The St. Johns herald., 1891-10-29
ANINTERESTING CAREER.
History Of en Artist Who Painted
 a Picture Three Miles Long.
A Paaoramn of the Entire Mississippi Rive- Drawn from Sketches &ade While He Was Traveiing In
 Canoe.

John Harvard. tLe artist. died tn
 other day in Watertown. S D., of hear
 failure. His career as an artist, trav
 eler and an adventurer was unique ant
 Interesting. says the New York Times
 and the story of his life is full of incl
 dents that go beyond the usual.
 He was born in New York about 1920
 and his youthful days were spent il
 study of drawing and painting. fol
 which'he showed decided taste at ar
 early age. When he was fifteen year.
 old his father died, after losing hi.
 property. and the boy went to Louis
 vile, where he worked for a time as q
 clerk in druy store. 4 year later he had opened studio and established himself as an artist. He did not long remain in Louisville, but after painting several pieces he started out to earn his living by exhibiting them, and he wis itcd New Orleans, Natchez, Cincinnati. and other towns, going by boat, and sometimes giving exhibitions on flat boat fitted up for the occasion.
 He made scanty living and met many adventures and hardships. One Of his pictures. made about this time, was a panorama of Venice. which he painted wholly from imagination, and afterward exhibited with success. While on one of his river trips, NIT. Danvard conceived the idea of painting a panorama of the entire Mississippi river. It was his ambition to paint the 41,o Jn A. about it in 1S40 Alone. in an open sbiff. with no outfit except his rifle and his drawing instruments. Ee travelled thousands of miles. When his rife failed to bring him necessary food he painted pictures and exhibited them to make money enough to buy food and re- plenish his materials.
 For moro than year he lived in this way. and when his preparatory draw ings were done he erected building in Louisville, where they were transferred to canvas and first exhibited. The artists ambition was realized. The painting was the largest ever made. and. complete, it covered three miles of canvas. 1t was one of the wonders of the day, after the people heard about it. and was exhibited in many cities of this country and abroad. attracting much attention.
 After q series of exhibitions iD Eu- rope the artist travelled extensively in Asia and Africa and painted many pic. lures which were exhibited Among these was panorama called Pictures and Poetry of Palestine. and another composed of three pictures. First Bat tle-Field of History Siege of Icrusa- lem-DcstrIIction of the Temple" and ''Ruins of Edon."
 During tho war Mr. Dauvard pointed out to Cen. Fremont how Island No. 1C cou,d he passed by canal and certain bayors. and Lc made charts showing the route. His suggestions were afterward successfully followed He was a pro- seventeen hundred poems, several hun dred of which have been published in magazines here and in Great Britain. He also published "A Description of the MississipTl River" Pilgrimage to the Holy T.and." "Amasis; or. The Last of the Pharnahs." ''Thc Private Life of King" and Tradition of the Tcm- pie"
 Two of his dramas have been acted; "Amasis," at thc Boston thcater in 1S6s, and "Carrinia, at the Broadway theater in 157a. One of ais paintings, 'The 0riso2." was the picture from which the first chromo made ill Amer ica was taken. Nearly quarter of q century ago Alr. Harvard established his panorama in what vas then Woods museum On Broadway. which nfterward bccame Daly's theater. Here his pictures were exhibited, and. with his lectures, attracted considerable attention.
 Critics have said that Mir Banvard's pictures were not great in artistic merit. They were remarkable because of their magnitude and the rapiLty with which he made them. When cS- his panorama he accompanied thc pictures with a descriptive lecture. which often was q feature Of his cnter- tainI1cnts.