The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-07-30
WHOLE NO. l4O3.
Stories About Artists.

There must be some strange sym-
pathy. says a correspondent of the
New York Times, between blacksmiths'
shops and aspiring boys who are to
develop into great artists. Gilbert
Stuart and Washington Aston both
have the blacksmith paragraph in their
biographies rs well as Frank Carpen-
ter. and John Vanderlyn, painter of
"Ihe Landing of Columbus" if tradi-
ton is to be accepted, would have
lived and died Sopus pill dispenser if
his home had not been beside the in
evitable smithy. Aaron Burr, having
his horse shod in a country town
through which he was travelling, saw
the charcoal sketch on the shop door,
became enthusiastic. and hunted up
the youthful artist to adopt him. All
the orthodox sketches OF Vanderlyn
tell this tale. Vanderlyn himself, how
ever, did not seem to glory in the
chronicle. L have an auto graph letter
in which he not only denies the cor
rectness of the story, but really shows
feeling over it. This gives me the
chance to quote a pretty good authori-
ty to show that times have not greatly
changed for the worse in some WAYS in
these latter days. Here is a line from
a letter Vanderlyn wrote in Andrew
Jackson's time: Success nowadays
doesn't mean anything of consequence,
except that it grants your neighbors
license to worry over you and lie about
you"
From this same gentleman who tells
me of Frank Carpenter early art en-
terprises | have caught other stories
that entertain people with memories in
central New York. One is of Jedediah
Barber, to whose patronage of sign
painting Carpenter, in somewhat in
direct way, owed his first chance to
display his talents. Commodore Van
derbilt spent some time one season in
that part of the state, looking after
some of his interests. 1t was at time
when the New York Central railroad
was welcoming friends. One day the
commodore encountered Jedediah Just
out OF Homer, beside a pasture-lot.
One horse was in the lot, and Jedediah
seemed to be bestowing most affection
ate glances upon the animal. Whose
land is this, Mr.. Barker?" Thus the
commodore. Mine, sir" Thus Jede-
diah. Fine property and nice-look-
ing beast that is over there, Mr.. Bar
ber" The commodore was suave.
Jedediah was man whose friendship
was worth having. Right you are"
Jedediah was emphatic. 'How much
Will you take for the horsep" was the
commodore's question. Don't want
to sell, " was Jedediah's answer. Il
like the animal looks, and would give
you pretty good price" the commo-
dOre persists. Cant help it; half
of that horse belongs to Farmer Jones
down below" Jedediah explains. Il
will take my chances with Jones and
give you $500 for the other half"
''Cashg' asks Jedediah, with twinkle
in his eye. just the samoa check
payable on sight, and to bind the bar
gain III hand you my watch to keep
till you get your money" The watch
was as handsome as any worn in that
day, and Jedediah was the man who
wore it ever after, for, with candor
that chilled the railroad magnate, he
explained: Mr.. Vanderbilt, this lot
is mine; one-half of that horse is Farm
er Jones and so is the other half. He
pays me to let it pasture here. Ii any
thing gets the matter with this time
piece I'll send you word. I'm to keep
it, you know, till you find my half of
that quadruped." Mr.. Jedediah Bar
Der thought this was funny, and the
commodore, with rather grim sort of
humor on his countenance, had to try
to show that he was just as much
amused as anybody else. The two
men were warm friends ever afterward,
and the watch was not wasted, per-
haps.