Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-03-11

trated. II was days before ] could pull
myself together and realize that the thing
had actually happened think the hor-
ror of II may have had the effect of i'm
pressing even more wildly upon me the
personality Of tho martyred president.
The success Of the statue that 7 suisse
quently made was attributed to It's true
ness to the actual Lincoln. MY ability
to produce II was unauestionably due to
those half hours in the quiet of the pres
ident's office. and TO the soaring in of
tho image by the great tragedy"
II must not be supposed that the govern
mental authorities commissioned Miss
Ream to make O statue OF Lincoln with
out competition. On the contrary, ell Of
the great sculptors of that period submit
ted models. The committee, after many
weeks of careful study. decided that the
model offered by the little Ream girl SUR
passed all others, and she was consequent
~ given the commission for the statue,
for which she received $4,000 This en-
abled her to spend several years in Eu-
rope completing her education In art.
Her statue. THE West" has been pre-
scented to hor native state Of Wisconsin.
end is now in the state Capitol at Madi-
son.
Miss Ream was the frs. white child born
III hduleoH-SopteInDef %. 1875. w ncH d
child her father went to Washington to
live. having secured a position there. Sew
erel years later the family moved West
again. and she was educated at Christian
College, Missouri. During the Civil war
the family returned to Washington, and
Miss Ream became a government clerk.
working in the postoffice department She
was only Is at that time, and did not have
the least idea that she possessed any tall
ent Is a sculptor. The discovery of her
artistic talent was purely accidental She
had been asked for photograph of herr
self by the little college in Missouri which
sha had attended, but Major Rollins. a
friend Of the family, thought 1t would be
much nicer to furnish a head OF the girl
modelled in clay. He therefore took her
to the studio of Clark Mills. 1t was the
first time she had seen a sculptor at
work. and it filled her with strange de-
light.
why, | could do that" she laughingiy
exclaimed. "All right, little girl" said
the sculptor, here Is a piece Of clay, see
/ what YOU can do with IT," Much to the
surprise and delight of Mills she produced
| fairly good likeness of him. That was
| the beginning OF her great career. Every
day for the next few years was devoted
| to hard work and study. She still stuck
| to her job in the postoffice department, but
| each afternoon when through work she
would hurry off to the Mills studio, where
she modelled under the instruction OF the
| genial Mills. After supper she would go
| 10 her room and far into the night would
study hooks on anatomy. She worked so
hard that the natural roses faded from
her cheeks, and her little body became
80 thin that she only weighed 30 pounds
| But she had found the real reason for be-
| ing on earth. and her success was most
! marvellous.
| What vast difference there was in her
/ coming to Washington after her trum-
plant years in Europe. She was beautiful
gifted. popular and reigned as leader Of
the social and artistic sets in the city
whore she had spent her grlhood as an
| obscure postal clerk. Then she met the
popular and handsome Lieutenant Rich
ard Hoxie. Of the United States army
! Their wedding. which took place in 1878
was one OF the most brilliant ever staged
| In Washington. President Grant was one
OF the guests, and the bride was given
away by General Sherman. Lieutenant
| Hoxie, according TO the customs Of that
period. felt that a wife's place was in
the home. and that her interests should
center in her husband and society The
young wife quite cheerfully gave up her
art. and for 10 years made home that
was the envy of all Washington.
| But true art is something that cannot
! be cast aside with ease or without cost
sickness took possession Of Winnie Ream
! The physicians told the husband she was
! going TO die. Only live, Vinnie." he
cried. land will give you back your
art" Upon hearing this agonized prom
|
ment she improved in a miraculous man.
; ner. True to his word. the husband re-
! modelled their home at the corner of Sew
enteenth and X streets. Washington. in
such way as to provide q model studio,
where the happy wife worked daily I'M
til her untimely death. November 20, 1914
=, Winnie Ream Hoxie rests in the Nation
nj cemetery al Arlington. over her grave
Is bronze copy Of her statue Of Sappho.
one of the most beautiful of all her
| works.