▁to ▁his ▁surprise ▁that ▁his ▁father ▁had ▁forward ed ▁his ▁am using ▁letters ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁Mart ins burg ▁Gazette , ▁where ▁they ▁acquired ▁a ▁devoted ▁following . ▁St ro ther ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 8 4 3 , ▁unable ▁to ▁continue ▁to ▁Greece ▁and ▁Turkey ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁father ' s ▁financial ▁revers es ▁and ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁work ▁for ▁exp atri ate ▁Americans ▁in ▁Europe . ▁ ▁His ▁father ▁re built ▁the ▁family ' s ▁hotel ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 4 – 4 6 , ▁so ▁it ▁could ▁serve ▁ 3 0 0 – 4 0 0 ▁guests , ▁including ▁artists ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁polit icians ▁and ▁society ▁people ▁who ▁could ▁travel ▁to ▁Ber keley ▁Spr ings ▁on ▁the ▁Baltimore ▁and ▁Ohio ▁Rail road ▁( which ▁reached ▁C umber land , ▁Maryland ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 4 ). ▁David ▁St ro ther ▁owned ▁a ▁c ott age ▁at ▁Ber keley ▁Spr ings ▁and ▁assist ed ▁at ▁the ▁fashion able ▁hotel ▁during ▁the ▁summer ▁season , ▁but ▁tra ve led ▁in ▁the ▁off - season . ▁At ▁first ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁Baltimore , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁sell ▁some ▁paint ings ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁his ▁cousin ▁John ▁P end leton ▁Kennedy . ▁St ro ther ▁continued ▁to ▁draw ▁and ▁paint ▁port ra its , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 8 4 5 ▁went ▁to ▁New ▁York , ▁where ▁he ▁learned ▁wood cut ▁illustr ation ▁under ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁John