GEORGE CATLIFS INDIAN WORK, HIS LABORS, RESULTS, 



AND OPINIONS. 



MR. CATLIN'S PECUNIARY RESOURCES. 



Mr. Catlin lived and died a poor man. His father educated him, but 

 beyond this was of but small pecuniary aid to him. He lived by his 

 brush and the publication of his writings. He constantly reiterates 

 the statement that he never received any pecuniary aid from societies 

 or governments, national, state, or municipal. 



During his wanderings from 1824 to 1871, he must have painted hun- 

 dreds of portraits. He would leave the Indian country when fall ap- 

 proached and wend his way down stream in his birch-bark canoe to 

 Saint Louis, and sometimes to New Orleans. Selecting a place for 

 winter quarters he would "put out his shingle,' 7 as he used to say (G. 

 Catlin, Artist), and he would be kept busy until the rivers were clear 

 of ice ; save enough money for another trip, and then put out up stream 

 and for the Indians. Not a dollar from any other source, not a cent 

 from the Government. He boasted that he never ate a meal of victuals 

 at expense of Government ; and usually had two native guides under 

 pay who assisted him in his navigation and with his trappings. 



He used to laughingly describe how he would pick out a village for an 

 objective point, reach it, "hang out his shingle," and announce that 

 portraits would be painted for a reasonable price. Soon he would have 

 painted all of the principal people, and then he would select another 

 point, "pull stakes," and repeat his artistic efforts. 



Richard Catlin, of Ripon, Wis., a brother, in 1873, after George's death, 

 however, left hi m a legacy of ten thousand dollars. The exhibition of his 

 museum and gallery were, upon the whole, successful, and at the time of 

 his contemplated return to the United States from England in 1845, he 

 had a competence. His visit to France, 1845 to 1848, led to pecuniary 

 disaster and the loss of his wife and son. In London in 1852 he was 

 wrecked financially, from which he never recov ered. After his South 

 American and west coast of America wanderings from 1852 to 18G1, he 

 lived in Brussels; living on the proceeds of his brush, and creating his 

 cartoon collection. 



MR. CATLIN'S LITERARY LABORS AND THEIR PECUNIARY RESULTS. 



The title of the several works by Mr. Catlin and editions are given in 

 full on subsequent pages herein, the "Bibliography of George Catlin, 



733 



