Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-06-05
The Bronze Medallion

y IN IA UIkS lIASoutAlSu IL
The people who drop into my studio
and examine the various objects Of art
AMI virtu which q long life and cou.
siderable success In my profession have
enabled mo to collect together would no
douLt lie very much surprised to hear
that of all my treasures thee is none
~ dear to me NJ the bronfc medallion
that lies enshrined within crystal case
ON my mantelpiece. Many Of my visit.
ors have glanced at u and turned away
to examine rare bit of carving or an
almost priceless example of soms for.
gotten art. To them the bronze medal.
lion suggested nothing. Possibly they
tbought-if they gave the matter any
thought at all-that u was some medal
won In my student days and therefore
treasured with care. That 10 represent
ed q whole life history and had the
power to revive many strange memories
they had no idea. Soine people per-
baps. seeing Il In = place of honor among
my knicknacks. may have fancicd that
II was something for which had the
same suI-rstitious reverence that other
men give % q horseshoe. The bronze
medallion. however. IL neither q fetirh
nor memento of an early artistic sue
csrs. II l. simply an insignificant OBJ
jcct. worth perhaps . few shiilings.
which has played no small part In my
lif. and on one occasion saved mo from
sudden and violent death. Thirty years
ago, when was young man 81 20 and
hal fame and fortune still eluding me.
! was attached 10 the artistic stan Of
The Illustrated Weekly. = journal which
was just then beginning n career of
great success. Black and white work
was not then what 10 IL now. hut pco-
pie thought highly 10 the illustrations
we wer, able 90 give them for sispcnce.
and there was no lack ~ encouragement
for proprie,ors or artists Ny own spe-
ciAl forte was animal life, ~ u always
has t-cn. From the time when ] could
f>t hold a pencil ! had spent my hap
picst moments In drawing horses. To
me horse was q creature of infinite
artistic possibilities. ihad drawn him
sitting In the ring of q circus and gal
looping at express speed over race
oUure. and IL maitcrcd little 90 me
whether he was high bred or sshaggy
Shetland pony. l had already hcgun
% paint him In oils, AMI my first pic'
ture. Young Horse at Play" was oon.
sidcr~i worthy of place In the acad.
envy. II was this success In depicting
hOr-.- that lei the editor of The Illus.
trat.d Weekly to suggest that ! should
~ down to Doncast.r and make sketch
Of the ~. Leger u that year. There
was some famous horse running-l for
g,t his name for the moment-and the
public in,er,s, In the race was greater
than usual Consequently Oh. propri'
s,or. determined 60 give double page
illustration o. the scene, and ] trav'
.lci o. DJncsst.r day or two before the
event sni logan my work by getting
al accurate idea of the race course and
selecting a favorable standpoint from
which o. focus my sketch.
The day - the great rae. came, and
durifg the morning I was busily occu.
pied In interviewing the various borsss
engaged aud In filling my sksichbcok
with bits that seemed likely 10 b. use
ful. When the affernoun cam. round
AMI the racing began, ] made my way
a. u certain part - the cour~e which
had semci a. me very well suited
20 my purposes. and there ! took
my stand. Tber. were two races % D.
run leiofe Oh. ~. Lsger. and Will.
thee were ,"ing got through and dur
ing the intervals between them | cccu.
pied myself In watching the doings Of
the crowd which tllcd the UPPER part
of the town moor. There must have becn
600. 600 I"ople present On the stands
and In the rings and un the moor. and
from them cam. = psrfcct bablc of
sound. above which the st,ntOrian voices
~ th. buokmakers blended with the
shrill cries ~ ca,chpenny adyenturers
of all sorts. Here two or thr.. mem
bcrs ~ the ,hrcc card trick fraternity
were sndeayoring 10 gull q group of
round faced rustics there similar gang
were shouting the praises Of a sort of
roulette table; yonder n b.tting man
had screamed himself hoarse and was
reduced 10 shaking the money In his
bag as a means Of attracting attention.
Beyond ,h. shouting. swaying. bustling
crowd stretched a long line of vehicles
Of all descriptions. from the lor'iiy look
ing coach 10 the farmers light cart.
and on th.-s men and women were
eating and drinking and discussing
the prospect. of the fsyorite for the
great race. Across the course ro-. the
long line % stands. thickly packed with
fashionable racegoers, and these made
u dark background 10 the picture ] had
In my minds eye.
Twas noticing all these things and TAX
ing a ely sketch now and then Of some
face or figure that attracted my atten'
ton. when caught sight Of little gen.
tl,man, evidently fr.nehman, who
SEEMED very much out u place among
the rough crowd. He was very neatly
dressed from top 10 toe, but as he passed
me I noticed that his black frock coat
was somewhat shiny At the shoulders
aud that his carefully brushed hat had
certainly sen better days. lie went In
snd cut among the crowd. staring at
the bookmskers and glancing curiously
at the three card fraternity. ! Thought
there was something wistful about his
eyes as he looked at the gold which
tl,oss gentry displayed so layishly.
Presently I lost sight Of him In the
crowd. but about 10 minutes before the
81. Leger was 90 be run ] saw him
again. lie was engaged In confidential
conyersation with AN individual whom
I sat down at once as betting man .
,out and against whose wiles aud bland
ishments I should have liked 10 warn
the evidently innocent foreigner. Pres
emily, however. there was u great cry
Of They're on and had to turn my
atteption 10 the race.
However great the excitemen. and
however long II may have existed prior
to the event which rouses IL. II takes
but few very brief moments 10 allay
Il forever. Within four minutes OF
the cry of They're ofii" the horsss
had flashed past me and past the win.
ming po,t. and the great race was over.
I strolled round the crowd and amused
myself by watching the faces OF the
people who mad lost their money and
the joyful manifestations OF those who
had bat successfully. passed bey ond