The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-03
BUTCHER. POSED
AS LINCOLN. FOR
FAMOUS PICTURES

Chicago Inter-Ocean says:
r. Thomas. a teacher in the pubic
schools OF this city, told at meeting
of one of the Grand Army posts. the
81. or night, the story of how he came to
be in Lincoln's Cabinet The story, as ne
told it, is in connection with the famous
pointing Of the Lincoln Cabinet made by
Frank Carpenter, the artist The tact
that Mr.. Carpenter made use OF men
whom he picked up on the streets OF
small town in New York State as SIT
ters" or models for his great painting, IN
stead of the President and the members
of his Cabinet themselves, is known 70
very few people. The picture was tor the
most part, painted in this little burg many
miles from where the men whose faces
ard forms Mr.. Carpenter so faithfully
portrayed on the canvass then were.
1T was one summer in the late COS.
saws Mr.. Thomas, when CHANGED to pay
a visit to Homer, an unimportant little
villa ge in central New. 1Grk. was
searching for a quiet place to pass my
vacation One beautiful morning. short
lv after nv arrival, 1 was stroiling along
one of the quiet streets of the Vlllege.
when tall, elegantly dressed gentleman
approa ched me, and placing his hand un-
tremendously on my shoulder, asked
abruptly: Are you very busy this morn
ing?'
| speaker was a pleasant-faced man. with
| every evidence of refinement and culture,
! and that there was apparently some serl-
Gus motive for his question. Not very
busy I replied. What can l do fer
your
Kindly give me an hour OF your time;
| come with me and I will explain.
| 10 cpea king ha had uaSSed his arm
| through nine and now he turned and
| led me down the street to the principal
| business block of the town. AS we en-
tered a room on the second floor I saw
| that there were several other gentlemen
! there. evidently gathered in as I had
| been Mr.. Carpenter lost no time in get
ting down to business. Gentlemen he
said, 7 am going to paint picture of
] President Lincoln and his Cabinet I
want you all to sit for the picture. I
have selected you carefully, and think
every one of you will de-
'No doubt all the other gentlemen were
as greatly surprised as I was at hearing
these remarks. We all sat staring at the
speaker, not knowing what to say or do.
! Finally the gentleman who was next to
! me asked the man rather abruptly, who
he was.
Il am Frank Carpenter he answered,
necessity.
Hdu HedTO tHdL rank. carpenter, the
artist, was to paint a picture of the Presi-
dent ad his Cabinet. so there was no
longer any mystery in the thing, but my
establishment was great to find him in
i this little. out-of-the-Way place and to
l be asked to sit as a member of the Cabi-
net However, we all consented to try
the thing. and Mr.. Carpenter began to ar
range US He had a, table and chairs
(; ready. and we We're soon grouped I was
Mr. Stanton Secretary of War. A tall.
alIky man. with a cadaverous face and
long. straight, black hair, was asked to- be
Mr.. Lincoln
Mr. Carpenter had a man for every
place. With the eve of a trained artist.
he had gone out on the streets of this
! little burg and gathered in eight men who
would exactly suit his purpose, and as
far as I could judge, ne had not made
| a single mistake. When we were
grouped lie seemed to be entirely salts
fled. and went straightway to work
well, I don't remember how many
sittings We had. but finally he had US all
photographed In the positions we
had taken every day. and then
he announced that he was going back
to Washington. The picture had reached
! the stage where it needed a sitting OF the
real people. Mr. Carpenter did not offer
us any money for our services. knowing
instinctively. no doubt. that there was
not one man there who would have &C
cepted such reward for such a service.
But as he babe us goodbye that day
he gave each one a firm clasp of the hand
and a hearty Thank you and I know
that every one of us felt amply repaid
We had all grown to admire and love
Frank Carpenter.
The man who sat for Lincoln was
the butcher for the village. His shop
was right under the room where the sit
tings were held. He told me afterward
that Mr.. Carpenter had almost pounced
upon him the first time they had met
Z. upon the street. and had asked his name
and his business. and a number of other
things all in a breath. The butcher re-
scented the thing at first, but Mr.. Car
penter had explained the idea to him.
and he had been the first to consent to
4 sit.
This butcher did look very much like
Mr.. Lincoln, both as to form and face
Z and there is no doubt that when Mr.
1 Carpenter first laid eyes upon him the
idea of getting the group together in
that little town, and beginning the pre-
sminary work on the picture. came to
him like a fash.
". rarnapta,. foicbad in