The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-04
GIFTED DAUGHTER
Winnie Ream and Her Brilliant
Career.
Now Wife of Regular Army
Officer.
ALEAVENWORTH GIRL.
President Lincoln Posed for
Her in Washington.
Statue of Martyr President
Made Her Famous.
A LEAVENWORTH GIRL.

Kansas can count among her gifted
daughters Winnie Ream. the famous
American sculptures who modelled the
statues of Lincoln and Farragut in
Washington.
Years ago Winnie Ream lived at Leav-
enworth. She went from there to Wash
ington where Lincoln posed for her. She
was married to Richard L. Hoxie, then
a lieutenant at Fort Leavenworth and
now a major in the engineering corps
of the United States army stationed at
st. Paul. Winnie Ream. in the early
days, was well known to Kansas people.
Mrs. Hoxie has had career that
reads like a romance. and not the least
OF her many delightful gifts is her abili-
ty as a racOnteur- Everyone VINO meets
her is eager to hear of the beginnings
of her art work and of her interesting
experiences with public men brought
about through her two important gov
eminent commissions for the Lincoln
and Farragut statues. These stories are
so interesting, told in Mrs. HOXie's pic
turesque manner. that her friends never3
hear them too often.
For many years Mrs. HOxie gave up
almost entirely the practice of her art
and devoted herself to her home, fam
fly and friends. Before going to St.
Paul she had not had a studio since
finishing her Farragut commission
summer, however. Major Hoxie waved
his objections to her art work and has
consented to her resuming modelling for
pleasure, not for pelf.
AS the residence chosen in St. Paul did
not contain a room adapted to studio
purposes, the artist was at first a little
at a loss. but the resourceruIness Of an
army woman soon solved the difficulty
Her kitchen was altogether out of pro-
portion to the needs of the family and,
as it had first rate light, Mrs Hoxie
decided that portion of 1t should be
partitioned off for studio. This done,
she has begun work on several busts.
Among those already under way are
those Of Alexander Ramsey. first COVER
nor Of the state. John Brisbin Walker
of the Cosmopolitan magazine, and Mr..
Noyes, editor of the Washington Star.
The art career of the first woman to
win a government competition, indeed
the first American woman sculptor to
win name for herself began in the
midst of the civil war while she was at
LeaVenWOrth. Little Miss Ream had
been at a school at Columbia, Mo. After
she went to Washington. the congress-
man from the district. in taking leave
of the president of the college, asked
whether he could do any service for him
in Washington. The president replied
Yes. get me a picture of a little pupil
of mine. of whom 1 am very fond"
On his arrival in Washington Major
Rollins called to ask Mrs. Ream's per-
her daughter. but when he called to
escort the little girl to the photographer.
he had changed his plans and took her
instead to Clark Mills to have a bust
made Of her. The sculptor gave her a
small head of an Indian and Major
Rollins asked her in jest, if she thought
she could make one. She was so conf
dent that she could that she was given
a piece of clay. She took it home and
was so surprisingly successful that the
next day Major Rollins put II on his
desk In the house and explained to his
colleagues the circumstances. Thad
deus Stevens and John Sherman became
so much interested in the native genius
manifested by the little girl that they
undertook 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 congressman and public men.
receiving instruction from Mills and
other artists Her quick, industrious
fingers soon lined the walls of her stu
do with likenesses of Sherman, Stevens,
PaFson BrownlOw, Governor Yates. ia tn
err 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..
Lincoln. he declined, saying he was
tired OF sittings and could not under
stand why anyone should want to make
a picture or statue of so homely man."
When he was told that the artist was a