Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-08-14
ne slory ofa DlanerseG

engaged In . work designed t0 do ered-
| il q Americas industrv. This genale-
man i Theodore 4. Davis. who has been
connected for many years with Hagper's
weekly. have Just come from his
studio where e i engaged On > most
unique work CO.. - American artist and
one = hirh inteSestaaverp AmnEiean end
will challenge TIE aalanlinnR0f llss eess.
nUisseurs % the Old World. He j.
making TIE designs for State dinner
set lor the White House. which Havi-
land, Of Limoges. France. is now at
work upon, and declares win be the
| finest dinneF-set ever made IN. Europe.
Upon high shelf j. large photo
graph Of the conservatory Of the White
House, with Mrs. Hayes in the lore
ground surrounded by her two youngest
children, and Mr.. Davis little girl, who
makes pies in the sand outside while
her father lays m the wateF-eolor. On
this photograph hangs the whole story.
Early last spring Mr.. Davis went 20
Washington on . mission for the Har-
pers, which was 20 make . picture OF
the President and the Cabinet, and
which appeared in due time in the
Weekly. Mrs. Hayes invited him into
the conservatory, and after turning the
camera on the group described above.
the Presidents wife entered into con.
versation on q topic very dear to the
house wile's heart.
4 The china brought into the White
House during the reign OF Mrs. Lincoln
and Mrs. Grant had gone mostly the
way Of ell porcelain that servants han
die at the States expense. She found
il difficult to sci the table for q State
dinner, since the china closet held only
Babel Of remnants. She had ordered
q new State dinner set OF HavIland, the
contract was signed, and Havi!and was
under IS, 600 bonds to deliver the set
by January, 1880. Mrs. Hayes regret
ted that she had been obliged 10 20 TO
France for dinner set. ''They make
very good ware at Trenton" said Mr..
Davis, "but Of course Hayiland, Of Ll-
moges, makes the best. Stiil, il you
cannot have American ware you could
! at least have American designs. repre-
senting the fruits. vegetables, game, fish
and fauna indigenous to this country
Mrs. Hayes caught at The idea and
acted upon il with The decision and am
Il thority Of Queen. "Scott," she said
TO her little soR. 'see if you can fnt
brother Webb" The eldest son ap.
r pesred. webb, will you ask Genera
; Casey to come TO the conservatory ?
) General Casey appeared and was re
quested to write al the lady's dictation
! She began: "Haviland & Co. | de-
! sire 10 cancel the contract for the din
, ner set" But" interrupted Gen
! eraI Casey. Remember, I am dicta
ting" said Mrs. Hayes. enjoying hi
: surprise, and continued, ''and 20 entel
new one similar to the first with th'
exception that Mr. Theodore r. Davis
: is to have exclusive supervision Of ths
designs" This was the substance o
the letter, which was dispatched .
once.
II was now Mr.. Davis's turn 70 ex
postulate. He argued that be was un
der contract to the Harpers not TO dt
work for any one else. Mrs.. Hayes
: with woman's faith, could see no oh
, stacle in that contract, any more thai
she could in the first contract with Ha
7 viland. II may be tha:*a President
, wife can make and unmake business
J treaties at her will. Atany rate, Havi
, land acquiesced with incompatible
; grace, and Fletcher Harper. when Mrs
> Hayes wish was mootad TO HIM, said q
his faithful artlst 81 don't ask yol
to try to surpass everything Of th'
kind that Hayiland has done. / expee
you TO beat them, and I'll have one o
r the duplicate sets for myself"
Haviland was in this county, and Of
, fered Mr.. Davis every assistance anC
: cooperation, but at first he was dts
2 posed to doubt if any one could surpasi
his favorite artist, Bracquemon. Ill
! brought oukan oyster plate. THAT,
. said he, ais the best oyster plate tha
. was ever made" Mr. Davis didn'
| like it, and frankly said he thought b.
: could do better. eff you do will bFeal
| | this plate, said Theodore HaviIand.-
/ A few days alterward Mr.. Davis showeC
r him the design, and the favorite plat'
was seized and dashed into . hundres
! pieces that streweG the warehouse floor
: The artist has already furnished 6fty
designs. and Has ilsnd grows more en-
! thusiaslic over item as they come in
( There are 10 be twenty-five sets bear
. ing the signature Of the artist anC
: maker; these will be similar to an ar
tist PsoOf engraving. Eleven Of these
: come 10 this country, aud the remain.
| der will be sold in Europe. Mrs. Hayei
, will probably have two sets, Fletcher
Harper is TO have one, and Mrs. Theo
1 dore X. Davis il not 20 Be forgotten.
II Mr.. Davis has had everything his owE
way, both as 20 the shapes of the pieces
and the designs, and has aimed Q
/ striking originality and strong, bold eE
! fects Of color and form combinafions.-
/ Everything that enters into the designi
/ Is disitnctively American. Togive ran
. ming description Of the different pieces
The tea-cup isin the form OF . Chi
! nese mardarin's bat s.the haadle beins
/ formed by cuFlingtea-spFig, the leaves
J Of whseh decorate the sides Of the cup
! For the oysier-plase deeOrssion there
are Eve Blue Point halfshellsin in curve
He has discarded the conventional half
Z dozen, adopting EmeFson's saying tha
: nature Ioves the number hve. OpPo
: site theshellS - scene representing
down or The seashoFe, . sea gull, and