The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-08-21
THE ART OF MARCUS.
\ QUAKER HoOslsR WHO COULD
PAINT OR MAKE A MATCH.

Early Struggles with = Talent That Could
Not He Suppressed One OF His Best
Known Pictures-How He Brought About
= Happy Marriage.
One Of the unique characters Of the
state is Marcus Mote, the veteran Qna-
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
the events of the day pass as 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-
scented 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
az years old his mother came home
from meeting one day and found him
scratching a rude picture on the foot
board Of the bedstead with a piece Of
charcoal. The Quakers held that paint
ing was of the devil and savored Of
idolatry. The boy was rebuEed, with a
remark, 81 do believe this mischief
was born in thee"
There was no r~clenting as the lad
grew up and the propensity to draw
and paint developed. He was forbidden
to indulge his talent, but he could not
be repressed. 1t is evident that had he
met with encouragement and aid, in
stead of rebukc, fame and fortune would
have crowned the artist with their rich
est ~laurels. AS it was Marcus had to
take 10 the woods for his colors. The
primaries he derived from red root, or
from red ink, the yellows from yellow
root, and for blue he was obliged to con-
tent himself with bluing from his moth
er's washing tub.
The only stealing l have ever done"
he said to a Journal reporter, was in
taking bluing from my mothers bluing
bag. For brushes | used the hair in the
squirrels tail. and l used to accompany
my father when hunting SO as t get the
tails for my painting. At first all my
work was done with the pen. When l
secured my first box Of water colors 1
worked as late at night as l could and
then spent the rest of the night awake
%picturing what | would do
As the boy grew to manhood he be
came more assertive of his art and per
sisted in painting landscape and por-
traits in spite Of the grumbling of mem
hers Of the meeting. He lived then in
Warren county, o., and attended quar-
terly meeting at Waynesville. He was
chosen clerk Of the meeting at one time,
which led to the protest against his
work rising to the 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 il.
Marcus Mote lived III Lebanon, O.,
for many years and personally knew the
great Tom Corwin, whose portrait he
paiIlitl ltI Liz at VI ollo. AZ UdlSS
III the s%tatehouse at Columbus, marked
by az unknown artist In speaking
If this painting the artist said:
My daughter happened to be in Co
lumbus and ven to the statehouse. She
discovered the inscription. COrwin came
to me one day when he was at home
from congress and said that the fellows
down at Washington seemed to think
that nobody in Ohio could do anything.
and that he had refused to sit for a pOr,
trait for an artist there for that reason.
He wanted the work done at home. He
sat for the portrait a number Of times,
and became we'll acquainted with him.
He had a daughter, Eva, who was
his great pride, and, together with her
mother, he was very ambitious for her.
There was a young nan then teaching
in Warren county who was poor III peck
ct, but had a strong will, q clean
heart and first class ability. He was
modest, however, and his ability wa
not known. He showed Eva COrwin s.
much attention that her father finally
forbade her Icing the young man, anG
the girl was seriously affected by tht
breaking up Of the friendship. She Wa:
kept closely at home in her fathers
suburban residence, and her friends 10
ticed that her health was beginning tC
be affected. She had q friend named
Jennie Hardy, since Drake, who had the
confidence Of Eva's parents, and one
day l met Jennie and asked her to brin.
Eva . Ivy studio Oh the next day at
o'clock sharp.
What for she asked.
"'Never thee mind I said, but q,
as I tell thee. Now, I want thee t
promise me that thee will. Will thee:
"She sad She would. Pretty soon
met the yuung man and l said that
wanted him to come to my studio q
the next day within two or three min
utes after ! o'clock sharp.
"'What for:' he asked.
Never thee mind, l said. Now,
van thee to give me thy hand, prom
Using that thee will be there Just as
said
HE gave me his hand. The next ola
ar l thoro was a knock at INV door ,p