Evening star., 1939-06-23
Bergman to Give Portrait
Of Blackburn to Kentucky
Cortoonst Acknowledges Debt of Gratitude
To Senator Who Cove Him Sturt
By NELSON SHEPARD.

By NELSON SHEPARD.
The story of boys hero worship
and the gracious acknowledgment
of a 54-year debt of gratitude is
linked to a newly-done portrait of
one of Kentucky's former giants of
democracy, Senator Joseph C. S.
Blackburn, which is soon to be given
place of honor in the old State
Capitol at Frankfort.
The portrait is being presented
to the Kentucky State Historical
Society by Clifford K. Bergman,
The Stars cartoonist. as a token of
devotion to the memory of the
famed statesman who brought him
to Washington when he was II
years old and gave him, the first
leg up on his own climb to fame.
A prevue of the portrait was
given yesterday at the Capitol when
Senator Alben w. Barkley, majority
leader of the Senate, dispensed
true Kentucky hospitality at a
Bergman. Present also were Sem
ator Marvel NJ Logan, Junior Sem
ator of Kentucky; Senator Joseph
F. Guffey. Democrat. of Pennsyl-
vania: Col. Edwin A. Halsey, Secre-
tary of the Senate; G.. Gould Lin
coin, political writer of The Star,
and Uric Bell, correspondent of
the Louisville Courier journal
The portrait is the work of
Nicholas r. Brewer, Minneapolis
artist, who has done portraits of
Vice President Garner and many
other notables in Washington. 1t
was painted under the supervision
of Mr.. Bergman, whose recollec-
tions of his boyhood hero and life
long friend are vivid To Senator
Barkley, who also remembers the
| famous Kentuckian, the portrait is
like.
Tie Like Blackburn Wore.
To some of Mr.. Berrymans friends
who have wondered why he still
clings to the old style flowing Wind
sor necktie. the secret is now out.
Its the kind of tie that Senator
Blackburn wore and I've done the
same ever since I've known him."
he replied, pointing proudly to the
portrait. The portrait shows Sena-
tor Blackburn, who died September
IL, 1918, in Washington, at the age
of 80, in the late years of his life.
The portrait brings out the ruddy
complexion of the statesman and
the strong, square jaw which Sena-
tor Barkley said was the most i'm
pressive feature of his appearance
To add familiar touch, the artist
painted in a cane which Senator
Blackburn had presented to Mr..
Bergman years ago.
Mr.. Bergman related yesterday
the circumstances that caused him
! to have the portrait done for presen-
tation to the Historical Society. On
a recent visit to Frankfort he was
chargined to find the face of Sena-
tor Blackburn missing from the hall
OF fame" in the State Capitol. There
were portraits of Henry Clay, and
other famed Kentuckians but none
OF 10" Blackburn, who, to the
cartoonist's mind, was the greatest
Kentuckian of them ALL" He did
flnd small photograph of his boy
hood hero, about four by five inches,
splendid likeness. He came back
to Washington and the artist paint
ed the portrait from the collection Of
photographs in the cartoonist's file,
with suggestions from Mr.. Bergman
1t caused Senator Guffey to re-
mark that Mr.. Berryman's remem-
brance of a little service done so
many years ago was "the truest and
sincerest act of appreciation I've
ever known in all my years of politi-
cal life"
Portrait of Bergman.
A portrait of Mr.. Bergman, bv
the same artist, is to be presented
later to the Kentucky Historical
Society by Mrs. Bergman for the
State capitol.
At yesterdays luncheon the Ken
tuckians reminisced about politics
of by-gone years and of Senator
Blackburn in particular. Senator
Barkley recalled his first sight of
the statesman in the free silver
campaign of 1896.
And Mr.. Bergman related, too,
how Senator Blackburn had brought
him to Washington more than half
century ago. One day the Senator
called at the Office of Mr.. Berry
mans uncle in Versailles, KY, and
saw on the desk drawing of him
self pasted on the lid of a cigar box,
cut out and mounted so it would
stand up.
Where did you get that statue of
me, Ed?" asked the Senator
"One of Jim's boys made It," Uncle
Ed replied.
Where is he now?" asked the
great man.
Down on the Kentucky River on
| their farm"