Old Water Works Painting
Old Water Works
Mrs. F. A. Berger is Painting a Picture from a Photograph
Mrs. T. A. Berger, who is attending the Chicago Art Institute, is now painting a picture of the Missoula water works in 1863. As an historical painting the picture will attract considerable attention when it arrives in Missoula.
The photograph from which Mrs. Berger is painting was taken in 1863, when Indian Sam, with a burro hitched to a small wagon, was hauling two barrels of water into town for distribution among the settlers.
The wagon used by the water works company was “home made,” the wheel being blocks of wood sawed off a large saw log. In the picture Sam’s 10-year-old boy is leading the burro, while the head of the firm walked along beside the low wagon, with his hands on the barrels to keep them from tipping.
Mrs. Berger has been at the Chicago institute for three years and will finish her course next year. This year she was awarded first honors in antique in a class of 150 students.
The above article appeared in the Semi-Weekly Missoulian on July 10th, 1903.