New-York tribune., 1903-05-02

she car platform. He was SO insistent the en-
ployes Of the building say, that Kerr opened the
door. Mr Champney had some plateholders
under his arm, and he slid down backward
from the elevator. trying to obtain a foothod on
the fourth floor landing. In some way he
slipped and fell down the shaft The crash as
his body struck the basement was heard ali
through the building
Kerr shouted and other employees went 70
the basement, where the body lay hfeless
Policemen of the Tenderloin station investigated
and decided that the elevator boy was in no
way 20 blame for the accident.
Mr. Champney lived in the Manhattan Build
fng. at No. sc Fifth-ave-, with his wife, where
1lis studio was. Mr.. and Mrs. Champney had
their passage engaged for Europe in the early
part of July, intending to pursue their custom
of spending the latter part Of the summer and
early winter in France.
Mrs Chan1pney after the first shock showed
Tenlarka be fortitude. and gave directions about
the disposition of thu body
We were very happy together" she said
'OUr married life has probably been much hap
yier than that of most people. He was one of the
most beautiful and IoY2be men in the world
His life was just like his work.
Mrs. Champney stood IL the middle Of the
studio, walled about with the pictures her hus-
hand had been working on up TO the time he left
the house the journey which proved fatal,
A large portrait in oil OF Mr.. Fargo. president
Of the Wels-Fargo Express Company. stood
IN the foreground and beside it was pastel
of a girl
He hurried to finish these. said Mrs. Champ
sey, so that We might go abroad in July
James Wells Champney born in Boston
on July l6, 1S43- He began his art education
with a wood engraver in Boston: studied in
Europe under Edouard Frere, Paris and at
Antwerp Academy. from 1S6S TO 1863 In 1889
he was made associate member of the National
Academy, and also member of the American
Water Color Society. Since 1883 he had painted
the pastel portraits OF many we'll known persons
and had been an exhibitor of oil paintings at the
Philadelphia Centennial In 1876, and pastels at
the Worlds Fair in Chicago.
AT knoediers art gallery Mr. Champney had
three types OF the American Girl exhibition
rhis month. THE College Girl was depicted
by portrait of Miss Louise Van Anden. daugh-
ter Of w. n. Van Anden Of Brooklyn, Vassar
girl Portrait No. is entitled "A la MarQuise."
from the Bal Poudre." and is Miss Goodridge
daughter OF Mr.. and Mrs. Frederick Goodridge
Of Manhattan She wears, in the portrait the
gown in which she appeared at the Bradley
Martin bail, fluffy frock of salmon pink. The
Modern Nereid,'' the third portrait. is six
Ieen-y -year-old schoolgirl Of the Pratt Institute.
1t was more by accident than design that Mr..
thanpney became pastel painter. In the
earlier days of his work one of his pupils made
inquiries about the art which he could not
answer IN way that was satisfactory 10 him
self he began TO experiment, and his work
tinued ii.
Mr. Champney was an enthusiastic photog-
Tapher, and. when not at the club or theatre
With his wife, used to spend his evenings de-
rsoping photographs He had an interesting
form Of bookkeeping. He used 10 keep his ac-
counts in a notebook and with each entry would
paste miniature photograph of the pictures
with pen comments on it. One Of Mr.. Champ
ney's sayings was:
The life Of an artist is pleasant. There is
one thing about it, if an artist was million
aire he could only do for pleasure what he does
under other circumstances a q business"
he a member of the Century Association,
National Academy Of Design. Camera Club,
Players, Twilight Club. Metropolitan Museum
of Art, and American Fine Arts Society.
Besides his widow, son, Frederick E. Champ
ney, and daughter, Mrs. John Humphreys,
survive the artist.
[nr tod no r1-7aY aF4 4Ra
last night and locked up in the West Thirtieth-
81. station.