The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-07-08
4 aREAr AMERIcAN ARrIsr.
John Elliott Combines Qualities Of tbs
Dreamer and the Man Of Affairs.

OitAmct ana Tue man OF hnAils.
Given nearly three hundred square
feet Of blank wall space, and il takes
something Of on artist 10 an it up with
Interesting paint Probably you would
not pick a miniature painter for the
task Yet curiouslY, John Elliott. ere.
ator Of aDiana of the Tides the great
mural painting which ad0fns the large
gallery to the right Of tho entrance OF
the new national museum at Washing.
ton, also paints on ivory lie works.
likewise. in silver point, that delicate
and difficult mediumi he draws pastel
Illustrations for chlldrens fairy tales;
be works IN portraiiure with red chalk
Of oils And, when The need comes, he
has shown that he elm turn stevedore.
carpenter and architect, 20 slave with
the relief party at AIessina. finally 60
help design and build. in four months,
an entire village for the stricken suf-
ferers. including hotel, hospital,
three scnoolhouses and q church. The
too frequent scorn of the practical man
Lac ahairN for the artist and dreamer.
the worlds sneakine tolerance for the
Temperament which creates in forms Of
ideal beauty rather than ia bridges or
factories or banks. finds IN the life and
work Of such a man as John Elliott such
complete, il unconscious, reiutaton, that
his story should nave Is place ia the his.
tory Of the day.
Mr. Elliott receiving his commission
% do q great mural painting for the new
national museum ii Washington. went
to Rome four years ago. sDiana Of the
Tides was completed and signed on
Christmas day, 1908 Three days later
came the awful news OF the Mossina
earthquake and the Hon. Lloyd Griscom,
then American ambassador 10 italy. al
once called for volunteers for hls relief
expedition. John Elliott was among the
first to respond lie went south oaicial.s
~ as interpreter Actually, he played
the part Of steyedore as well for ten
days on the relief ship.
z have dropped my last knuekle down
the hold this morning" he wrote back,
and ! have only two fingers left that
/ can wash"
After a few weeks. He FASTENED back
70 Rome 10 give a promised public exni-
bition of "Diana If the TidesF md. a.
soon as the exhibition was over, rushed
down to Messina again
There Commander Belknap. who was
at the head Of che American relief
forces put him to work d architect on
the erection ~ the American Village, ii
the lemon groves on the outskirts 81
the stricken city Il nad never been
trained as an architect be says, ebat
| once made over house mp ia Cornish.
New Hampshire, aud that gave me
practical experience, which came IN re-
handy
Most Of the lumber bad been cut for
The erection 81 small houses, and The
door and window frames were stock
pieces 4 became lis task 70 design
lHd build, a. quickly As could be done,
not only comfortable houses for many
thousand people but a church, a hotel
three schools. a hospital. al out Of these
small lumber units Tie combined the
lnits for the larger buildings NJ group
ng the small stock window frames DE-
e give q pleasing effect Of size, even I
constructing a kind 81 rose window for
The church. Re helped lay cut the
streets ia sucn q way as TO preserve an +
he trees possible And in spite OF the
laste with which the work had 70 be I
lonet and the sixteen honr.a-day strain I
ssss nsssrrieann en4aresa attgaFtfSe /
md sanitary, " well a. practical WI +
aue. Queen Helena, as soon az the
American village was under way, got T
Mt. Elliott TO 70 over the drafts for
he plans Of the American quarter 70
Ter village near BY working vnem up
tlong the same lines. So. in four months, +
ie designed and sHpefintended the eree-
jon ri houses churches, schools and
hospitals for town Of several thou
sand inhabitants.
Commander Belknap's report spoke Of
him as "the FIRST 10 volunteer, and
tie most devoted worker, sharing every
hardship with unfailing good humor and
leaving his bcautifyiag touch on every
part 81 the work
On June IL, 1908. having built his
town and recovered his lost knuckles,
John Elliott returned 70 Rome, where
Tie soil did not rock. and set quietly
about making tweutF-faur small pastel
drawings to Illustrate fairy story
From building houses for the wretcned
homeless sufferers. he turned to the play
tales of childhood Hhe laid down the
4 square and the hammer for q piece Of
pastel crayou. But be had triumphautlg
refnted the scofn Of the practical man.
for the artist. He had shown the stutf
that dreams are really made q. Incl
dentaIly. he had won for himself dec
Grafton from the king Of Italy and the
medal Of the American Red Cross asso-
ciation. Walter Priehard Eaton in the
July Everybody's.