The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-03-25
ARTIST MILLS AS A HORSE TRAINER

-
rider, could not be constructed without
an awkward. support OF some kind
Prof. Charles Page, of the Smithsonian
institution, nt that time one OF the
great scientists of this country, ridi-
culed the idea and cndeavorcd to prove
that the feat was impossible. de
showed in a very clear, theoretical
manr1nn.th with the wind blowing at
SO many niles an hour, with SO many
pounds pressure per square inch, no
statue so 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 recompepse; for 1t
was almost decided at one time not TO
accept his work. This waa 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 II
| win stand forever. Moreover, when 1t
| was finally decided to accept his statue,
young Mills was allowed to 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 II
| do the work. He built a workshop
three miles from the capitol, and re
4 NAMED there until his death. His frs
i work, in that place, was the statue o
Washington which stands In the cente
of Washington circle, where Twenty
second street crosses Pennsylvania
avenue Just east of Rock creek, abou
midway between the white house an
Georgetown Heights. These two ar
the best pieces of statuary in the nation
al capital. =.
4 Mr.. Mills made a duplicate OF hi
Jackson statue for the city OF New u
leans. He also made handsome an
striking statue of Gen. Scott for tn
, soldiers home, and placed it upon
, height where it overloolxs the city 3
Washington; and another. an eque'
titan statue of Scott, on Sixteent
street, midway between the whit
lhouse and Columbia Heights. But non
of his work has excelled his first pr
fessional effort, the jackson statue. II
took a plaster cast of Gen. George b. Nj
Clcllan, when that military leader we
at the height OF his fame, and made
clay model from it; but he never pr
It into bronze. The model exists, an
some day handsome statue OF Nj
Clellan can be made from it.
In his later years Mr.. Mills used
abuse himself with model making Ju
as he had done in his early days OF pc
erty and struggle for existence. II
home, workshop. forge and farm, we
combined in q handsome place north
: the city, where he commenced !
career in adversely and ended it in t
umph. The Young reader must not
misled into the belief that becau
Clark Mills became a grelt sculpt
n without adequate training everybo
Is can succeed in like manner. He b
q special gifts which were develop
$ by industry. The successful genius
< the genius of labor. SMITH D. FRY