ke ▁in ▁the ▁Blue ▁R idge ▁and ▁App al ach ian ▁mountains , ▁down ▁to ▁Natural ▁Bridge ▁and ▁Rock bridge ▁County , ▁Virginia ▁and ▁back ▁up ▁through ▁the ▁Sh en ando ah ▁Valley , ▁which ▁changed ▁his ▁out look ▁on ▁life . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 7 – 3 8 , ▁on ▁the ▁recommendation ▁of ▁Win chester ' s ▁John ▁G ads by ▁Chap man , ▁St ro ther ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁to ▁study ▁painting ▁under ▁Samuel ▁F . ▁B . ▁Mor se , ▁who ▁later ▁became ▁more ▁famous ▁for ▁invent ing ▁the ▁te legraph . ▁St ro ther ▁tra ve led ▁along ▁the ▁Ohio ▁River ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁Mid west ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 8 – 1 8 3 9 ▁( vis iting ▁c ous ins ▁in ▁Louis ville , ▁Kentucky ▁and ▁St . ▁Louis , ▁Missouri ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁painting ▁various ▁port ra its ▁in ▁Indiana ▁and ▁Illinois ). ▁ ▁Having ▁raised ▁some ▁money ▁s elling ▁port ra its , ▁and ▁his ▁father ▁also ▁having ▁borrow ed ▁money ▁for ▁the ▁study ▁trip , ▁St ro ther ▁emb ark ed ▁for ▁Europe ▁in ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 8 3 9 , ▁travel ing ▁as ▁a ▁student ▁and ▁artist ▁rather ▁than ▁an ▁arist ocrat . ▁After ▁briefly ▁visit ing ▁England ▁and ▁sp ending ▁more ▁time ▁in ▁France ▁( w it ness ing ▁Napoleon ' s ▁fun eral ▁in ▁Paris ), ▁he ▁completed ▁an ▁Italian ▁it iner ary ▁Chap man ▁had ▁recommended . ▁He ▁also ▁learned