The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-08-14
THE ART OF MARCUS.
A QUAKER HooslER WHO COULD
PAINT OR MAKE A MATCH.

A QUAKER HOOSlER WHO COULD
PAINT OR MAKE A MATCH.
Early Struggles With n Talent That Could
Not lie Suppresscd-Ono of His best
known Pictures-IIow Ho Brought About
Happy Marriage.
One of the unique characters of tho
state is Marcus Mote, the veteran Qua
ker artist of Richmond. He is now rs
years of age and is very feeble. His
memory of things that happened in his
youth and prime is keen and true, but
tho events of the day pass rs the sum
mer clouds. 1t was he who first defied
the Quaker antipathy to art in oil and
brush, and he secured the petition which
caused the Legislature to provide that
the public schools of Indiana SHOULD
teach drawing. The petition was pre-
sented by Senator Baxter, since de-
ceased. Two years previously the Qua
ker artist had secured the teaching of
drawing in the public schools of Rich
mond by ordinance.
Marcus Notes talent was born with
him. 1t is said of him that when only
2X years old his mother came homo
from meeting ono day and found .him
scratching q rude picture on the foot
board Of tho bedstcad with a picco cf
charcoal. The Quakcrs held that paint
ing was Of the devil and savored of
idolatry. The boy was rebulicd, with
remark, II do believe this mischief
was born i'll thee. -
There was no relenting as tho lad
grew up and tho propensity to draw
and paint developed He was forbidden
to indulge his talent, but lie could not
be rcpressed 1t is evident that had hc
met with encouragement and aid, in
stead of rebuke, fame and fortune would
have crowned the artist with their rich
est laurels. AS it was Marcus had to
take to the woods for his colors. The
primaries no derived from red root, or
from red ink, tho yellows from yellow
root, and for blue he was obliged to CON
tent himself with bluing from his moth
ers washing tub.
1.-The only stealing havo ever DONE"
he said to n Journal reporter, "was in
taking bluing from my mothers bluinp
bag. For brushes l used tho hair in tho
squirrels tail, and used to accompany
my father when hunting so us to got the
tails for my painting. At first all my
work was done with tho pen When 1
secured my first box of water colors I
worked rs late at night as could and
then spent the rest of tho night awake
picturing what would do"
As tho boy grew to manhood he be-
fp,,, L.
sisted i'll painting landscape and por-
traits i'll spite of tho grumbling of mem
bers of tho meeting. He lived then in
Warren county, O., and attended guar
terly meeting Mt Wayncsvillo He was
chosen clerk of the meeting ut one time
which led to the protest against his
work rising to tho surface. He would
have been disowned had not Thomas
Evans, father of the we'll known oil mil
lers of this city, used his influence to
prevent it,
Marcus Mote lived in Lebanon, O.,
for many years and personally knew the
great Tom Corwin, whose portrait he
painted for the state of Ohio 1t hangs
i'll the statehouse at Columbus, marked
By an unknown artist" In speaking
of this painting the artist said
My daughter happened to be in Co
lumbus and went to the statehouse. She
discovered the inscription. Corwin came
to me one day when he was at home
from congress and said that tho fellows
down at Washington seemed to think
that nobody i'll Ohio could do anything,
and that he had refused to sit for a DOR
trait for an artist there for that reason.
He wanted the work dono at home. He
sat for the portrait number of times.
and became we'll acquainted with him.
He had daughter, Eva, who was
his great pride, and, together with her
mother, he was very ambitious for her.
There was young man then teaching
III Warren county who was poor in peck
ct, but had strong will, % clean
heart and first class ability. He was
modest, however, and his ability was
not known. He showed Eva Corwin so
much attention that her father finally
forbade her seeing the young man, and
the girl was seriously affected by the
breaking up Of the friendship. She was
kept closely at homo in her fathers
suburban residence, and her friends no
ticed that her health was beginning to
DO affected. She had friend named
Jennie Hardy, since Drake, who had the
confidence of Eva's parents. and one
day met Jennie and asked her to bring
Eva to my studio OH the next day at
O'Clock sharp
"What for?' she asked.
Never thee mind, said, but do
as 1 tell thee. Now, want thee to