Omaha daily bee., 1886-11-01
ARTIST AND HUMORlsT
Clever Practical Jokes Played by the
Sculptor Hiram Powers.

sculptor Hiram Powers
n. Y. Tribune: James ii. Beard, the
artist, tells some anecdotes of the early
career of Hiram Powers, the sculptor,
which 90 to show that he was full of
grim humor. When Powers went TO
Cincinnati he was engaged in making
wax figures for a museum owned by
man named Doriield. The figures which
he nodded were delicate and beautiful
beyond anything that was known at that
time. His ingenuity in mechanics was
remarkable, and Mr. Beard thinks that
he would have made rs great success
IN mechanic arts as ne uid
in sculpture if he had devoted
his attention to the former. There
was a popular comic singer in Powers
day ut Cincinnati named Alexander
Drake. Powers nodded a wax head of
Drake and fashioned figure to match
the head. One of brakes songs which
was in great demand with audiences was
called Love and Sausages. Powers
took his wax figure to the theatre and
placed it on the stage in Drake S favorite
attitude, and when the curtain rose for
Drake's song there stood befole the audi
ence two Alexander brakes, both per-
fectly natural The people were as
founded They gazed and gazed in
wondcrment until the curtain went
down and rose again on single
i'ldht. ~ WIS iht NtA
ure, put 50 like the singer that the
audience cried. and shouted, and stamped
for Love and Sausages The figure
was silent and the curtain went down
without any response being made to
their calls. 1t rose again, and there was
a single Drake confronting them. This
time the audience remained undemon-
stratjve, not knowing what to expect.
1t was the true Drake, and when he pro-
lnl IN Sinfr 81 up1 SpnSnunsb thn
mystery was intensified. For about
three days the people talked of this
double Alexander Drake, and then the
secret got out that it was one of Powers
freaks.
At another time Powers was at work
on wax bust of Thomas Jefferson.
There was a critic in Cincinnati in those
days named Simms, who had incurred
the displeasure of Powers and others.
He was told one evening that the bust
was completed, and was asked to inspect
it. 1t was in the days when the only
light was from 1aflow candles, and rs the
room was dark he was given a candle
with which to make 2 close inspection of
the bust. He bdgatn1 to comment upon
its unnatural apRearNnce, declaring that
the color of the flesh WIS not natural,
and SO on. AS hu leaned down for closer
inspection the burning candle was
brought close to the figure, which sud
denly lodged back, winked its eye, and
shouted: Don't burn me- 1t was Pow
ers himself.
A favorite trick,of the artist. which he
often performed in the museum and in
public places, was made possible by the
long cloaks which it was the custom to
wear in those days" Any one who has
seen the figures IN circus which are
short and squat one moment and ap.
parently ten feet high The. next will
understand the nature OF the joke.
Powers would gatherhis cloak up III his
hands and make mselfappareutly about
three feet in height, and rs he passed
around the museum he would gradually
become taller and taller until mt last,
taking the collar Of mis- cloak and the rim
of his hat in his hands, he would shove
them far above his head and appear very
tail. All the time he would go peering
around at the sights while most of the
people were watching him, rs the biggest
curiosity of all.