Wichita eagle., 1888-05-13
LINCOLN AND VOLK.
STORY OF THE MARTYRED PRESl-
DENTS SITTING FOR HIS BUST.

STORY OF THE MARTYRED PRESl-
DENTS SITTING FOR HIS BUST.
Leonard ". yolk's Interesting Reminis-
cences of His Association with Abra-
ham Lincoln-At the Final Sittins-A
Western Photographers Experiences.
The story of Mr. Lincoln's sitting for his
bust TO Mr. Volk is told with minute exact
ness in manuscript Memoir" which the
sculptor has prepared, but not completed IS
to other matters, and from which The Trib-
une is permitted 10 make extracts. Mr.
Volk saw that Lincoln was one of the attor-
neys in sand bar case in the United States
court and found him there, his feet on the
edge of table, one of his fingers thrust into
his mouth, and his long, dark hair standing
at all angles as if unkempt for a week. He
was surrounded by the late Thomas Hoyne,
the late Isaac \. Arnold, and James Z. Joy.
Mr. Volk recalled the promise Mr.. Lincoln
had made two years before in company with
Douglas TO sit for his bust, and he at once
consented to its fulillment. 81 viii go at
once TO a barber and get my hair cut, he
said. ''Not too Short" protested Mr. Volk.
The time was April, 1850; the place the
highest floor of the Portland block and no
elevator. Despite the oppressive weather
and the incidental fatigue, Lincoln was on
time every morning from TO 10, when he
went to court.
THREE AT A JUMP.
He used to run up the stairways two and
three at jump. He sat in the low wooden
armchair which is still in Mr.. Folks studio,
and which has been occupied by Douglas,
William IL. Seward, Andrew Johnson, Cen
Dix and Gen. Grant. Lincoln was shy and
difiident about sitting, and timidiy asked
Volk to give him the necessary directions.
Measurement showed that he was one foot
taller than Douglas-that is, six feet one
inch; he weighed $50, but told Volk after
ward that the subsequent campaign reduced
him by forty pounds. 1t was at one of these
sittings that the famous Lincoln mask" was
made by Mr.. Volk. which has served for
every subsequent portrait, and is used on the
st. Gaudens colossal statue of Lincoln in
Lincoln park. The drying of the wet plaster
on the face required about an hour, during
which Lincoln was both patient an merry.
It was difficult to remove without injury the
cheek bones being higher than the jaws at
the lobes of the ears. He bent his head and
worked it gently off with his own hands.
The process made his eyes water, as the plas-
ter carried away with it some of the fine
hair of the temple.
He sat subsequently as the progress of the
modelling demanded, and after four hours
sitting one day walked with Mr.. Volk to his
home, where they looked together at photo
cJ-o 10 bol
from Europe He grew weary, his heavy
eyelids closed as if sleepy, notwithstanding
that the scenes depicted were of the highest
historical interest. At last he said. with
smiling frankness, ''Mr. Volk, these things
must be interesting to you. But the truth is
don't know much about history, and all
do know | learned from law books" In one
of his chats with the sculptor he told him he
supposed the reason he could talk longer in
the open air than Douglas without becoming
hoarse was that his neck was longer and
leaner than his rivals warming the air be
fore it reached the bronchial tubes. You
know a chicken will squawk, cackle, and
crow without firing out, and l suppose it is
because their necks are long" Many people
who knew that Lincoln was sitting to Mr..
Volk called at the studio to see him. "They
were chiefly political expectants," said the
artist oddly enough, not a newspaper re-
porter was ever among them. The inter-
viewer he adds with a smile, "was not SO
alert in those years"
WITHOUT MURMUR.
In the final sitting Lincoln removed his
coat, waistcoat, and upper underclothing,
and stood without murmur for an hour or
more while the sculptor modelled his breast
and shoulders He dressed again SO hastily
as not to complete his toilet, and after de-
parture had TO return and do it all over
again He was absent minded. In that re-
spect Mr. Volk found him like Douglas On
one occasion when in Washington with the
sculptor Douglas had to go back to his house,
to the senate, and to the bank at different
times, while endeavoring to reach station
in time to take a train, having forgotten at
the one place his portmanteau, at another
and failed at the third to sign
checks he had given in payment of ac-
counts 1t was in Lincoln's home in Spring
field that the Sunday after his nomination
for the presidency Dir. Volk took the casts
Of his hands Desiring that he should hold
i'll one of them, the nominee for
president of the United States went to his /
little woodshed, took the saw that was
used in preparing the frewood, and cut
off a piece of broom handle, returning
its end with knife. While the +
plaster was drying on the hand clasping the .
bit of broomstick Mr. Nolk detected on the .
thumb of the left scar. "You have heard
me called rail SPLITTER" said Lincoln.
''Well, one day while sharpening wedge on .
a log the az glanced off and nearly took the
end of my thumb off. That's the scar"
How little Lincoln was known in the east,
even after nominated for president, is shown
by Mr. Volk's experience with photographs
Of him western photographer asked Mr..
Volk to take 1000 or more of his Lincolns
east and distribute them among dealers, es-
-ablishing agencies at different points for
their sale. Not one dealer would take any
,isk on them. 1.-The subject was too homely
% SELL" A Broadway proprietor indig-
lantly refused to permit one TO be placed In
MS store The western photographer never
sfterward received an order from any dealer
With whom the pictures were left on sale,
Tor cent for the 600 thus given away. An
Oshkosh Republican who saw tie cabinet
,ust Of Lincoln in Mr.. Volkis studio ex-
:laimed: Hes too homely to buy, but III
tote for him all the same. Chicago Tribune
What a Menagerie Man Says
Our hunters who are kept busy catching
III sorts Of wild animals in all sorts of coun-
ries have no fear Of bite as bite OF
,ourse, if a lion or a tiger bites your head
IF. YOU miss it: but that is only because the
acefation is 80 severe A wound from
:, ;c ~hur