Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-11-28
Z Fam;us Vermont Family.
wnIIAH MORRIS HCNT-H!s LISDHED ASD
1HEIR HONE.

Maria Iclvi;t of Suiliell, Conn. lie died at
Washington in 1882 where he was serving
as member Of The House of Representatives.
In The same year ;he family left the Brdttle-
baro homestead and removed to New Haven,
Tor he SAX" of the superior schools in the
latter city. When about ten years old VII
liam had evinced decided taste for draw
ing, and he received his first lessons in the
art. When about dozen years of age SIR.
Hunts artistic ambition manifested itself in
the direction Of sculpture, and he began to
cut heads out Of marbles, and also out of 4
hard. yelowish substance obtained from the
bleaching watts at Lowell.
Elmsholmc il the pretty and appropriate
name of the estate OF Col. Leavitt Hunt, a
younger brother OF the painter, to whose pic
tarcs,iue career photograph must be given
before touch upon his residence. lie was
educated a. a military school at Switzerland,
and there laid the foundation Of his present
proficiency in philology Col. Hunt is
thoroughly vcrSed in half score of languages,
and last year was offered 4 profeSsOrship at
Princeton college. After leaving Switzer-
land he travelled extensively. going 10 Egypt
in 1850. where he photographed the ruins of
tha; region. together with those of Nubia,
I'itra and Baalbcc. His photographs Were
the first ever taken in those countries. and,
when he returned with them to Europe, they
formed the subject Of many interesting inter
views between their pOssesSOr and Baron
Won Humboldt and Prof. Lepsus, the fam
Gus Orienlalist They were shown 10 the
Emperor William by Humboldt, and that
potenia,c was so pleased with them that he
would have decorated Col. Hunt, could the
latter have accepted such mark of royal ia
vor. lie was travelling abroad on Il pro-
longed wedding tour whenthc civil war broke
ont and on his return home he was commits
stoned Il colonel in the adjutant- generals de
partment, serving both with the army in Viz
ginia and in the bureau at Washington. The
wife of Col. Hunt is 4 daughter OF the late
Hon. William Jarvis Of Boston, grand
son, believe, of that Leonard Jarvis who
was the first colonel of the Independent
Corps of Cadets, and whose portrait, in uni
form by Copley [the last painted by that ar
fist in America hangs in the lower hall at
Elmsholmc. The father of Mrs. Hunt was
known, and is still remembered, as Consul
Jarvis. he having been consul general and
clar;, Gay;lrtS ut Lisbon in the beginning
of this century. lie purchased the estate
known as Wcatherstield Bow, on the Con-
ncctcUt. in the Vermont tOwn Of Weathers-
! field, Us desirable place for the reception Of
the Merino focks which he lad secured from
the Spanish Junta-tbc ilOCks in question
| having becn part Of the property of the
| Principe de Ia Paz, cOntsclteh ut the time
of the French invasion Thcst Merinos,
with their native shepherds and dogs, were
/ the first OF any account imported into this
country, as previously the exporters of these
| sheep from Spain were punished by death.
| hos al
| iIolstcin cattle ever Brought 10 tine United
States, and in Col. Hunts spacious stables
may he seen to-day the blank white, pure
! bloodcd descendants Of the original herd, to-
| gethGr with descendants of thoroughbred and
/ English horses and Arab ponies, imported by
/ Consul Jarvis three quarters OF L century
AGO. This cntCrprising gentleman also
/ brought the first tomatoes from Spain to the
! New World, and seed from the product of
| his vines WAS gradually distributed through
out the country. My mother, who was ma
tive OF ST. Adams, Vt, remembers the in
/ PRODUCTION of the strange plant in her neigh
| bOrh0od, where it was cultivated for some
time for purely ornamental purposes, and
went by the strangely sentimental name of
| love plant
The house and grounds axe situated on a
stretch of level meadow, in full view of Mt.
