Page 117 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

REPORT ON THE PICTURE GALLERY. 113

PERCIVAL, possess no particulars; he has long ranked
we
among the prominent men in his profession in this country. As
C. A. JOHNSON, painted the View of the First House in
who
Madison, has not specially devoted himself to landscape paint-
ing, we need only to say that the View in question is creditable
to his artistic taste, and does justice to the truth of history and
nature. Of HEALEY, the Irish artist who painted the original
in
of the Indian chief, WAU-ME-GE-SA-KO, 1839, we have no
knowledge; he seems to have made a tour in the West at that
period; and of Mr. HARRISON, of Fond du Lac, who made the
copy in the Society's possession, it is proper to say, that he has
made a good picture, worthy of a place in our Collection.
VI. ABRAHAM B. ROCKEY, who painted the fine likeness of
STEPHEN TAYLOR, is a native of Mifflinburg, Union county,
Penneylvania, and was left an orphan when about nine months
old. When about fourteen years of age, he was placed by his
guaxdian with a spinning-wheel maker, with a view of learning
the trade; and this man, in a few months; migrated to Stark
county, Ohio, accompanied by young ROCREY, who was encour-
aged to do so by the present of a small rifle. Here some years
were employed in clearing land and farming in summer, making
spinning-wheels in winter, and maple sugar in the spring. At
odd spells, he tried his ingenuity in making drums, fifes, and
toys, by means of which he supplied his pocket with change.
He used his rifle considerably on squirrels, and now and then on
a deer. On one occasion, when out on ran errand, he wished for
his rifle. Passing along what was called the State road, leading
to Cleveland, he heard a pig squeal, and concluded a bear was
killing it; and not' thinking of any danger, young ROCKEY left
the road and ran into the woods, with a thick undergrowth, and
soon mounted a small dog-wood. While looking around at a
distance, he heard a grunt and growl nearly under the sapling
on which he was mounted, and with no small surprise discovered
a large bear with a white spot on its breast, standing on its hind
feet and looking directly at him. Recollecting that he had
heard it remarked that a bear could not climb so small s sapling,
14m