The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-03-15
The Bronze Medallion

enabled me to collect together would no
doubt be very much surprised to hear
that Of all my treasures there is none
30 dear to me as the bronze medallion
that lies enehrined within a crystal case
on my mantelpiece. Many of my visit
ors have glanced at 1t and turned away
to examine rare bit of carving or an
almost priceless example of some for
gotten art. To them the bronze medal
lion suggested nothing. Possibly they
thought-if they gave the matter any
thought at all-that 1t was some medal
won in my student days and therefore
treasured with care. That 1t represent
ed a whole life history and had the
power to revive many strange memories
they had no idea. Some people per
haps, seeing it in a place of honor among
my kniclSnaclss, may have fancied that
1t was something for which l had the
same superstitious reverence that other
men give to horseshoe. The bronze
medallion, however, ia neither fetch
nor memento of an early artistic sue
cess. 1t is simply an insignificant OBJ
Ject, worth perhaps few shillings
which has played no small part in my
life and ON one occasion saved me from
sndden and violent death. Thirty years
ago, when | was a young man of 26 and
had fame and fortune still eluding me,
i was attached TO the artistic staff of
The illustrated Weekly, n journal which
was just then beginning a career of
great success. Black and white work
was not then what it is now, but peo.
pie thought highly of the illustrations
we were able to give them for sixpence,
and there was no lack of encouragement
for proprietors or artists. My own spe-
-ial forte was animal life, as ii always
has been. From the time when l could
first hold pencil / had spent my hap
piest moments in drawing horses. To
me horse was creature of infinite
artistic possibilities. had drawn him
sitting In the ring of circus and gal
Looping at express speed over race
course, and 1t mattered little to Inc
whether he was high bred or a shaggy
Shetland pony. | had already begun
TO paint him in oils, and my first pic
ture, Young Horses at Play, was CON
sidered worthy of place in the acad-
emy. 1t was this success in depicting
horses that led the editor of The Illus
trated Weekly to suggest that l should
go down to Doneaster and make sketch
of the st. Leger of that year. There
was souie iaiiiouS morse running ior-
set ms name ior tho inohneht-ahd the
puo'ic in'sfeSt III the rare was greater
'hah usual consequently me propr'-
elofS determined TO give doHble page
tiu9tin1lon " 'Ie h''i'e' anu l traN'
e7eu 10 DoilchS'er u"S OF Two Deiore tho
eNeue anu peeah my work ny getting
an acc"ia'e loea oi .he race course ana
se,eeIinS iaNoraoie s'anapolht from
"hiei ~ FOCUS my sNttch'
me ohy ol the srIat race came ana
uurIEs the morning WIS nuslfy occu-
Pieu IA i'''s leM ~ tlio Ndlluus norsfs
erSaseu anu III hiiing ny skt tchDook
WIN u,ts th"t heeiiie lihely 10 % use
iui, "nen the AFTERNOON came round
siio 'ho l"cihs peS"n' i ilaoe my way
70 oci'"in part Vi inc course which
n"' seeii'cu 10 me Nery wen sultea
my PURPOSES ana thefe l TOOK
my as"nu' iHN'c "ere i"o racts 10 pe
run peloie tho 0t' heSer' ana wnh"
.peSo were pelns Got through ana duf'
las Tue nv y d's ,'',Weeh thein l oecu,
pteu ~. sgil IN W'tItiiis 'ile oolilSS "l
" crown wiich niieu NJ me upper part
" ny lo"r il'oor' iheie must nave peeh
S9V'VVV pcopie tisscht on tle stailua
anu III ,no iiiisS anu oh the hioor, anu
tioih 'iein cams perfect hapie oi
STUNT a'oVo "i,icil 'iie ST. ltofiah voices
y NV Dooh'iiahsfe oleiideu win 'he
snfl,, cries OF catchpehhy adVehtnrefs
oi aii SORTS mere TWO or three mem
peIs ol lhe tiree cafa trick fraternity
"eEo elueaNoriiiS 10 gun group "l
fouiia iacta rus,les' there similar gang
were shoutlhS the praises OIL sort OF
iouiette 'upte' Soiaor pettlnB man
hau s.tsa''''u ,iiiseii ho'rso anu was
Teduceu 10 shaklns lhe money IN MS
Dag us means OIL attracting attention.
oesoIu tht slouliilS' swi'ylnS' puslllnS
crowa stfetched a long line Of yehlcles
OF All descriptions 1fom me lofdly look
ing coacn 10 the ialllier ilsht cart
ana on THESE men ana women were
eati1lg ana drinking ana discussing
the prospects OF the taVor1te Ter the
great race. Across me course rose the
iols ilhe OF STANDS thlekly packed with
fashionable raeegoers, and these made
dafk background 10 the picture had
IN my ihihu eye.
i was huuclhs all these things and TAX
ing sly sketcll no" ana then OF some
race or tsufe that attracted my atten-
uon, Wheh caught slsht OF little gen
IN
seemed very hdeh out OF place among
ine rough crowd. lie was very neatly
me noticod tbat h;s hIac,, " fraala ~ raeoot eoot