which must have been executed IN Il very
few minutes He inquired Tor the artist. and
Il half grown boy dressed in coarse garments,
stepped tor yard and said Il did it sir Burr
ent cred into conversation with tile lad;nd soon
ascertaincd that though wholly uncducatcd he
was yet unusually bright and intelligent that he
was born and reared in the nelgllbnrhond ana
had hired himself to the blacksmith t"r SIX
months
Writing few lines on a slip Of larrr Burr
handed it to him, and remarked My boy
you are too smart fellow t. stay here all your
life II YOU ever want to change your employ
ment and sec something OF the world, put :;
clean shirt in sour pocket. 90 tn New Vrk and
come straight to that address. His numerable
schemes and the cares and duties Of political
life soon drove the incident from the Senator :
mind, and he was surprised one morning some
months later while sitting ut breakfast ut his
residence at Richmond llill, when Il servant
entered and delivered hima small bundle which
had been brought by Il boy who was waiting out
side. Opening the package he found within Il
clumsily made clean shirt.
Thinking there must be mistake, he order
I'd the boy shown up and iii i moment there
entered the blacksmith apprentice, with the
slip of paper given him us Il guide and intro
duction Burr gave HIM Il hearty welcome
took him into his family, directed his cducl
tion, procured him instruction in the primary
principles of drawing and coloring, and finally
assisted him TO go to Europe, where ne spent
five years. When misfortune and mSdecds
had driven the patron frcudless, pcnnlle>s
exile across the sea, the protcgc WAS exhibit
ing his pictures ut the Louvre. and gaining"
compliments and gold medal from Napoleon
He did all he could to aid his bcnefart"r
when they met in Paris, but hongh Wander
lyn had won fame, money was almost as scarce
with him us with Burr. He came back I"
America, painted the Landing of Columbus,
now in the rotunda Of the Capitol ut Wash
ington the portrait of Jackson III the City
Hall, New York, and other we'll known
works. and died not long since near the spot
where he received his first encouragement TO
study the art his achievements have adorned.
Previous to his tour abroad Fandcrlyn
painted the portraits of Burr and his daugil-
ter, which are now familiar to all through
the engravings attached to the lives of the for
mer written by Matthew j. Davis and James
Parton. This portrait of Theodosia, next tn
the idolized original Burr priced more than all
else the world contained. 1t hung IN his draw
T. ing room at Richmond Hill, and whenever
Theodosia's S birth day came round. and after
her marriage to Governor A ston amt removal
to South Carolina, it was always brought out
for the admiration and toaSts of the assembled
guests.
When he went 10 Europe he carried 1t with
him, and when whether visiting the houses OF
distinguished people in England, or lnding
in Partisan garrett the sweet face looking
from the dumb canvass. was ever, near to bright
en- and to bless. He brought it back To New
York, and it was ut his bedside when he died.
From the death-chamber the portrait WIS trans
terred to the Keeping of Miss TheodoSi; Pre-
vost, daughter of John b. Provost: Burr )
stepson. There it remained for SOME time, and
was then carried to South America hy another
member of the family.
Returning from thence it found temporary
lodgment in the household Of Rev. DIR. Brcck-
inridee of Pleasant Hill, Missouri, whose wife
was also daughter of John B. Provost. \
few weeks since it passed into the possession Of
Mrs. Lucy Breckenridge of Alton, Illinois: and
is now in the studio of Slr. }. K. Stuart, cor
ner of Fifth and Olive streets st. Louis. This
historic picture is on canvass rather under the
ordinary size for half lengths, and still has the
wooden frame, painted black and varnl>hrd,
which it probably wore seventy years aFn
1t shows evidence of age and travel, but the
Nandeyn was noted, are yet plainly pcrcSpti-
hlc, and the soft brown hair, hazel eyes. ccar
cut nose and lips, checks hllShng with the
ralest tint of the rose recall in liftlikr reality
the face and form of her over whose unknown
grave the ocesn rolls, and whose story is one Of
the S,ddest and the noblest recorded in AmcrI-
can annals.
LtQUoR This little incident illustrates tho
quality of some OF the Massachusetts State = H.
qior sold at its agencies Not long since /;
man walked into one Ut three stores IN " est
cru town. and inquired nt the proprietor 1t he
had any more brandy like the last he got there
and was told hr had "Wcu, continued the
customer, who was fronl mountain town, :
want to tcll.athuttha last pint you SOLD me.
went home late ut night and hung the bottle
up hy the fire place. It WAS \ middling cold
night, and when got up in the morning
found the bottle had dropped on the hearth
and broken into Il thousand pieces hut. ,"n
tinued the niountainccr with animation. III;
brandy was al right there it hung "n tina
nail. froze, soldier than thunder
SUDDEN pEAru-Mrs. Martha Saunders
wife of Mrs. Cyrus q. Saunders. living n"a
rb;s Mace died very suddenly on Friday eve,
inc hist. Of the heart disease Mrs; : had hee
in Lecsburs during the day, and did '"' rc'nr
home until late in the evening enc hau ,,ouI :,aII
arisen from the snppcr-table. and was az ai'eho
ius to some household duty, when she TELL an
died almost Instantly. She was IN about tn
35th year Of her aye. = .LrssbUg :HiTor:
-. -. =. -. :. .---.-.-.---.s.e--
upO - REMARD-Waa stolen or StraySS
~ 4 y. away from the subscriber, on 1."HlE1 u, il
Of the I'D inst, from Fishtown, 4 hIs h'.iaS
smooth wart over the right eye. reward
so will be paid for his return or i"t"r'"'''"