The weekly Shasta courier. [volume] (Shasta, Calif.) 1872-190?, 1873-09-06
Miss Edm0nia Lewis.

The Daily Graphic reports an interview
with Miss Lewis, the half Indian and half
negro sculptor. This is the account which
she gives of herself:
"My mother was an Indian and my
father was colored man. was born at
Greenbush which yen know is on the other
side of the river, opposite Albany. My
| father and mother died when was about
four years old. My Indian aunts took care
of me the tribe moved away to Canada,
but they sometimes came down as far as
New York City to buy beads and such
things"
did they talk Indian?"
40, no; English, except when white
people visited them then they would talk
Indian among themselves. They were
Chippewas.
"When l was about thirteen years of
age, my brother, who was much older than
money in California, sent word to say that
he wished that should be educated. He
sent money for the purpose. | was de-
lighted to learn-very eager. l had never
learned anything. The black robes
taught US few prayers-that was all.
Il felt the strangest sensation in putting
on dresses. I had never worn anything but
blankets. Naughing} You see l had
good opportunities for studying the nude.
was then sent to Oberlin College, in Ohio.
I studied there for four years. l was ex-
tremely fond of the mathematics and made
good progress in algebra and geometry. At
the end Of the four years ! proposed to 60
to Boston and study music.
Zone day was walking down School
street saw a statue of Benjamin Frank
lin. 1t was the first statue had ever seen.
don't know how I felt; it struck me in
a most remarkable way. l went and asked
Mr.. VIM. Lloyd Garrison what it was. He
told me it was statue, and also explained
the nature of sculpture, l said, i will be
a sculptor He told me to go round to
Mr.. Bracket. | went to see him and told
him what | felt He was rough. He
threw down a cast of a baby's foot, lump
of clay and one or two tools.
&c There said he, model that. If there
is anything in you it will come out
40, tried to model it ever so often. At
first, failed miserably; but at the end of a
month made very good copy of the little
that foot when l was about to leave Boston
iOi IsOuc. IHeuO MY HiOuClihS oOoio
myself. l got some pieces of ebony and
filed them out with a rasper."
"What next did you attempt"
GA bust of Voltaire. i succeeded very
well indeed. Well then, you recolleet Col.
Shaw, who fell at Fort Wagner2 | made
bust of him from photograph. That was
very great success. The bust was much
admired. My Boston friends took one hun
bred copies at fifteen dollars. Then was
rich. l Immediately determined to 60 to
Rome. l went in August, 1868"
"How did you succeed there?"
80, very well, indeed. Mr.. Powers was
very kind to me-that dear, good man. He
showed me how to fix the wires SO as to
keep the clay from settling when modelled.
| Immediately set to work and modelled the
Marriage of Hiawatha the two figures.
you know, of Hiawatha and Minnehaha.
While it was yet in clay had an order for
copy in marble by Mrs. Mary Pell, of
Flushing, Long Island. received four
hundred dollars for the group. Then
modelled the Old Arrowmaker and His
Daughter Miss Cushman ordered copy
of that in marble, and presented it to the
Young Mems Christian Association in Bos-
ton. l made Madonna and Child for
the Marquis of Butte, for which received
three thousand dollars"