The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-09
FINE ARTS.


Twenty-Five years ago there came to Philadelphia
young Englishman by the name Of John Butterton.
He was painter by profession. and at hired .
studio the of Tenth and Chestnut Streets
1t became known that Nh. Butterton had been .
pupil OF that unhappy genius. Benjamin Robert Hay
don and this gave peculiar interest to the young
artist. This interest increased when 1t Wa
noised abroad that in his modest studio Butter
ton had original Turner. Sir Joshua
Reynolds and several pictures by other well known
English painters Among the many artists who
focked TO these treasures was Thomas Moran the
famous painter of the Yellowstone country then little
more than Lad. From his earliest youth Mr. Moran
has been of Turner's most ardent admirers. and
the sight of this picture probably the first origna hd
had seen. hed him with wilder delight than the whole
of the National Gallery in later years. He went to sea
it many times and wondered if there could be SO
much unaoyed pleasure in life the possession OF
that picture would give to him. Mr. Buterton was NOT
very successful painter At that time there were
and better artists in Philadelphia than there are
to-day, he packed up his and went of into
the country. None knew exactly where he went, but
it generally understood that he settled farm
in New Jersey.
Years passed away, but Mr.. Moran did not forged
the Turner. Even when visiting the Turner gallery
in London he thought the beautiful picture he had
among that artists work for simplicity of style
mastery treatment. Mr. Moran back to America
and settled down in Newark. N. j. He made soma
inquiries after Mr. Butterton, but knew whera
he lived. It was his good fortune few weeks ago to
get early copy of the December number of Serbs
ners Monthly, with this modest advertisements
marked:-
pIcruRE SALE.-For sale, important pic-
turc. by Turner. the famous English painter. For
particulars and price address j. B., Post Office box
lag. Hammont0n, N. j.
note from friend connected with the magazine
came by the same mail which read. do you suppose
that this be the Turner you talked about ox
the last twenty-five yearsa" Mr.. Moran read the adj
vertisement slowly. u. b.. Hammonton. Nd" OF
course it could be other than ohm Butterton,
who had been New Jersey farmer for twenty-five
years. map of New Jersey was soon procured and
Hammonton found hid away in Atlantic county.
Consultation with guide books revealed that it was
oneof the most inaccessible places in the State but
Mr.. Moran was undaunted He looked at his watch
and called to his wife to pack travelling bag and be
ready to leave for South Jersey in an hours time.
When Mira. Moran heard Of the discovery she was.
excited as her husband. fer she also is an artist
and Turner enthusiast. For three days the Morans
missing from Newark, and when they came
back they brought the Turner with them.
HERALD representative visited Mr.. Moran at his
handsome residence in Newark yesterday and found
the distinguished artist down his knees before the
Turner. He was not worshipping, the reporter AZ
first supposed but armed with stout palette knife
scraping the dirt of years from the precious
vas. Schliemann digging among the ruins Oh
Mycane could not have been more absorbed
II have from New York to learn the his
tory Of your discovery Mr. Moran said the reporter.
at the time drinking the beauties of the pic
ture before him. Mr.. Moran from the floor
III.
motioned the reporter to seat, while he drew his
own chair nearer the picture and told in substance
what has been related above. when we arrived
Hammonton, continued Mr.. Moran, Two inquired.
for Mr. Butterton. and found that he the propri
etor of the London Nurseries, about three miles from
town. We drove out ut once and, finding the artist
nurseryman at home, stated my business. To my
surprise he recognized me as the young man who
had adEsiled his picture much twenty-five years.
ago and called me by name. We were taken into the
dark little sitting and there enough. hung
the picture covering almost one side OF the wall.
looked older than when first saw it. but still the
in bold relief asked NE Fullerton Why he wanted
TO sell the picture and he replied that he wanted it to
get into the hands Of some one who would appre-
sands Of New Jersey, and that If it sold down
in Atlantic county it would not bring any
and keep it while. and eithar sell it for him
or make him an offer myself. He really seemed
but knew that could not afford to pay him any
thing like its value. When it taken down from
been touched since first hung and the wall had been
papered around it. The upshot of the matter was,
that Mr. Butterton put his price at such figure and
made his terms so easy that we concluded bargain
and own the picture 1 have coveted all my life."
"lAnd it was bargain. presume" said the re-
porter.
You what payed for it, but will tell You what it il
worth. Valued it at once ut S25 0OO and experts
who have been here to it say that $4,000 is
nearer its worth 1t Is the largest Turner that haN
ever been seen in America 1t measures three fent
al he Ia Qh inehp han
twice the size on the slave Ship. Turner's of this
size are never in the market, and this never
offered for sale before. The National Gallery of Lon
hurry to part with it,
the reporter.
cit Is very simple. replied Mr. Moran. ~It in
called Conway Castle. North Wales, and paintsd
to the order of Thomas Goodall, banker, Of Abints
don, Berkshire. England. It was never exhibitedv
but went direct from the artists studio to the owners
house. Sec this is the frame that Turner put it in.
He always sent his pictures home in plain wooden.
frames Some of them to be seen in the NATIONAL
Goodal residence for years. and there Il got pretty
thoroughly blackcncd with coal dust. At tho death
of Mr.. Gooda came into possession OF
tho present Mr.. Buttcrtons father. John Butterton
of Bstachre Hail. in Stafordshiro, and when he died.
it was inherited by MIR. Buttertoi. of Hammonton.
whose affidavit hold TO this effect. He has owned
the picture for thirty years He says that IL wasl
painted between the years 1910 and 1915. no cnnot
say positively just which gave 1t BIRTH"
The reporter. who had been studying tho picture
while listening 10 Mr.. Moran's story Expressed his
W6f1ncst Iur Dc1utlcs IcprtSenLS
rambling castle in the middle distance, standing on
the borders of river; tall mountains rise in tho
background. The foreground is tangled wood, with
strips of grass. In one corner herd of cattle arc
going down to stream to drink: in another group
of peasants reclino and stand around. weaving
wreaths of flowers and otherwise amusing themselves
A great deal OF the foreground is dark and grhny
that nothing can be readily distinguished.
do you suppose that there Is anything under that
black sttifr?'' inquired the reporter.
Tho sresser part Of what you see was under JUST
such dirt, said Mr.. Moran, but cleaning has tevo-
oped most of 1t. 1t seems to be n sort of soiled
varnish and comes or without bringing any of the
paint. Let us dig down in this corner and see whns
can find The corner looked very black and
inviting. but Mr.. Moran began to scrape and then rub
with oiled rag, and boy i'll blue coat and
shepherds dog weve revealed to sight.
That's the wny'I have gone over half OF this
vas" said Mr.. Moran.
when the public to your treasured" the re-
porter asked, he consulted time table OF local
trains.
~ shall have IT at my studio in the Booth building.
49,. ...rA l..4ll