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USCATINE JOURNAL, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, [[?]]

IS A GREAT GENIUS
George Grey Barnard and His Magnificent Accomplishments.
RECALLING DAYS IN MUSCATINE.

Interviewed by A.W. Lee, of the Ottumwa Courier -- How the Excellency of This Artist Has Been Attained by Great Labor. 

The following is from the pen of Editor and Publisher A. W. Lee, of the Ottumwa Courier, who, on a recent visit in New York city, made a friendly call on George Grey Barnard, the great sculptor and artist, and tells graphically of the work of Muscatine's pride:

Dear Courier: I shall always regard last Monday evening as spent by me in the city of New York, one of the most interesting of my life. On the day previous I sent my card to George Grey Barnard, whose astonishing genius has brought him recognition as the greatest sculptor that America has produced, and received in reply an invitation to call Monday evening at his handsome apartments at 936 West End avenue, corner of 106th street. I did so, arriving a little after 8 o'clock, and was received by Mr. Barnard in the most cordial and charmingly unaffected manner. The time passed so rapidly in conversation of rare interest and pleasure to me, that it seemed but a few moments until 10:30, when I arose to take my leave. Mr. Barnard detained me, saying that the hour was still early for New York. I required no urging, and when I finally said "good night," it was midnight. 

And thereby hangs a tale of surpassing interest -- a story of success, of achievement, of all but insurmountable difficulties overcome, of the development of genius, of the unlimited possibilities before America, boys and girls, of courage, hope, ambition, of the working out of destiny, of the development of the God-given powers within us, that is all truth, and yet truth stranger than any fiction within the ken of the writer.

More than twenty years ago George barnard and "Fred" Lee were boys together, living at Muscatine, Iowa. The latter was local reporter on the Muscatine Journal, and was five years the senior of young Barnard, who, as I now distinctly recall, belonged to a younger set, whom "our" crowd was disposed to refer to as "the youngsters." Young Barnard, then about 15 years of age, was apprenticed to a jeweler, and I can now readily recall his picture as he sat at the jeweler's work table, industriously cleaning and repairing watches and clocks. One morning, as I well remember, Rev. J. H. Barnard, the then Presbyterian minister at Muscatine, came into the Journal office, and addressing the writer, said: 

"Here is a little piece of work done by my son George, which I think is quite interesting." 

It was an etching of a bird done on copper, by the use of ordinary jewelers' engraving tools. I, too, thought it was interesting, and as a newspaper reporter, I was quick to write and publish a local news item about this production. This item, written by myself, and published in the Muscatine Journal, was the first public mention ever made of the budding genius, which has since grown and developed until its possessor is to-day regarded as one of the world's masters in art. This and similar mention of other [[things?]] of an artistic nature, produced by young Barnard, aroused considerable local interest, and he was encouraged a few months later to enter upon a course of art study. This industrious jeweler's apprentice thereupon left Muscatine, which place he has never since re-visited. He went to Chicago for a year, and then to Paris for over twelve years of study and work, and during all the period that has since passed, he and the writer had not met until last Monday  

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now Mr. Barnard said he found some newspapers and periodicals, in their notices of his own life and work, disposed to picture him as a boyhood prodigy, which he always deprecated. Then he added: "You know, Mr. Lee, how untrue this is. As a boy you know that I was not different from other boys. It is true that I always loved nature. I liked to be in the fields and the woods, but other boys were the same in this respect. I remember very distinctly how I disliked the study of grammar, while I detested algebra; and yet afterwards in Paris when I found that it [[was?]] necessary for me to master the subject of architecture, I delved into the hardest algebraic and geometric problems with delight." 

"Genius," said Mr. Barnard, "is made up almost entirely of three things:
1. Love of work.
2. Work.
3. Right conditions." 

"There is in almost every intelligent boy and girl a bent in some direction -- something which they love to do. This tendency should be encouraged and developed, and the life work of the child directed along the lines of what i loves to do. This, properly followed up, will lead to the highest possible attainments on the part of each one, in conformity with their natural endowments. Given love of work, then in the natural process of the development of genius, comes work. "And by this," said Mr. Barnard, "I mean such work as the average American boy and girl, and the students in our colleges have no conception of. During my first three and a half years of study in Paris, I began my work at 5 o'clock in the morning. At 6 o'clock I took a light breakfast, and then walked so as to save street car fare, three and a half miles to the art school. Promptly at 7 work began there and continued without intermission till 11 o'clock. At 11 o'clock I went to another department and worked till 12, or 12:15. Then I went to lunch, provided I had the means with which to pay for it. There were days upon days when I took no account of the lunch hour. At 1 o'clock work began again and continued without intermission until 6 o'clock. Then a light supper, and a walk of a mile and a half to another school, where work began at 7 o'clock and continued till 10 p. m. Then I returned to my room, and from 11 to midnight, devoted myself to the study of architecture. At midnight I went to bed to rise at 5 o'clock in the morning, to go through again the same program of study and work that I had the day previous. This I did every week for three and a half years, during which my total expenses were just $700." 

