Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-07-09

hAle VIC eAouia eAg AhaN ot Auc WIN
has experienced great loss in the death /
Of Hiram Powers. which took place at
Florence, after lingering illRoss.
MIR. Powers vas a native OF the State
Of Vermont. lie was bern at Woodstock,
on the 29lh Of July, 1905. lie Was
the eighth child Of bis parents. who
we're of the agricultural class, and by no
means burdoncd with the good thinse of
this life f: and his rise was slow. lie had
no other education than what was attain
able by the poorest Of children, and none
that was calculated to develop his pecu-
liar faculty. While yet child he went
with his fathers family TO Ohio, whcro
their circumstances were not much i'm
proved. After his fathers death he was
variOusly employed in Cincinnati. SomO-
time he was employed as an assistant in n
roading-roon belonging TO hotel then
in produce store; and finally in cloak
making establishment. More uncongoni-
al pursuits for youth conscious Of the
possession Of great talents it would be
difficult to name.
Becommins acquainted With German
sculptor he acquired from him knowledge
of tho art Of modelling in plaster, and he
followed the bushes with success. lie
then connected himself with Museum at
Cincinnati and had "ihe wax work show"
under his direction for seven years. Such
werc the humble beginnings Of what was
destined to bo one Of tho most brilliant
of the nineteenth century. The story is
full Of encouragement 10 young men, but
it is DO, possible 10 keep out Of the rcco-
lection the many bitter hours which must
have tormcnted one .hat felt that he was
born to something better than the mere
drudgery Of existance. Tho genial eur
rent Of the soul" is often frozen under
such circumstances, and it is probable
that every year secs some man sink into
oblivian, who, with little encouragement,
would do honor to his country.
AT the age of thirty, Mr. Powers re-
paired to Washington, where he me, with
considerable encouragement. lie model
ed the busts Of many prominent men.
and Washington could then bonst Of many
men who deserved to live in marble.
President jackson, Vice President Van
Buren, Mr.. Webster. Mr.. Calhoun. Mr..
j. @. Adams, Chief Justice Marshall and
Edward Everett wero of the number who
appreciated and encouraged the artist.
He was we'll paid for his labors, and at
the same time he acquired the friendship
of Mr.. Longworth, aftcrward SO success
ful as q cultivator Of the vine, and who
assisted him. Thus favorably situated,
he carried into effect his purpose to visit
Italy, in 1887 and he mado that home
of art his home, residing principally a,
Florence, bat making visits 10 other parts
of the peninsula. His career from that
time was ono OF entire success. Ho had
found his place, and he filled it nobly.
His first great work was his Ere, which
was produced in 1888, and which COM
manded universal admiration. 1t was al
much commended by artists as by thegencr
al public Perhaps the highest tribute cvel
paid to rising merit by a critic whose
word was law was the declaration O.
Thorwaldscn. then at the zenith Of hi.
fame that Powers Ere was work o
which any sculptor might be proud as hi
masterpiece. This was suf1icien, to STAMP
the American artist, and thenceforwarc
his success was assured. In 1889 he com
pleted the model of the Greek Slare, thu
work by which he is best known, and o.
which it is not possible to speak toe high
ly. 1t is great poem in marble. II
has beenrepcatcdly duplicated, inmarble
and She number Of plaster casts is i'm
!, mense, and so is The number of reduced
copies 1t would be difficult to ci.e ,
more successful work. He continued t,
produce works that secured great popu
larity. Among these tho Fisher Bo!
stands conspicuous, and it has ssvera
times been repeated in marble. Th
Penseroso is another of his best produc
tions and his Proserpine, bust, is mucl
praised. America he prepared for th'
$ English Crystal Palace.
, Mr.. Powers has been much employed
| on American works. He produced III
statue Of Washington for the State o
Louisiana and that of Mr.. Calhoun fo
South Carolina, tho bronze statue of Mr.
Webster, now in front Of the State Hous
in Boston, is one of his productions--bu
r not even Hattery could venture to say tha
, it is favorable specimen OF his geniu;
There is something in our modern mascu
line costumes, vary them as you may
, which is fatal to excellence in sculpture
s Many busts of eminent Americans hav
been executed by Mr.. Powers, and the
i, arc in all cases performances Of high OF
der, and will ever rank with the first ella:
D of artistic productions. These and othe
}. works brought him fortune. His fam
had been established from the time tha
he had given his EUe to tho world,
!, Though residing abroad, Mr.. Power
n ever retained strong national feeling
No man ever watched the fortunes of th
succession war with moro interest than th
j. American artist in Florence. His min
! was on the banks Of tho Potomac, thoug
n his body was on those Of the Arno, A
Englishman who visited hisstudio mistoo
his bust of President jackson for one
Stonewall jackson, and was astonishe
n when the sculptor told him that it wou
i have sent that famous rebel to the gallow
n The story shows the character Of the ma
who was as proud of his country as b
: country was proud ofhim. He wasone
: the earliest of those seulptors Of whit
Amnr;oo hos nroduced so MANY and