The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-03-04

on the salt water or by it, not to be able
to talk sea or shipping to any one. But
got acquainted with Capt Hatch, who
died few years ago, and we used to en-
JOY many social chat about life on the
briny deep
In the hall Of Capt. Beals' coy home
out on the Wilbraham road, hang paint
ings OF two of his favorte vessels, the
Henry Darling aud the Caro-. Capt. Beals
superintended the building of both these
vessels at Bucksport, and they were
! launched from there in the COS. He
sailed the Henry Darling for four years,
going around Cape Horn with her the first
voyage, but for fear Of losing her during
the war through the privateers he sold
her to an English merchant, who put her
at once under the English flag.
The Caro- was built in 1865, and had the
honor of both being named after Capt.
Beals' only daughter and of bringing over
the famous paintings from Italy. On this
particular trip the Caro- sailed from Phil
adelphia straight to Leghorn, where she
discharged her cargo of oil, and then
sailed for Palermo, Sicily, to load with
oranges for the return voyage. This was
in 1870, and while the vessel was lying off
Leghorn, Capt. Beals went ashore to see
an old friend an Italian merchant whom
he had come to know on his numerous
visits there. Finding the merchant S shop
closed, he made inquiries about his friend
and learned that he had failed and all his
goods had been contiscated by the officers.
Capt. Beals then hunted up the merchant S
house and the result of his visit was the
purchase of the three paintings now ex-
hibted in this city. The merchant said
the pictures were the work of Michael
Angelo and had been handed down in line
of his family for generations; as he was
the only one of the family living he want
ed to get them ont of the country before
his creditors seized them. Two of the
paintings, The Fortune Teller and The
/ Masquerade, are large canvasses, measur-
! ing > l = by ) feet while the smaller pie
tue, Samson Staying the Philistines, is
/ 20 by "A inches. Capt. Beals bought the
| pictures believing that the man was per-
fectly honest in all That he said, and even
if the paintings are not by Angelo, he says
he is sure the merchant thought they were
In this connection it might be stated
that c. c. Perkins, member Of the French
institute, in his historical Handbook of
Italian Sculpture says: "Angelo employ
ed his odd moments of leisure in sketch
ing a group of Samson staying a Phiis-
tine with the jawb0ne OF an ass, in 1927.
| This fact has led Capt. Beals and some
local artists to believe more firmly than
ever that this picture was done by Angelo
In d life of Angelo by Sweetser it is stat
ed that the republican government order
ed him to carve group OF Samson STAY
ing Philistine, as a patriotic symbol,
and that the model which he made for
his work is now preserved in the South
kensington museum. This fact might
on the other hand, lead one to think that
the painting wasa copy from the sculpture
Whether the paintings are by Angelo or
merely copies from the original they are
certainly worth a careful study as master
pieces of coloring and rich tints.
The painting of the ship Caro-, here
with reproduced, is also very interesting,
having been drawn and painted by deaf
and dumb artist at Palermo. Capt Beals
is very fond of this painting because it is
such an excellent likeness of his favorte
vessel and recalls how, when they were
anchored off Palermo at that time people
there were dying off with cholera at the
rate of 800 day. He escaped with the
loss of only one man.
| If one would learn more about Capt.
Beals and his voyages about the world, a
call at his pleasant home will furnish the
best kind of entertainment Here are
relics from every part of the globe, flying
fishes put up in alcohol, South American