The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-01

vited Mrs. Hoxie' to speak at Its open
meeting this week and by special request
she told the story of her life and work,
especially that part connected with these
two commissions. Next Friday she will
speak at Bethel Settlement for. the
Mothers Club. ..,.t
For many years Mrs. Hoxie gave up al
most entirely the practice Of her art and
devoted herself to her home, family and
friends. Until coming to st. Paul she had
not had studio since finishing her Far
ragut commission about the time of her
marriage. Last summer, however,
Major Hoxie waved his objections to her
art work and has consented to her re-
Stunning modelling for pleasure, not for
pelf.
AS the residence chosen In St. Paul did
not containa room adapted to studio pur-
poses, the artist was at first a little at
a loss, but the resourcefulness of an
army woman soon solved the difficulty.
Her kitchen was altogether out Of pro-
portion to the needs of the family and, as
1t had tirst-rate light, Mrs. Hoxie de-
cided that portion of 1t should be par
titioned off for studio. This done, she
has begun work on several busts. Among
those already under way are those OF
Alexander Ramsey, first governor of the
state; John Brisbin, first governor of the
Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Mr.. Noyes,
editor Of the Washington Star.
Mrs. Hoxie has always been rapid
worker, and it will not take her long to
line the walls of her studio with portrait
busts of her friends and of distinguished
citizens, whom she has an ambition 20
model during her stay in the state.
Every Saturday afternoon Mrs. Hoxie
gathers in the studio all of her little
neighbors and lets them watch her work,
and she gratifies their love for mud pies
by giving them clay to experiment on
| under her direction.
The art career of the first woman to win
a government competition, indeed the
first American woman sculptor to win q
name for serself, began in the midst OF
the civil war. Little Miss Ream had been
at Columbia, No, at a school which has
since become prominent college. After
her return to Washington, the congress
man from the district, in taking leave of
the president of the college, asked wheth-
er he could do any service for him IN
| Washington. The president replied;
Yes, get me- a picture of little pupil
of mine, of whom I am very fond
On his arrival in Washington Major
Rollins called to ask Mrs. Ream's per-
| mission to have photograph made OF her
daughter, but when he called to escort the
| little girl to the photographer, ne had
! changed his plans and took her instead
| 10 CldIh Mills W nave d Uuot I1e1N'0 VI
her. The sculptor gave her small head
of an Indian and Major Rollins asked her
in jest, if she thought she could make one.
She was so confident that she could that
she was given piece of clay. She took it
home and was so surprisingly successful
that the next day Major Rollins put it on
his desk in the house and explained to his
colleagues the circumstances. Thaddeus
Stevens and John Sherman became so
much interested in the native genius
manifested by the little girl that they I'M
dertook to see that her gifts should be
developed. She was given the use of an
unoccupied room in the capitol and began
modelling portrait busts of leading con-
gressmen and public men, receiving in
struction from Mills and other artists.
Her quick, Industrious fingers soon lined
the walls of her studio with licensees of
Sherman, Stevens, Parson Brownlow,
Governor Yates, father of the present
governor OF Illinois, and others.
About this time she conceived a great
desire to model a bust of Mr.. Lincoln.
When this was first proposed to Mr.. Lin
coin, he declined, saying he was tired Of
sittings and could not understand "why
anyone should want to make picture or