The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-24
BBYAH'S SON-IE-LAW.
Comes to Topeka for Commission to
Paint Hoch's Portrait.

81 must have sat down on it,
The man who spoke was gazing s9r-
rowfuily at a badly discolored thurab.
He had just completed a highly excit-
ing slide down the slippery east steps
Of the state capitol building
Great weather you have here in
Kansas he added. 1T was a good
thing / was well upholstered, wasn't
it2 might have smashed some Of
those stone steps.
The man who talked was W. II.
Leavitt, painter and sculptor. who -lad
just been In to call upon Governor
Hoch TO make arrangements for paint
Ing big portrait OF the governor
1T Is proper to refer to Mr.. Leavitt
first as a painter and sculptor out
possibly he did one thing during his
life that has I'd to this time brought
him more fame than his art He mar
seied Ruth Bryan, daughter of w. J.
Bryan And 1T may be remarked right
here that Mr. Bryan has no reason to
be dissatisfied with his daughters
choice.
81 suppose you've seen pictures of
me" said MI Leavitt, who proved that
he was good man to Interview, even
when introduced to his interviewer by
e slide down flight of 40 icy stems.
'sThey have made me baldheaded, wi b
bags under my eyes. I nave been DC
Hcribed as a small insignificant look
ing man about so years old, besides
being Of bad moral character ana very
dfssipated Mrs. DeaVitt and / have
a big scrap book fun of that sort ct
As matter of fact Mr.. W. r.
T,eavitt is built a good deal on the plan
Of william Allen White whom he re-
sem bles in face and voice as well as M
figure. He is taller than White ana
Younger looking. And he doesn't look
dissipated. He is as he remarked
He "a 90 kOffnu7 of the
capitol steps. well upholstered
III am on my way to Florida" said
1lr I4eavitt. i'm explaining his visit TO
Topeka. ''I have been doing some
work out i'm Denver. Now I am to
uaint the portrait OF Governor NapO-
leon 3. Broward of Florida have
recently completed some work down IN
New Orleans. L suppose I should reg
lister United States. haven't any
very fixed home. We thought we lived
in New Orleans until ] went to Den
yer. and have been living there since.
Mrs Leavitt is not with me on this
trip. The doctor thought It would be
better for the baby who is teething, to
stay up north"
And then Mr.. Leavitt started to talk
ing about his babies. He has two
Ruth. aged rs months. and Braddeld
BRYAN Ieavitt. aged 8 months. Mr.
Leavitt was asked for picture of him
self He responded by offering to give
the state Journal a oh ctOgraph of his
babies 81 never carry pictures OF my
self with me-" he said. but I have
picture of the babies, taken just a few
days ago. You can't have that
"But how do YOU happen to be stop
ping here in Topeka ?" was asked.
az came here to talk to Governor
Hoch about painting his portrait" said
Mr.. Leavitt- IT met him out in Denver
some time ago, and he asked me at
that time to call and see him about it,
and he talked to me today as though
he was very favorably impressed with
the idea. He very kindly escorted me
through the state house, and showed
me the senate chamber. That is one
OF the handsomest rooms in the United
States But ] must say that the pic
lures of ex-governors which hang on
the walls of the executive Office are
pretty bad The state ought to have
big oil paintings Of all of its governors,
instead of those cheap crayons and
photographs"
On his way back from Florida ia
about fortnight Mr.. Leavitt viii stop
fn Topeka. and viii likely begin work
on Governor HOch's portrait. The gov
ernor IS very favorably impressed with
the plan.
yes, he said today, II think I will
let Mr. Leavitt paint my portrait, if he
desires. 1t viii be a full length, life
size portrait if it is made"
Mr.. Leavitt IS native of Boston. but
be spent / o years in Paris and the con-
tinent studying art.