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Tuesday May 22. 1883. A rainy day. Downing and I went over to my studio which we cleaned and put in order. I made a sketch of Downing in raw umber and white. The wind has been from the north and a great deal of rain has fallen and we have kept up a fire all day.

Wednesday 23. Painted in the forenoon on Downings portrait and went to N.Y. by the noon train taking a box of apple blossoms and lilacs to Mary. In the evening attended a meeting of the managers of the Art Union at the Century. We barely had a quorum. Perry, Wood, Beard, Eastman Johnson, myself & Beirstadt arranged for the issuing of stock and for the management of affairs until fall and adjourned sine die.

Thursday 24 - 1883 A most glorious day for the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge. A fine breeze from the N.W. and a delightful temperature. Went up and saw Dr. Joslin who is going to give up his profession and retire to the country. He looks like an old man but is really younger than I am. I paid him the balance of his bill for attendance on dear Gertrude which he has not wanted before and I paid him full interest on it, of my own free will and which he did not exact. I did it as my duty to her dear memory. Then I went and saw Dr. Hurst about my eyes which have troubled me a little by a sort of chalky formation in one of them. At 11 o'clock by appointment I joined Calvert at his office in the Bible house where we took the elevated road to the N.Y. entrance of the bridge. No one was admitted so we went down and took the Wall St. Ferry and walked up to the Brooklyn City Hall. The city looked gay with flags and decorations and throngs of people. We were told there to go to the bridge entrance to secure our passes which we did. The gates were not open when we reached there but we waited in the crowd and soon were let in with the flood. We secured seats in the building on the bridge where the speeches were to be delivered but were soon ordered below by a policeman. We did not regret this though we afterwards learned we were in our proper place. We walked halfway over on the East roadway and crossed to the next carriage drive where we saw the President with the N.Y. procession arrive and the salute of the War vessels lying below. The piers, boats and roofs were crowded with spectators and a gala air enveloped the two cities. Then we walked over to N.Y. and got lunch and afterwards returned and walked over to

Transcription Notes:
adjourned sine die - adjourned without any future meeting date set ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-03-25 19:27:34