It brought only $25,000, which was a small sum compared to what he owed, so he had another object in staying on the other side of the water: a quite lively chance of the Debtors' Prison! Apropos of this, there is one rather human little tale which is comforting to read, dropped down, as it is, in the middle of so wildly brilliant a career, so colossally disastrous a destiny.
While Burr was living at Richmond Hill, he was often obliged to take coach journeys to outside points.

One day he was on his way home from Albany and stopped at a roadhouse at Kingston.

While he was eating and drinking and the horses were being changed, he saw a drawing which interested him.

He asked to see more by the same artist, for he had a keen appreciation of skill in all lines.
This and the other sketches shown him were the work of a young fellow called John Vanderlyn, who shortly was summoned to meet the great Burr.

The lad was apprenticed to a wagon-maker, and had absolutely no prospects nor any hope of cultivating his undoubted talent.