Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1893-02-25

a seventh model, combining in it all of
the best points of the original six.
This was substantially the accepted
model after which the famous statue
was constructed.
Young Mills then became a horse
trainer, in a small way. He purchased
a spirited horse which he trained to
rear and stand in the position which he
had decided to reproduce in the statue,
| Then he taught the horse to stand that
| way, with man upon his back. All
this required great deal of time and
wonderful amount of patience and de-
! termination of character. But the re
suit was finally achieved and the
statue, when completed, was so per-
fectly equipoised that it required no
fastening to the pedestal. Rods, how
ever, were put into the hind legs of the
horse, solely for the purpose of prevent
ing any of the then numerous enemies
of Jackson from committing an act of
vandalism by turning over and destroy
ing the statue.
In working out this idea the young
artist met with many difficulties and
distractions. 1t was held by many
prominent people that the figure of
horse, in a rampant position with its
rider, could not be constructed without
an awkward support of some kind.
Prof. Charles Page, of the Smithsonian
institution, at that time one of the
great scientists of this country, ridi-
| .,,lnI tho ;1ao opJ ap1aayDra1 4, rrpvp
that the feat was impossible. He
showed in a very clear, theoretical
manner that, with the wind blowing at
so many miles an hour, with so many
pounds pressure per square inch, no
statue 50 constructed could stand. Prof.
Page convinced many people of stand
ing that Clark Mills was undertaking
the impossible, and the young man
came very near having all of his trouble
and expense without recompense; for it
was almost decided at one time not to
accept his work. This was on the
ground that, even after its successful
erection and unwilling, it would fall
and be destroyed, and the money in
vested would be wasted. The young
man, however, had some warm friends
who believed in him and in his ability
TO accomplish his work, and the statue
was finally accepted and inaugurated,
and there it stands to-day. There it
will stand forever. Moreover, when it
was finally decided to accept his statue,
young Mills was allowed - make his
casting from guns captured by Gen.
Jackson at New Orleans
The success of the young artist imme-
diately made him famous. At the fol-
lowing session of congress an appropri-
alton was made for an equestrian
statue Of Washington, after the same
model, and Clark Mills was engaged to
do the work He built a workshop
three miles from the capitol, and re-
manned there until his death. His first
work in that place, was the statue of
Washington which stands in the center
OF Washington circle, where Twenty
second street CT Osses Pennsylvania
avenue Just east of Rock creek, about
midway between the white house and
Georgetown Heights. These two are
the best pieces of statuary in the nation
al capital.
Mr.. Mills made duplicate of his
jackson statue for the city of New Or
leans lie also made handsome and
striking statue of Gen. Scott for the
soldiers home, and placed it upon a
height where it overlooks the city of
Washington; and another an eques-
trian statue Of Scott, on Sixteenth
street, midway between the white
house and Columbia Heights. But none
of his work has cxcelled his first pro-
fessional effort, the Jackson statue. He
took plaster cast of Gen. George b. Nc
Clellan, when that military leader was
at the height OF his fame, and made a
clay model from it, but he never put
it into bronze. The model exists, and
some day a handsome statue of Nc.
Clelan can be made from it.
In his later years Mr.. Mills used to
abuse himself with model making, just
as he had done in his early days of pov.
erty and struggle for existence. His
home, workshop, forge and farm, were
combined in handsome place north OF
the city, where he commenced his
career in adversely and ended it in tri
umph. The young reader must not be
misled into the belief that because
Clark Mills became a great sculptor
: without adequate training everybody
1 can succeed in like manner. He haC
5 special gifts which were developed
by industry. The successful genius il
the genius of labor. SMITH d. FRY.
n BEEKEEPiNG PAYS.