Viewing page 227 of 316
This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
215 [[clipping]] THE CENTRAL PARK PLAN. MR. CALVERT VAUX´S PART IN IT. To the Editor of the Tribune. Sir: I have waited a sufficiently long time to allow of Mr. Olmsted´s disavowal of the greedy misrepresentations made in his behalf by Mr. E. L. Godkin, in regard to the authorship of the designs for the Central and Brooklyn Parks, of which I am the author in every respect, equally with Mr. Olmsted. Consider the case for a moment. Twenty years ago, by taking the first name in our professional partnership relation he became more especially the trustee of our joint artistic property, the Central Park plan, to the conception and execution of which I have devoted the very heart of my life. My efforts during that period toward making the Park what it is are well known to our citizens. I have been throughout loyal to Mr. Olmsted under the most trying circumstances. His representative, Mr. E. L. Godkin, who knowns all the circumstances of the case, has now the repulsively bad faith to step forward publicly and administer our joint estate: To F. L. Olmsted, everything; to C. Vaux, the cut direct. I call for another administrator. Respectfully, C. VAUX. New York, Feb.18, 1878 [[/clipping]] [[clipping]] THE CENTRAL PARK PLAN. THE CENTRAL PARK PLAN. MR. GODKIN REPLIES TO MR. VAUX. To the Editor of The Tribune. SIR: Allow me to say, in reply to Mr. Vaux's note in your issue of to-day, that my letters relating to Mr. Olmsted's dismissal were written after he had left the country, and that he neither suggested nor inspired them, and is in no way responsible for them. I have had no communication with him on the subject. If they have done any injustice to Mr. Vaux, I have no doubt he will correct it whenever he has an opportunity. I believe a friend here has sent him one of them, but his family refrain from troubling him with business matters, as he has gone abroad for his health. About the affairs of the firm of Olmsted & Vaux, and Mr. Vaux's trials of any description, I know nothing, and never have known anything, and have no more to do with their "joint estate" than you have. I have never until now received any intimation from Mr. Vaux that he felt aggrieved by anything I had said, though my letter appeared on the 11th of January, and I have met him three or four times since them. Had he complained to me, I would, of course, have done everything in my power to set him right if I had wronged him. I am very sorry to have caused him any pain or annoyance, and should probably have had no difficulty, if requested to do so with ordinary civility, in conceding to him all the credit he claims. In writing of Mr. Olmsted´s share in making the park, I was contending for his restoration to a position to which he only had any recognizable claim, and I felt that to have entered on a detailed distribution of the honors of the design would have confused the issue before the public mind. But the language of Mr. Vaux's letter seems to indicate that in his present state of mind explanation or discussion would be wasted on him. I remain, very truly yours. E. L. GODKIN. New-York, Feb. 19, 1878. [[/clipping]] about. Armstrong came to see me a little worried about a note I wrote Pinchot but I made an explanation which was satisfactory. Dined at Pinchots with Whittredge who is not feeling very pleasantly towards me. We were a little reserved during the dinner but I feel that he was unjust to me while irritated and am not inclined to make any further advances than I already have. Tonight was the reception at Johnsons the Encyclopedia man. I concluded not to go as I did not feel well and the 1400 invitations appalled me. I had a letter from Gertrude this morning. My father is apparently no better and I am very anxious about him. I wrote her tonight. Booth came in for a little while but I did nothing to the Richard as he had only an hour. Thursday Feb. 21. 1878. Made another little study this forenoon for my picture. I smeared the board with the richest reds and oranges I could make with Lake, vermillion and cadmium with my brush dipped in copal varnish and into this I painted and plastered with my palette knife. The result was very rich and harmonious color and I am going to
Transcription Notes:
reopened to correct a misspelling in the transcription of the first letter
