New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-01

orr,phy. IT Thomas Rail. 4. ~ svo, PIP "''
With Portraits. Boston; Robcrts bFV'oe'S'
The autobiography q NJ Thomas Ban IS oer'a,'n
=, entertaining book and this Notwithstanding the iaet
hat the author has nothing In the least sensauoh'i %
oco,s and q very often obviously donb'fu whe,e' We
he, anything 10 gay that Il worth saying. \ ha'uian
snodesi man. 20 whom self eracement has away Ooo"
a normal and dominant tendency ne mas III y i'''De'
forced himself 20 write his own He nndef the peS"
.iop. q his family ard friends, aid having ofousi' NM
self 10 the undertaking he has taken Ms eouiaso ~ O
hands and after the manner Of shy peoP'e ~ -
o,.cnnsta,ces has put on bodness frequently
.,o-o than natural There really was however
onite enough Of interest in his career !" '"'."'
as naive and candid chronicle IL - INC -"
.o-v of \ poor American boy VINO "i''o"
any educational advantages or oppoIF"ue9' ""u W."
yrv little helpfa advice 10 high position a.
,otor and lifted himself at the same time into the
on,oyren, ~ n modest competence. His story Is MOI
oxaetlv tie commonplace one for u must De s" '''
h,s carly life seems 20 have held ont No promise o any
tind-not even Of average diligence lie heean III u"'
character Of an Idle apprentice actually LOSING orc ''
stlon-that Of taIlors boy-becauSe OIL h'' '''0''"
and sloth when sent on er1d1d'. H.,
His father. who was house and ssn p,'n'e. -
whom Mr. Bau was still a child ard left his mo'hsr
very poor The lad had little schooling il Dchs ne
essstv that he should soon a posslpie oesi' "
iribute 20 the family expenses lie oDVai"'u' -
tyvpc retail grocer's and the tailor aIreauH HouV',
.eftua Il a
consisted in sweeping the floor. busting ana ccai"e
.ha glass showcase and accompanying vl'tofs 10 e
Ia,o tbe various curio.itieS His Incidence I'au io'
Left him and he could not bring himsen 10 o'e"" Wv
showcases properly. Fortunately ue prop -
an ~ ~ going man and Overl0Oked the p'' -,
rhsns because he found that he had me'h"'i'"
,t which made him useful in repairing certain o''
~, aoh,,e-v ~ which was apt to get out OIL o'ue''
.ror time voung Ball acquired machine lot cu''i's
ont e,lbouete portraits and made Ittie moie' O'V "
IL Then he developed liking ior dr""'n7 w a.,
,,i,ed some proficiency with his pehC"' "'"0 "a
transition TO painting was natural 10. 'd7''
IT, .ornc framing he began TO paint immature III
humble vav his first portraits being sol" lo' -
.a.or,. be worked himself out OF the museum "''u
t,o q studio Of his own. though 7omc wears pa "
fore he mustered courage To put his name u" wv 80
no i,nnroved steadily in his Mt' ho"e'cl "
emily crew bold enough - try his hama VI ~
IL nd then 10 mint historical ana otheT Pi0Vu
coe NJ these being exhibited attracted it'en'i'"
40 r,nion raised the Young painter to the seVen'"
Lavcn 1v buyng two or three Of them. MS na"o W
90, % he known he made the acquaintance Vi "'"''
.4ists and his circumstances were coiuio'I,o'
r. i =, very pleasant account IN TINS Voiu"1
-, hi. friendship with George fnhcr +" -
rears the Two worked In ADJOINING N'"u'' roin
.',arar.bIe Then Fall had an unhappy love an|n
-, or. with 50 gloomy face thai MS N''S
~ encctad the truth and one Of them Dec'p'o
ri coe6dantc with The result that Inigh' n'No -
,rodictod In due time she became MT "''i, I.,
oopor vpre they married than lacy SCI ou' y" 49,.
