The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-26
OBITUARY.

John Sartain, Father of American
Engraving and POe's Best Friend.
PHILADELPHIA Oct. 25.-John Sartain,
the eminent artist and engraver, died early
this morning at the home of his daughter.
Yesterday was Mr.. Sartain'S eighty-ninth
birthday anniversary.
John Sartain artist, litterateur patron
and benefactor of Edgar Allen Poe, was
one of the little group of Philadelphia's
grand old men. At Broad and Masters
streets stands the School of Design for
Women, of which Miss Emily Sartain is
principal. The house was formerly the old
Forrest mansion, and although altered and
enlarged to suit its present purposes, many
of the original rooms remain intact In one
of these died the venerable scholar, sur
rounded by his artistic and photographic
treasures trophies of career rich in Incl
dent and notable in achievement. He was
practically the father of American engrav-
ing, and he also did much to develop the
literature of his earlier days. Although
born in London, he came to America when
twenty-five years old and brought with him
a knowledge of the engravers art which
made him prominent at once When lad
he was apprenticed to John Swain, Lon
don engraver, and showed such aptitude for
his work that when thirteen years old, he
was selected by Henry Othey afterwards
Sir Henry Othey, to engrave the illustra-
tions for a work entitled 1.-THE Florentine
School of Art now a very rare and val
liable book. He was regarded as the foun-
der in America of that style of engraving
in steel known as the mezzotint In addi-
ton to his engraving, by which, he was
best known, Sartain was painter lecturer,
architect teacher and editor. Fifty years
ago, when Philadelphia was the literary
center OF the country Sartain's Magazine
nnd he - ~,
day, and 1t was in its pages that Poes ia
nous poem, The Bells" was first printed.
Poe for time was associated with Mr..
Sarta1n in editing the magazine, and many
of his grewsome tales found their way into
its pages. But the liquor habit, which was
strong in the erratic poet. forced Mr.. Sar-
tain to dismiss him Their personal reia-
tons, however, remained friendly, and
few days previous to Poes death he was
| in SAMSON street where the engraver con-
tinued to live long after the neigh borhood
had been given over to business purposes.
Indeed 1t was only within the last five
years that Mr.. Sartain could be induced to
leave the quarters about which chung so
many fond memories and join his daughter
In the Forrest mansion in Broad street.
Mr.. Sartain had letter from Bayard
Taylor written at the age of seventeen, in
begged M sartSn to pI receive Se0 him as an
apprentice. Poes letters he regarded with
great affection. OF Poe's last visit he re-
Gently said 1T was on Monday, in 1S49.
Poe had been locked up in Moyamensing
prison over Sunday for intoxication, and
was completely unstrung. He thought there
was conspiracy to kill him, and asked to
be hidden. Mr.. Sartain humored the fren-
zied poets hallucination, and for two days
he remained in concealment in the Sansom-
street house. He even went so far as TO
cut off Poes mustache at the latter's re-
quest. in order that his fancied enemies
might not recognize him." Poe wrote The
Bells for Sartain's Magazine. The first
draft consisted Of only two stanzas, and
for these he was paid SIS. A couple of days
later he appeared with another verse and
before the poem was published he had add
ed again to 1t. BY this means he received
$45 for the poem, and had not the day of
publication been near at hand he would
probably have kept on adding to it In the
hope of receiving additional remuneration.
Until recently Mr. Sartain led a wonder
fully active life for a man of his years.
For twenty-five years he was director in
the Academy Of Fine Arts In Philadelphia,
and was it's most enthusiastic worker. He
was the recipient of many horrors and dec
orations from time to time, one of the most
important being conferred by King Hum
bert of Italy who in 1875 created him an
officer of the Equestrian Order of the
Crown of Italy, with the title of cavaliere.
His last work of note was the filling of the
post of chief of the art department of the
American exhibition In London. Mr.. Sar-
tain gained a worldwide fame among
scientists artists and men of letters, and
many of his degrees were conferred by the
leading scientific bodies of both CONT
nnnfa.