, 1875-07-25
AN ARTISTS QUARREL.


KRts. and Not Larkin G. Ecad's.
hAssA CARRAnA, March 20, 1675-Io the Ed
tor Of Ge Neto York Tribune-S1B: have read
an article in your distinguished journal. regard
ing the Lincoln Monument. I am bound 10 give
Won the rea! statement Of it. In Washington l
made my acquaintance Of tho brave-for what
can Judge mssalf-ope Of the best American
sculptor, A. Dummy Ward; he give to me to
point tho bust OF Stephens, Congressman OF
Georgia; then be come to finish it himself. In
this time WAS not in good state Of health.
Ward received. letter from Mr. Larkin g.
Mead to send him = workmarb to execute the
statue OF Ethan Alien ho ask me it Was will
ing to 60 myself he represent me- that Mead
was good fellow 80 I went to Brattleboro',
aud really when meet to the depot Mead, I felt
that Ward say the truth. I commenced the
statue after three months. I went to Washing
lon--and sold my shop. which left in charge
of sitbor Gianyuol, aud went back to Brattlo-
boro', my new residence The statue was very
much advanced. In tbs same time I have cut
TWO statuette called the = Mountain Boy ana
..Bchool-Glrl" pointed and flushed by myself.
IN the same time Mead, he give to them some
1ine touches Of chisel. On the 9Th Of Augnst
1860; il WAS ve1y warm day. never "as d,x,s -
eo-rav 70 me sitter dinner ''Thomas
.o-dsv is very warm; We have better to 60 at
Wasco1of mater-cure and play ten~pn." 80 We
went there to play With some other gentlemen
fatally threw one Of the most large balls. l
felt that have hurt my shoulder. I stop to
ulay, In plight have hprd main, but next day
went to work by uslog big hammer: IN the M
evening sweat very much. went oo"n tno
out ehirt. On leavinR the shop, saw, Lark.
have cured mvself," but on the night was
taken Of terrlb1e pain in my shoulder, and
from that day Was not able to work any more.
Lark, he finished the statue himself. ttry TO
cnre myself everything, but without Any result.
On the month Of October, I start for Europe to
cnrs mysetf. I wont to Rome, Geneva, Paris,
but mr arm Was lost entirely. | Was ID Europe
four months. Then went back to Brastleboro.
After the few months that LARK was IN tt!t s.of
should start for 60 to Florence as bis foreman;
say to uyee}f, "Thank God aB : foreman l
shall do little work" I vas the foreman Of
| Lark. We livod together. Wc wsrc two broth
ers In 1864 Lark. vent to venice a. Weston On.
eul in the place Of Nr. Howells. Before be loft
| he made sketch ip clay 0f \ monument ol
| Abraham Lincoln. say to Lark. that / like the
| idea ana advise him to make good showing
! model. Well, he eag to ne, 'Do, do" em-
plo5ed me TO make the design aud all the propor-
ton. Sig, Fell, sculptor and architect. and have
execute it bv the wood-carvcr, SIG. Barbetti. in
| Forence, The naonnmcnt was sent to New
| York, and exhibit it in Peter Cooper Institute
Iarlin went to Amerlca, but be failed on receive
| The ono erected It Springfield, I'll. In
1867 / went to America for. my new
] enterprise to execute rnasble-work: I will
only remember you two: The decoration
| Of the bankng-room OF the treasury Detaft-
| ment, and two statues modelled BY the good ar
tlst Brown Of Neuburg. My correspondent in
bnsiuess was A. D. Shepard, brotherin-law Of
II. Mead. One morning in February, 1853, Mr.
| Mead road NE circular sent to him by Col,
! Lavronce American Consul of Foreuce, which
| circular waa to advise all American Rculptors OF
| Florence TO mako design for national monu-
| ment for Abraham Lincoln, to BE- erected at
| Springfield ILL.,, which design was to be decided
| by tho Committee Oh the 18th OF April the Same
| year
are in the City OF New York. Mead sny to NE,
!. Thomas, how We can make nav design We
shall have no time, aud besides this, know, !
| &m sure Miss Hosmer Will receive the commits"
sion aayhov." l answered: why do. you
exhibit in New York He say: "ThAt
ono are played CUT Immediately came
t ia my idea, \ colossal monument. 1 said :
La1kin. have colossal idea, which will aston
| i.h all America and sure shall havs made the
design in t,ma and start for America He an
swer: Thomas, l will not spend no more
upon Lincoln Monument" "Wel," asy, II
viii enterprise everything at my own expenses:
! II you will not receive the commission shall
| lose all the money paid for it." h. Mead say
..Al right shall pul my maine under it. >
Immediately after hiB last word went to pur-
chase nine feet Of blue paper, and with 1t ven!
| in the studio Of 6iguor Augusta passaglla.
then then have suggested hlm ~ ny colossal plan
| Tor the Lincoln monument, 100 feet high, a
vide We put the blue paper on tno wall, and
| peseaRlia with charcoal made the monument OF
| nv conceived colossal idea. called ii. Mead
| to see it, and with great proudness say to him
&AA f.
laughed, aud say really are ! pretty large one.
| / sAv American people never stop in as small
concern. But Passaglia told me that only
h,mseH was impossible to make such design in
front and profile in forty days; but be SAYS thai
| he had friend architect to whom We went TO-
eether, aud I ask him if he would help Passag-
la. We eau make tho design only by pen for the
28th Of March next. told them, Push It. u
Two hours before my departure At the depot oi
Florence they had consigned me the deHlgn; anc
NJ Mead write his name in both.
At the depot were ahons thirty reo1le includ'
ing IL, Mead and his Dalmat1an wife. Lnmed
| ately after lett If. Mead, he had tho courage K
| saw that Was a fool to lose my time and money
call one for witness, tudovico Acarisi, painter
friend OF aIr. Mead a1d mine. landed at Men
York the 18th Of April. 1went in Mr.. shepardl
odice, No. 50 Broad street. When he see me, b.
sav, ..What you coma here fors" 1say to hin
that come to New York with the design O
tue monument. show it. He exclaimed
~~~A
postponed on September next. shoT the twt
design to several New York gentlemen. On
evening have carry the two design at Hoffma1
House, where was Legrand Lockwood It = din
uer-party ! show the two design, and every on
say to me: '' This will get the prize" I re
NAMED in New York feH weeks; then I won
back to Florence. Ireceired ths drawing frou
Paesagha and Bar1o. ask them '' How mucl
I owe yon7" They say "Three hundred
francs !" which amount / pay to them, and b.
my voluntary PROMISE l say to them " If "
shall receive the commission, viii give yoh
present OF $1,000" But my obligation to~ar'
Passaglla and Bordo was over. They have moth
ing to do on tha future to claim upon Llncol1
Monument.
When I see 1{r. Mead told him: lyon hAv
better start Immediately with your wife 70
/ America, because BY good many gentleman
have show the drawing, assured me that th
drawing brought BY me in America WAS the on
to get the prize. Mr. Mead say to me ii mad
! fool myself By have been in America for Linco
Monument he was not the one to do the same
50 he do not take nv advice, but late in July N.
Mead received letter from his ftther date
Brsttleooro, July 10, in which letter his fatbe
| advise him to take my advice to start for Amer
ca aud attend to the business Of Lincoln Monu
ment This letter are in my possession yet. Iii
Mead he take the advice Of his father and lei
/ ta K1a iT,R Ra<