Ascutney. and rs | WAS driven along the
| highway which runs through the broad acres
that surround the mansion, thought that
one might seek in vain the more famous
garden spots of the world for lovclier land
scapc. Here William Hunt spent the last
| Summer Of his life. The high, square man
| sion Of dusky yellow brick, with dark trim
minrs, is set in the midst of n pretty
garden of flowers and shrubbery. Its
numerous attached offices are supple
mcntcd hy half score of detached build
iugs situated within radius Of 100
rods, 50 that Tie general appearance of Elms
home is not unlike that of a fine English
manor-hoUsc-for which reason, doubtless,
( the late Consul Jarvis was not uncOmmonly
designated the Last of the Barons" Its in
terror is so replcte with artistic treasures that
to apply Stcele's observation upon Lady
Elizabeth IIas;ingS-an acquaintance there
with is liberal education. lis different
apartments contain about $50 oil paintings,
/ beside sketches and engravings representa-
| tive Of all the principal schools, and, in
measure, descriptive OF the history of the art,
from 4 period represented by large panel of
| the old school Of Primaticcio down TO that of
! Couture and Hunt. Of the latter artist there
are nj least a Dozen one of the most import
ant being the Return Of the Pr0digal Son."
| which is included in the present exhibition
at the Museum of Fine Arts. Il was paint
| ed in Paris in the studio which Hunt occu-
pied conformity with Thomas Couture and
| for imprcssiyencS5 and vigOr of treatment
| is. perhaps, the strongest example eXtant of
| the artists carly method, as it unqucstiOna-
/ bly, is the most important work of that period.
| The composition seems more like the work
of NelaSqucz or Ribcra than of man of our
( time-and Il Young man, too. Besides this
/ picture there hang in the lower hall nine
| family portraits by Hunt and Harding, and
/ the COplcy heretofore referred to. In the IL
/ brarv-a clmdrilld in more senses than one
the furniture dates from the middle ages, and
/ includes old Venetian curtains, embroidered
/ with gold 4 Venetian mirror, with embossed
/ brasscs; a large black oak couch, elegantly
! carved, and 6i5EotAeque OF black oak, which
for intrinsic and artistic value is probably
unsurpassed in this country. Its eight spiral
/ columns are lrroOvcd and inwrOught with
| leaves, its fricze is of the time of Henry H.,
and the whole is inlaii with many panels of
the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Here
among other canvases is an original portrait
of La Fontaine, one of Racine, The Asccn-
/ sion Of the Virgin, by Proudhon paintings
by Greuze and Giordano, bronzes by Barge,
reductions from the antique by Collas and L
very rare and beautiful bronze bust of NapO-
leon as First Consul In the dining-room are
those quaint, black OAK side-boarlis of the
thlitethlh anu slAteGi'il It iii MIN e'p
ora'eiy carSed !ancls, al liiltd WIN iaie oiu
Cut Slass, oaHc, Drgsuen' oeNIes ai'u pS'cc-
iah pes VI tnc ms ii'',,iei ,It,ueie" cA
ceeIiugiy iltciesIins ~ na'in4 no"e.s, o"t-
telui's' nIuS anu 'len ms i'ln'." ','eieoii
Hunt. The pictures in this room are by
Mohgihyt' IN LSs anu o,ie'S VI t'HS lcPu-
taiioh "a me iIrio Is nalct' i hi 'c,ls.n
pofira'i OF II VI, nun; pai,ileu py LtutAe
tDuSscI'otty III ~ IL tis'e - III tiie
COSTUME 81 'dii'i1 l. lH hlCc oUi'u' VII
'et nl''i',t, s'asiieu stsCScs' S"oiu' ~
anu Is WY S'ou i'NvHcSs Vi tux SuuJcTt I"
ti!e uii'e II was tNc'ule'ii as IS SHOWN ps
ua9ueF!t''!Ge tahGh III ans inc loIoWihs
year, II Mns III i,'sS1l'oti t'''! i-eSsln n!.
'ooh Mf' Iiah' iuf tNe hiou'4 u MS portrait
oi Johh liusS' ,.-.-..
li,rc' 100 iaiiSS i my, Iui', 'elst" AT
3