The Utah County Democrat. [volume] (Provo City, Utah) 1898-1909, 1899-07-22
A. u. Bot,
Manufactures Cigars, Provo.
A TALENTED MOTOR MAN.
One OF George Wetring's Pictures
Took FIRST Prize.


George Wetring. 81 years old. has
been a driver and mO.orman on the
Market street line for twenty years.
That In itself is long record 0f aciiv.
| ly under one employer, yet IL would
not be- noteworthy hut for the facI
that Mr.. W-lring combines with his
nnewhat obscure occupation the tai
ent " a great ART list. The story which
Mr. Weiring Tails Of the fate thar made
Of him n rnan of Lowry career insI cad OF
painter Of note Is as peculiar as IL Is
sal.
At the age Of 1S this man. whose
hands have grown ca;lnus from WELD.
Ink the reins and tn. big brass handles
OF an electric storage battery. was Il
pupil of Wilhelm Kaulbach. the great
est historical painter OF the age. In
1853 M oil painting by him Of an ltal.
lah flower girl received the first prize
al The Paris exposition In the art pu-
pills section Of the world. A free hand
drawing Of ihs Venus de Milo" hangs
f 10 the royal art school of Wuerzburg.
where 1t Is unpurchaseabe for love or
money. A wealthy Englishmnn was
willing IN give $1,000 for II when he
raw it On the easel If young Wetring.
Even now his correct eye aud great ar
tslic instinct have rot been suppressed
or eradicaed by his mental labor. In
The home Of MIR. Ro,la Wells hangs a
free hand pencil portrait of Mr.. Eras-
ius Wells the founder of the Market
street. line aud once It's sole 0gner. In
Mr.. Wells estimation 1t Is the bes,
| prrtrait ever made Of his father. or
curse, the hand that pencils even now
with thu iacile cunning of the real ar
tu has lost it's swifiness, and The eyes,
g'0wn dim and tired from peering into
thu d ,rkness OF the night from the mo-
nrman's seat soon weary at the close
appIication q red by portrait draw Ing
but M one looks at the simple m0luI-
mans art works. one marvels what
would have become Of him had he been
Slowed to grow up in a profession for
which he seemed eninently fitted.
George Wetring was born In Wuerz
burg. Bavaria. His father Was high
government official. aud his uncle &C
cupied the post Of quarlernaster gen.
sral In the Bavarian army. After
gradua,inR from The public schools Of
Wurrsburg. young Wetring entered
tbs manu- Il trsi"ing school. and made
ns tirst mark In the ar' d-partnlen, ~
this school. Frauz Won Ksu'bach. the
Oruther Of the l., mortal Wilhelm, dis
covered the rare talent for portrait
palntirg and drawing possessed 10y
"etring. He gave him his personal
h'en'ion aud finally. when he could
~ach HIM no more, he sent him 10 his
orolher's studio In Munich and helped
a''a to enter Inc art academy there. In
MA great art school Wetring spent four
!'as with Remarkable success. His
italian Flower Girl. which was crowned
Win the hrst prize at the Paris exposi.
unn' was the fruit OF his academical
hbor.
eh"rtly before the breaking out Of the
var between Prussia and Austria In
1000 the Wetrings, who we're well.to-dO
ps"ple' contemplated a Trip to America
~ VISIT their relatives in Berry county,
no. The war prevented the elder Wet
."Rs Journey. hut he sent his two
""s aud daughter 10 make the trip
~" see a good bit Of the new world.
t''rge Wetrlng, the elder of the two
I'm was made sponsor Of his younger
~, p"n'ons, and together they came
~ LUIS country aud made heir way TO
,. 10y county, where they found their
'A1ons Engaged Ia the brewery bust