The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-07-30
joke MADE PAINTER FAMOUS
THE SPIRIT OF 80" INTENDED AS \ CARTOON. is NOW IN
EVERY HOME.

work to make a picture to fit the title.
mad hoNhood memories of a country
Fourth of July celebration, in which
the local musicians bore their on
spicious share. There was a three
fingered Dick who tossed his drum
sticks. and varied the beat on the
drumhead by performances on the
chlme. l made him my central figure.
"A 1lfer | had at hand, Hugh Mosh-
or, Il veteran Of the Civil war, who was
accustomed to appear in Washington
Whenever there was a celebration. He
was a picturesque character, and had
in him a fine vine of fun that made
him responsible to my suggestion. To
balance the flies l needed another
drummer. n took q farmer boy,
beating his drum as part of the days
work, too intent on not missing a
stroke TO feel any particular inspira-
ton.
II mad sketch after sketch. pos
cd my characters before the camera
again and again, being assisted in this
Part of the work by the Wellington
photographer. w. T. Sawtelle. 1
worked for weeks oVer this humorous
picture. At times l almost had it. but
Just as | would approach a satisfac-
tory treatment of the theme l would
throw away my sketches and begin
anew.
Meantime the centennial year was
Fastening on. and the exposition at
Philadelphia was about to open. We
had hoped that our photographs
would have Il very wide sale there. I
ielt the need of haste.
MY central character. the old
drummer, was no longer living. He
vas only a memory of my hoyhood. 1
had TO drape his personality round
some other model. At this time my
father. a superannuated minister. was
living With me. He had the tall.
strong figure | needed. and he posed
for me with the drum. But just as l
seemed to be approaching a final plan
my father was taken sick and l saw
that he had not Ions to live.
Then something OF self-condemna-
ton came over me that l had eve
treated this theme as 4 humorous one.
y sudden inspiration came to me.
! saw my models. Harry DevereuX. Il
fine, manly boy, who's" father wa my
in a new light. l saw them in mag
nation on the battlefield. l had seen
such mon there. l looked into my ia
theirs face. and the lines of the COM
monrlaee faded out, and instead 1
saw the grand old man. whose soldier
spirit had been with him in the years
Of his privation and self-denial. 1
cav t1uSil NOSIST as | Q1Q seen Suc1
men in battle.
The whole idea took on new sig
niicance. l tied a handaee round the
head of Hugh Mosher. I put his own
fine manly boyhood into Harry Dever-
euX. And into the old drummer I put
as | saw it the dignity and fortitude
and moral heroism of my father. And
how had to work hard and fast, di-
ridins my time. watching nights with
my father, and painting by day. My
father did not live ~ see the result,
7 ut I finished the painting under the
inspiration of his character as / saw
ii in those anxious days.
We sold the photographs as We had
planned. The Centennial at Philadel-
rlnia Kept the printing frames in Mr..
Ryder's gallery bus. But this was
not the real triumph. The painting
itself was sent for and exhibited at
the exposition. 1t was a life-size can-
vas. and hung on tha line. and crowds
%thronsed il a after day.
Hugh Mosher attended the Gem
,~tennial exposition and he was reco9-
nized at once. 1t made him a local
hero. and he lived and died with more
of honor in his own community by
treason of it. Harry Devereux. too,
saw it. and his father bought it and
placed it in Abbot Hall of his native
town of M~arblehead. But my father
never saw the completion of the work
which his character inspired.