Mr. Barnard went on to say that it was this kind of work, this intense application in the teens and throughout the twenties that made the artist, or brought the highest attainments in any line. The "twenties" were precious years in every life; if they are wasted the best opportunities are forever lost. 

"All this," said Mr. Barnard, "shows the necessity of surrounding the student with the right conditions for study and incentive to work. It would have been impossible for me to have done the work that I did do anywhere else but in Paris. The French government protects the arts, and encourages the development of genius. In every department or province of France, there are officials whose duty it is to take cognizance of those children, or young people, who show special abilities along artistic lines. Scholarships are provided for those who win in competitive examinations. These scholarships furnish means to send the students to Paris, so that there are gathered the brightest minds of the youth of all France. All are striving to win the highest attainments, which in France bring sure recognition and reward. There is an inspiration to effort and work which, for the ambitious student, is irresistible. Yes, the right conditions for study and the acquirement of knowledge, are essential to the highest success. 

"I will cite you a personal instance. You remember ----------, who lived in Muscatine when you and I were there. I feel to-day that a great artist was 

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ah! there are tears to shed when we let memory run back over the years." "Do you know," said Mr. Barnard, "I feel that faith in the future life is what really makes life worth living. Surely we all have some belief in the life hereafter. Even Mr. Ingersoll would not deny to me that he held such a faith."

Then in a lighter strain Mr. Barnard said: "Do you remember -------? She was a pretty girl and has been happily married these many years. Married one of my best friends among the Muscatine boys. [[I will?]] tell you a secret. She and I were engaged [[?]] were both at the ripe age of 15), and to the best of my knowledge, he concluded with a merry laugh, "that engagement has never been broken to this day." Thus with infinite charm the conversation ran on, until the wee sma' hours, touching now upon art, philosophy, religion, personal recollections and boyhood memories. A more delightful conversationalist I never met. Mr. Barnard has entirely emerged from the atmosphere of mysticism into which he plunged during his early years in Paris. He has a charming wife, a beautiful little four-year-old daughter and an ideal home life. The eminence upon which he stands as an artist has not eliminated the man. Mr. Barnard is a splendid specimen of noble, Christian American manhood and patriotic citizenship.

Success and Recognition.

Success and recognition came at last to the struggling young art student in Paris. This recognition would have come years before had not Mr. Barnard held the matter in check by refusing again and again the appeals made to him to exhibit his works at the salon. Finally he consented and recognition and fame were instantaneous. But while the exhibition was still in progress, and all cultured Paris was opening her doors to him as a social lion, he sailed for America, and built his studio on the banks of the Hudson in upper New York. 

A True American.

Said Mr. Barnard, "I returned to America purely through a spirit of patriotism. I am confident the financial results would have been greater in Europe, but I love my country, and whatever I possessed of genius I desired to contribute to American art, and yet there have been great discouragements. The political methods in vogue in America are not calculated to produce enduring works of art. I have refused $70,000 in orders for public works because I would not become an artistic hack and agree to turn out a certain amount of work within a given time, regardless of the interest of true art. During those years of study and work in Paris, I produced, and then destroyed, not less than sixty statues, many of which would undoubtedly be of considerable value now. There were periods of discouragement and depression, even during the production of the 'Two Natures,' when I could easily have destroyed the whole thing. The expression of true art is an enduring as time. It is too sacred to be given over to a mere matter of bread and butter making." 

Mr. Barnard unquestionably feels that the great work of his life is still before him. 

Mr. Barnard stated that his statue of "The Two Natures" was first suggested to him by seeing in every art gallery, statues portraying victory all in a nearly similar manner. There was the figure exultingly waving aloft a wreath of emblem, with a clearly indicated desire to proclaim to the world, "Here I am. See me. I am victorious. I have won." 

"The truth is," said Mr. Barnard, "men who succeed do not go up onto the housetops to call out to the world, in a loud voice, 'Look at me. We are the victors.' The truly great only see in what they have already done, the vast possibility beyond. They realize how little of the great all in all of infinite possibility they have yet touched or penetrated. The struggle which has brought them thus far, has but just begun. There is no ending, no completion, no limitation."

The Conclusion. 

I asked Mr. Barnard if there was anything in his early life in Iowa that 

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