Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-14
A MELANGE.
ODD AND INTERESTING JoTTlNGs
FROM VARIOUS SOURCES.
what IL Going On In Art-Archmoiogy-
Queer aragraphs-Driftings
and Dots.

as a piece of refined luxury for an indi-
vidual. Designs have been made by Mr..
q. Hornblower, "A foreign architect, for
large villa which will rival if 1t does not
surpass the finest houses unearthed at
Pcmpeii. IL will cover about 100 square
feet, and have front about sixty feet long
and two stories high. Entering by
door with fat Intel considerably TO the
right OF the centre of the front,
on which are raised panels. but no
windows. one crosses the uesiib'f,pi, and
leaving the ostic -ius or porter in his small
room on the right enters the dir-ium: whose
ceiling is supported by six ornate pillars 70
right and left of the fountain under the
coInpbiriuH or open part of the roof. On
this first hall there are small bed-chambers
and il is decorated with large statues on
pedestals. casts being obtained from Rome
and Paris. Just beyond the unpur,p1t
or fountain stands the altar on which
Mr. Franklin w. Smith, Of Boston,
the owner. NAV sacrifice 10 the shades
of his ancestors. The library is near the
door. the picture-gallery tDiRdkOhecG) be-
yond the altar on the left, balanced by the
biciinrIn or dining-rOOm on theright. Here
the triple couches on which the ancients
reclined at meals will be exactly repro
duced. The fdbif'iniu1. exactly IN the cen
ire ia reached by low steps. and through
it one reaches the largest hall. the peTistiy-
hum. the roof Of which IS supported by
twelve pillars clustered about the. rtr1od-
rtu1n or conservatory. with fountain inlts
centre. There is a summer dlnlng-room IN
wing with a lorGium behind It, where
Mr.. Smith can keep the ehigies in wax aud
marble of his deified ancestors together
with the little idols of his family, the
Lares and Penatos The upper floor -
largely composed Of the soi1ri,nm or upper
garden, with a roof supported by columns
and caryatides and a stair outside com
municating with grounds of the villa. Mr..
smith PROPOSES TO have the upholstery
identical with that in Greek and Roman
use, the walls and pillars painted IN the
Pompeiian fashion. the library stocked
with books on Pompeli. and some OF the
walls covered with pictures OF Naples. Nesu-
yius, and other appropriate scenes. 10
visit Mr.. Smith and to read Becker
"Charikles will be equally instructive as
to the manners and customs Oh hoInahs
and Greeks. II was at first his intention
to build this villa at st. Augustine, Fla,
but his purpose now is TO favor Saratoga
Springs with curious and doubtless beau
tiful reproduction of the residence OF
POmpeiian gentleman OF wealth.
Mr.. r. s. Dellenbaugh writes from Ellen
vile. n. Y, with respect TO the round
tower reported near Fort Wingate, New
Mexico, on which a note was printed the
other dav in the Times that the Navajo
Indians call the people who left such build
ings the Nahzuzi. Similar towers IN all
stages of ruin are met with IN That region,
and many have been measured and photo
graphed for the Bureau of Ethnology.
But the point in which tnS lateiy-
reported tower seemed to differ from
round-towers found in Yucatan and
the cahon-lands was in its domed roof,
which the man who reported this partlcu-
lar tower said he saw. Lieutenant-Colonel
A. W. Evans writes from Elkton, Md, TO
say that the country Is covered with runs
and TO suggest that II was built IN the SIN
tecnth century by fugitiyes from the rue
bio of Zuni when il was captured by the
Spaniards. u was" he informs us, sta
toned at Fort Wingate twenty years ago;
and, on January 26, 1870, riding out with
party TO look at some cOal-beds we came
upon round tower of stone, IN two or
more stories, standing within very small
valley, at the foot of a hill which rose,
somewhat steeply, just behind II. Inc
tower was partly in ruins, having the ap-
pearance as though an irregular slice
had been cut from the top Obliquely down
ward. Iregret that | could not then make
some measurements of this remarkable
structure. but remember that | was struck
by the fact of its circular shape, OF ITS
height, and its position so close 10 ana at lIle
foot of hill, Pueblo ruins being usually
rectangular and on the tops Of elevations.
The reservation of Fort Wingate was then
a square of ten miles on side, with the
fort III the centre, and this tower stood
near the southwest corner OF the res
ervation, and about seven miles from
the post" As photography Is now "a
common accomplishment. 1t might be
well if soldiers and citizens forward
ed to the Bureau Of Ethnology at
~. 4 f
remarkable ruins they come across. If
these have been already noted by the
agents of the Smithsonian, there Is no
harm done; but if they have not, the
trouble thus taken will result in valuable
materials for the archeOlOgist and student
of American antiquities. Unfortunately
such buildings are among the hrst 70 be
plundered of their stone If settler thinks
of putting up a cabin near by, and the
most interesting relic may disappear before
the scientific men can reach It. New
Mexico is still 80 sparsely inhabited that
ruins are comparatively safe, but one never
knows when a given structure may not be
improved off the face of the earth.
A painting by Millet. which is sometimes
ranked before the " Angelus," is in the gal
lerv of Mr.. W. +. Walters in Baltimore.
This is the moonlight scene called The
Sheepfold." in which a shepherd who has
thrown his heavy cloak about him opens
the gate of the fold for his flock. The
atmospheric qualities of the picture are
very remarkable Another Alillet of great
beauty was owned last year by Mr.. VIII
liam Schaus. 1t represents an old-fash-
toned French farmhouse. with drOyes Of
sheen brought together for shearing, and
has a wonderful golden tone. There are
in America several examples Of The
Sower," each differing slightly from the
other, and the curious example OF land
scape. with a ploughman and pillow on the
high horizon formed by a sloping hill,
against which at one time the artist had
painted peasant in the act OF sowing.
But for some reason he had painted the
sower out. With time, however, the paint
has sunk, so that by looking ut the canvas
from the side the figure may be still dimly
perceived.
The Greek Government has seized and
seouestrated at the Pireus several boxes
full of antiquities ready for secret exporta-
ton to Marseilles. Besides terra-cOtta
statuettes. bronzes, marble capitals, poly
chrome marbles, and sepulchral inscrip-
tions. there was an object of great
value and exceptional character. This
was kind Of marble disc, on
which was painted a portrait, now
much faded, round which ran the in
scriptiOn, MRe1nQ tot A1eOn SOphtdS tdlrC~
dy-isfou. in archaic letters and spelling. This
is very likely the same parsonage mention
ed by Stephanus Byzantinus GIN speaking
of the island OF Cos and the descendants of
Esculapius), who was one of the three
sons of the physician Gnosidikus, and
flourished at the time of the Persian war.
Near the long walls at the Pireus an
archaic sepulchral inscription has been
found, in which are read the names OF La
machus and Paion.
Rembrandt's masterpiece. the famous
"Ronde de usually called the
Might Watch us exercising greatly the
minds of the authorities of the Amster-
dam Museum as well it may. 1t has been
decided to remove the dark masses of var
nish placed upon it by previous re
storers for which purpose II Is handed
over to Herr Hofmann-but further and
more radical restorations are said to be re-
CURED beyond this mere unmasking OF the
original color, and the commission APP
pointed hesitate before mourning the
weight Of the responsibility. They wisely
recognize the principle that although they
are the custodians of the picture, its glo-
rios belong 10 the world