National Republican., 1883-01-13
DEATH OF CLARK MILLS.
Sketch OF the career orun Eminent scuip


dition was mentioned in yesterdays NruBM-
CAN, passed away peacefully yesterday morn
ing at $3.50, surrounded by his wife, two Of his
sons-Thoodorc and Jolu-and his adopted
daughter Eva. Hc had been unconscious
most of the time for two days before but he
rallied a little carly in the day Thursday, and
said Wife, come here" Mrs Millswcnt to his
bedside, ami bending over him, hc muscd
rather than spoke, referring to his daughter
" How swcCtiy Evas voice sounds in the
church with the organ After chat he said
nothing could be understood
SKETCH OF his LIFE.
Clark Mills, who was probably more widely
known than any sculptor which this country
has produced, was born in Onondaga county,
New York. Dec. 49, 1910. His parents died
when he was II child and he commenced life
by learning the trHdC of q plastcrcr, which he
followed for nnC years in Charleston >. G..
The artistic taste, however, was strong in
him and h" commenced modelling IN clay,
and IN 1916 he produced marble bust of the
great uullicr, John G. Calhoun, which was
purchased for the city hall IN Charleston. He
made number of other fine bust9, and at
trnCtcd so much attention by his decided
talent that in Isis u number OF wealthy gem
tlemCu made ny q purse TO enable him TO 20
to Italy 60 pur-Uc his art studies systematic
was invited to- furnish design iuT Au cuurS-
trian statue Of Gen. Jackson ior Lafayette
square, in this city.
Ills design wat accepted, and he finished,
after two yclr. labor, % lUll.siE,d model in
plaster, which was 20 balanced that il rested
on the horse hind feet alone, without other
support. The design, when viewed hy the
committee who assigned him the work, was
almost ridiculrd, as 1t was not thought posi-
bic thc figure would stand without support.
MI Mills had then to build furnace and
learn the practical business Of cHlng, for
there was 10 establishment large enough for
that purpose in the country. Mr.. MaUry, one
Of the original projectors OF the JUci;son statue
and member uf thc Jackson Democratic as
ISOLATION. whicH united with the government
in paying for the statue, encouraged Mn Mills
TO continue i'm his work, and successful east
ings wyrc made after numerous trials inter
rurtud by unforeseen accidents.
The perfect cast was finished in October,
1852. and the statue was set mp IN 1868, On tliC
anniversary uf the battle of New Orleans, tho
eighth of january. 1t was Conpictcd'at a cost
10 him ~! 5000. hut congress made him un
appropriation uI $4,000 rs u reward for his
success. At the -tmc session the sum of $780,
coo WAS Appropriated Tor u colossal equestrian
statue Of Washington, which was inauguratcd
in Washington ON Feb. -, 1850. Mr..
MillSs next cmpluvmunt was the casting of
by Crawford which now crowns the dome oi
the capitol. II was finished in 1868 and
placed in position while the war was laying
waste the once fair southern country. The
jackson statue has probably been more cIiti-
ciscd than any other work of art in this city,
Tor the puising OF horse and rider without the
aid of rods or rivcts was an entirely new de-
lmrturc. This Mr.. Mills succeeded in doing
perfectly by locating tho center Of gravity be-
two hind legs of tire horse. The hiri parts
aud tail Of~thc horse are not sOlid aS was
stated in an evening paper, but are rs hollow
as the other parts of the statue. Mr.. Mills
made copies OF the statue for the cities of New
Orleans and Nashville, That for the latter
city was cast at Mr. Mils's foundry near
Bladensburg, and was the subject OF n law
suit few years ago between the sculptor and
n party who had rented the land on which the
statue was. Mr. Mills gained the suit and
shipped the work to Nashville, whore it was
unveiled in lSSO.
The equestrian statue of Washington at the
circle at the intersection of Pennsylvania and
New Hampshire avenues is also, as above
stated, the work of Mr.. Mills. The likeness
of the rider Is considered very fine, being
taken from lIoudon's bust of Washington.
Mr.. Mills was II public.spirited citizen, in
his younger days participating in every
public movement and was member of the
Oldest Inhabitants association. 4 few years
ago he delivered an address before that body
on "Grccnbackisin," which was iavorably no.
ticed.
Mr.. Mills, in the details of his art, took
great interest in the study of faces and de-
Velopmcnt of heads. II will be remembered
that with his son he made Il cast of Guitcau's
head lie also wrote Il chronological dcscrip-
tion of the peCuliaritics Of the make of Gui-
teaus head.
Before modelling the Jackson statue he
purchased "A horse of fine form and, as the
work proceeded, used TO study the positions of
the animal, causing him ia rear AMI posc
himself with and without Il rider. He
claimed that in the jackson horse he had
exactly copied the natural position of his live
model in rearing
Mr.. Mills was n man of original ideas, and
with courage to carry them out. When he
was building on the grounds south of the
Treasury department the furnace 10 cast the
jackson statue, its. construction was sharply
criticised 10y scientific visitors, who said he
would never be able 10 melt bronze in It,,
because il was built partly underground, and
they could not see where il was TO get the
necessary supply of oxygen to support COM
bustOu. The artist answered that facts were
better 'hau theory, and that in furnaces rs
ordinarily constructed, most of the heat was
carried of through the chimney, aud he pro-
Loa Il TO lose but ittln oi II in that way.
The result proved that hc was right and his
critic wrong. He melted several tons Of
bronze cannon .m h.- furnace, but, uniortu-
nat, =, 'ar '!.rEWpr. was not strong enough
10 T,-! 'ae heavy pressure. The melted
b!YHu forced Il, way through the joints Of
tie H.a..sE and the melted metal was
ch...... lssa.a- lagugod, Mr.. Mills dug out
OF ... 30 no. great r0uglomcmtcd mass
al .- a. r..la. and sent for another
;G-- r.. HD,ui wa, melted from
w...- -.s .ssl statue was successfully
CAST.
M- E. .ar.- wife, four sons two of
WHOM r..-. 49,. one al"p-daughtcG
Mi, ..sa H.-.. --- w...-..uywn vocalist
.u. -rSEEAL.
Immrf a... = a.'es bis death large num-
bsr ~. i.....a. a.-.. ui them distinguished
lucu, CA. .r4 81. .... .arrTD .druce and expressed
their ayI4Ya'...- ..r tine brruaycd wife and
daughter, It w.- ., i.gal thought to have the
funeral ar t.n aY.-a, bat IL has finally been
decided tlat ls shall take place at All Souls
church tomorrow afternoon ae > o'clock.
The service, win be simple and unostuuta.
tious, us wa, the lie of the deceased,
and will consist of prayer by Rev,
X. L. ~H.Uprn, and hrct address by
Rev. Byron sunderland, who was an intimate
personal friend of M Mills for many years,
Mrs. sherman, Alcssr. Nithcgow aud Wild
ney, three ugmbcrs of thu quurtctte choir
OF the church, will sing the chant, THY VIII
be Douc,' and Mrs sherman will sing the
solo" Nearer my God To- Thee Mr., Harvey
Sherman will preside at the organ, The pail
bearers win probably be Mcssrs Henry 4,
willard, jesse b. Wilson, Samuel Mills, j. II,
Saum, and Two Mcssrs PcttibOne,
Q
The SpuU,ldlug Lectures.
Fnts 4 I