The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-08-31

padded down from the head Of nayiga.
ton to Dubuque. His paintings OF
Wabasha's band at Prairie du Chen
and others of new tribes are histOri
cally % great interest. The next year
1886, reaching Green Bay via the Sos
and Mackina 4, he went up the Fox
and down the w iscOnsin, and so to the
pipe. stone" quarry, which now gives
its name to south west county of
Minnesota. AS Catlin was the first
white man who broke into his inner
shrine of the Sioux it's material was
fifty named Catlinite. Padding down
the St. Peters and then on the great
river for a second time, he added to
his portfolio all the way, and especially
at Rock Island, In 1887 and 1888 his
paintings were of Seminoles and
EucheeS both in their Florida homes
and at Charleston, S. G. where they
were prisoners of war.
AS early as 1887 Catlin began to ex-
hibit his gallery Of portraits in connec-
ton with museum of Indian curiosi-
ties which he had incidentally collected
He continued this show in some of
the Atlantic cities till late in 1889
His pictures were 6 o, more than half
of them portraits drawn among forty
eight tribes. The rest were iliustra-
tive Of aboriginal life in all its phases
while still unadulterated 10y contact
with civilization. This exposition,
after constant American success, was
transferred to London in 1889. It's
reception there was equally good. So
il was in Paris, to which it was re-
moved in 1915. In both capitals
Catlin's experience verified the proveIb
that "the man diligent in his business
shall stand before kings" But as lie
had basllCd in the sunshine of Louis
Philippe'S favor, 50 the kings fall III
lSiS was a killing frost to Catl:n's
French prospects. Returning to Lon
don his gallery was well patroniZed for
years longer Bat III 1852, having
borrowed money for a Speculation
that proved disastrous, he was unable
to pay his loan. He was suddenly
clappeds Unto prison, his gallery was
attached and ready to be scattered by
auction to the four winds. This was
Il rude awakening from his long dream
Of nj iCti of
himself and of the red men whom he
loved as himself. But in this ex-
tremity he was visited i'll prison by
Joseph Harrison, a Phiiadelphian, who
had known Catlin and who ranSomed
him and his jewels from durance vile.
The museum recroSSed the ocean to
Philadelphia, and the pictures were
stored at the Harrison boiler works.
1t is not likely that Catlin ever saw
them again, though he lived twenty
years longer. He went again as an
artist among our wild races, first on
the Pacific slope and then in South
America, around it and from side to
oltC. Ilt ltDOltu lOI Spillt lSIl y Coll D
in an obscure studio in Brussels, and
returned to his native country to die
eart-broken because his life-work, III
which he had never hesitated to peril
his life, was thrown into corner and
seemed sure to perish there.
In 1916 Catlin had Offered his works
to the Smithsonian. Webster, Seward
and other statesmen had advocated
the purchase of them by congress,
their maker and fellow artists had
made many pathetic appeal to the
same purpose But ignorant of our
selves, beg Ofttimes our own harm,
which the wise gods deny us for our
good; so gain we profit by losing Of
our prayers" Had Catlin's product
tons passed into the hands of the
government before 1865, they would
certainly have persisted, as everything
else which it had gathered in that line
did perish III fire of that year. Thus
success would have been failure. In
1879, as soon as the United States had
built fire proof hall of deposit, the
Catlin pictures were ready to cover its
walls, presented by Mrs. Harrison in
1879.
The destruction of other setsof Indi-
an paintings has heightened the value
of Catlin's which survive. King, a
Washington artist, began to paint the
faces Of deputations there earlier than
Catlin's first work, and so painted for
several decades. His portraits passed
into the war department. Stanley also,
in the decade following 1912, travelled
among several nations unseen by
Catlin, and brought home about $50 Of
their likenesses. His works hung with
Kings in the Smithsonian, where
they and the originals of Lewis were
consumed in the confagration of 1868.
\ few portraits were obtained by the
prince of Neu-Wied on the Missouri
soon after Catlin's visit 4 few more
about the same time were executed by
q painter brought over by Scotch lord
who had still earlier, as Capt. Stuart,
adventured to the Yellowstone But
it is believed that no gallery in The
world is a match for Catlin's in its own
line.-Or ever can be.
IN one instance it is said congress
was prevented from buying Catlin's
gallery by the intrigues of Stanley and
the misrepresentation of Schoolcraft
There was poetical justice in Stanley's
works being never bought by the ma
ton and falling speedy victims to fire,
thus leaving the long neglected pion-
eer, painter sole monarch in his own
circle.
it is not claimed that Catlin's por-
traits can boast high artistic merit.
They are nature pictured severely true.
Cooper and Catlin were contemporary
les. The Path Finder and The Last OF
the MOnlp3US were written WliIa CAT !