Jervis McEntee Diaries

Friday February 26, 1886

Jervis McEntee Diary Entry, February 26, 1886, from the Jervis McEntee papers, 1850-1905, in the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

Friday, Feb 26, 1886 Cold as winter again and the wind blowing a gale. At ten o'clock attended Mr Coddingtons funeral at Grace Church. There was a large assemblage and I saw Eastman Johnson, Whittredge and several others whom I knew. Pinchot came to my studio and made me a long visit. He wants Eastman, Weir, Whittredge and me to go to his new home at Milford as soon as it is ready some time in April perhaps. He took a great fancy to my picture of November with the dark sky, near Steep Rocks and would have bought it had I said one word to influence him. He did say at last that if I did not sell it in the Academy I might consider it his at my price $450. This has been the most trying day of the winter, very cold and with a terrific N. W. wind which has blown at the rate of 84 miles an hour. I have thought many times of Sara and my father and wondered how they stood it on that windy height. I went up to Tiffanys Hearth warming in his magnificent new studio at 72nd St & Madison Av. It is a wonderfully interesting place and fairly amazed me by its quaint and varied aspect. Just before I reached there he was obliged to put out his four wood fires in the center of the studio on account of the terrific gale which blew the smoke into the room, which was a great disappointment. There must have been a hundred guests, mostly artists and a few laymen among them Bishop Potter, Arthur Brooks, Stedman, Dr. Tiffany and others. We had delightful music in the early part of the evening, a Herr Bott played the violin with great skill and feeling to a piano accompaniment and there was a fine baritone singer who sang two songs exquisitely. Later the fire was relighted and Stedman and I sat in front of it and had a friendly chat while we ate a salad and drank some champagne. It was a most agreeable and notable occasion and Stedman and I came away together after midnight. The gale howled down the street and we went with it in a cloud of dust to the Third Av. Elevated road. It was intensely cold and I was glad to reach my comfortable room after 1 oclock. A note came from Mrs. Custer asking me if I still cared to go to the 19th Century Club meeting on Wednesday next. Mary had a proscenium box sent her for the American Opera and she, Calvert, Marion, Julia Dillon, Miss Tuckerman and Miss Pierce, who is visiting Julia went. On the 4th Av. car as I went up to Tiffanys two decently dressed men sat opposite me. One of them talked rather loudly and I then observed that they were handcuffed together. They with their attendant got out at the Grand Central depot and went into a liquor salon opposite. I think they were the two Park policeman sentenced to Sing Sing today for 12 years. It was a sad sight.

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