Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-27
WAS A PUPIL UNDER
JOHANNES SCHEIWE
MET LOCAL ARTIST IN FLORENCE
PASSION FOR ART AWAKENED
BY PICTURES in KINsEY JoR-
DAMS SALOON.

Ills passage from oOScuflty TO prom
fnence-even fame-reads like fairy
lore in the life of David Edstrom, an
Ottumwan, who is now world recog-
nized sculptor, and his rise is due not
to the touch of a fairy's wand, but to
his own very hard efforts, in which Is
seen a persevering will to do things
coupled with a life whose austerity
We'd with that of Capuchin David
Edstrom's education was to degree
secured in the local packing plant and
the old Ruffler works; in one of which
the study of the play of character on
the features of his fellow worlkmen
gave him inspiration, while from the
other he obtained a clay used in their
foundry in order to model figures at
home. Such IS in part the early life
OF this Ottumwa boy who has risen in
the world of art to an eminence that
few today can claim and ranks with
some of the artists of the past who
were considered masters. The bog,
for such he is remembered by his old
tutor, Johannes Scheiwe, Is today the
most talked of and best known sculp-
tor in the European centers of art.
An ottumwa Newsy.
IT was a crap-shooting newsboy in
Ottumwa, Iowa, a factory town and
railroad center. and received my first
art sensation from the pictures in
Stormy Jordan's saloon" said the
sculptor in an interview But. really
the start of the boys taste for art
was a charcoal picture of Mary An
derson which inspired him to draw
JnJ birr, rs ~, ~
Johannes Scheiwe where he was given
ment of which was full of direct hard
ships.
Old Teacher Pleased.
Radiant with pleasure upon learning
of the success of his former pupil
Johannes Scheiwe turned from \
painting Of Cinderella and the
Prince" to which he was adding the
finishing touches and expressed mis-
joy upon hearing of the boy he started
In art. II told him he would have to
leave here and study abroad to bring
out the wonderful talent for art that
he possessed, and especially the sculp
ture, for he expressed his preference
for that branch of art. H asked me-
when he first came TO me as pupil
if would teach him how to do por
trait work from photographs / told
him that was not the art he sought
and found that his talent was above
such work and entered the field of real
art where originality Of the artist is
shown by his works.
Modelled in Clay.
"He had been working at the pack
ing house when he came first to me
He also worked at the cutlery works
that used to be located on Tisdale
street and was employed at the oil
Ruffler company's works on Wes
Main street when he left me to go tc
) school. His education was very poo,
and he had not the average SCHOOLING
that boys of his age at that time had
While working at the Ruffler works
ne would take home some of the blue
Clay which he obtained somewhere II
the plant and practice at sculpture il
his own modest way while at homo
during the evenings. | advised hin
to go to school and to leave here tc
pursue his art as it would be impos
Bible for him to develop his talent il
Ottumwa. He made one attempt be
Heye and got as far as Burlington arc
returned home. The second trip, how
ever, was successful and after ridins
In box cars and other places obout tx
freight trains. finally got to New York
From there believe he shipped AS {
stoker on Danish ship to Copen
hagen.
Il had the great pleasure of meet
Ing him in Florence, Italy during tht
Paris exposition in 1900. We CORE
sponded after he left here, and h,
wrote me to meet him in Florence
which l did, when ne related much 0
his experience since leaving Ottumw:
andi had at that time been quite sue
cessful as a sculptor, being patronizet
by some wealthy patrons of art.''
Parents Buried Here.
David Edstrom, while reared in OF
tumwa was native of Edshalt
Sweden, where he was born in March
1873. His father, also native o
Edshalt, was Rev. ]. p Edstrom.
minister for several years in the Swed