and took m their abode in Florence be'''e .,.,'
n,-oror rail had de,paired Of making ANY i",''0'
A,ancc IN pairting and had tried MS nan" w VII -
~. - nod torpd Ms true vocation. Tie began
,-.,. with s,atccttce and miniature hnstS anu '"o
srnr,val bis carly efforts met decided hii" - - va
With the work. 4 bust of Danlel NcpN''' ' ,
20 his first ESSAYS. II came ont 'ooi' "i,"
,o.o.,r,D,s death and being put IN plaster ioul"
tIp
arrow He received one ~ two orders ioi "o ~
-. aud sljed them 30 satisfactorily that ne eeoWc'
a. s,rr,gc moi only Of the uncritical public Ou' "
,aarv all The best known artists u h'>'ou' ~
yrohs+er bu.t furnished the basis for Mt Dan i"'7
s+atnc NJ Webster now in Central PARK III 'c S"'o
nav = miniature figure of Washington was me germ
~ his colossal equestrian statue He PoSsesstu' Nun
t,db,od that vivid memory Of faces wllch u :"
,,to-. y -ift 10 the artist. and hence MS STATUES
a,o bu.ts of contemporaries were distinguished pN
BfoIikeDcSs which all Could recognize ana "pre.'''
~. fr-+ visit 10 Italy lasted two years m' innoS
on Warrartng longer stay at the nme' 'u, "i"'
thinning nc received 50 many important COMMISSIONS
that he was soon able to go back tc Florence III" "
t Nm his studio ia pcrmanence His prosperity
,,.od endrriDc moreover. Work poured H. upon
him The fr1 wears Of hs MARRIED Tic mn pcou
Years of severe enforced economy but ms means cN
nandad and by-sudb by Hiram Powers PERSUADED MN
g. mid bonse 10 The end that they might be neigf'
hCrS that house ne mas hNt" ~ ''' W.
aud nov in hi, Sevcntv-ffth year. aftcr seeing Ms
hiIdren,e children he has sat down to whe
Az, eimne narrative o. life passN III
labor that delichts7 II is truly fortunate anu
o1centonallv happy career, indeed might DC to'"
- .be lines of the venerable and placid lace tlal dP
o,rs IN the front Of the volume. The profession
which sustained INN was, however ny Il" nca"s
bso,iepf Of ali his energies and interests Mnslc ma
h.en n strong second throughout his manhood. He
poescssed beautiful Voice. which was cnltvaco' anu
which he freely for charitable purposes ana III Ut"
rtercst of various Boston musical societies lie TOOK
Pho leading parts in many Oratoros, and wa much
snulaudcd lev the public and the pres These services
we're cratuouS for the most part but more IMAM on''
handsome testimonials were given him 10y inc NocIcueS
for which hc had sung - successfully lhdeen' III
The autohocraIhy II mght he thought mat nc was
,rouder OF h, musical riu3ph, than OF MS sculpture
Co. whereas he never (or Yer, seldom cites newspaper
rcmarzs upon the latter he cannot resist INC 'emP"
ton to quote hudatory criticisms upon MS ora'o'lo
performances.
4 I.t of Mr. Balls works Is unnecessary. for nc Is
rc1,r.,eni d i'm many States and in monuments winch
ar. before the public constantly. Rectt events
may lend a new interest 10 his account oi tie wash
i,rtonr he la, done for Mr.. Edward T. searies. OF
N;ctmeu. Ii Is 90 occupy a place ID the SelreS
Hopnins mansion ~ Great harrington ana a Pho'o
,.,,-uro a. if Il, given ~ the present volume. The
INTO ,iocvlpuy /, culveuyd by amusing anecdotes and
i written in q cheerful natural and wholly unaffected
,t,lc Mr. uaN i, lot without literary pIcension'
ana his name. is frank and simple. II speIhN clearly
If "a tbor,ushv Wholesome, manly and modest chai-
actor of an temper, a loyal spirit ana rare
faculty Of generous appreciation. There i haroY
mn uulDd ord in the book, and that is very much To
he able 10 say of record covering tiTeescofe wears
and ten. The prescn, edition Is limited but popular
one +, 70 follow it. and should prove very attractive