Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-02-09

!, Ito his hind feet. He staked his reputa
) tation on that principle, and has, contrary
to the predictions of the learned and sci
entife, triumphed. Fgss
The model finished, the next thing to
be done was casting the statue. Mills
had no foundery. He sent to the differ
: ent large founderies of Pennsylvania and
other places, and was told that such a
work could not be cast in their founderies,
but that one could be built for the pur-
pose for twenty thousand dollars. This
would not do. His contract for the
whole work was only twelve Thousand
dollars, and he, consequently, could not
afford such sum for the casting. What
was he to do? Founders and artists had
said there was no place in America where
such colossal statue could be cast. His
means-his contract-would not enable
him to go to Europe Full of resources
believing as Mirabau said to his secretary,
''that nothing is impossible" AMI as
the Marseillaise said q to- Kossuth,
''that nothing was impossible to him who
wills, Mr.. Mills builta foundery him
self. With limited means, and in small,
miserable shanty he built foundery up
on a nero principle, without chimney,
smoke stack. or draft of any kind-an in
vention of his own, and cast his colossal
statue What is not the human mind
equal to, when conscious of its power and
pressed by difficulties? Of this foundery,
as we'll as of balancing the statue, scienti-
fc men had said it was contrary to expe;
rience and to all the known rules of sci
enee. How could sufficient heat be gene
nerated to melt such a mass of metal
without draught? I? He proved by an
experiment that it could be done. With
three-eights of cord of wood he melted
cast four bells. He confined the caloric,
and found that with comparatively little
fuel, and in very small space, he could
generate the most intense heat. He found
also, that he had increased the hardness,
and therefore improved the quality of the
metal by his furnace. He informed the
government of his discovery, thinking it
would be very important to the manufac-
ture of cannon. He proposed to cast a
cannon, and have it tested by board OF
competent officers. The board of ord
nance treated his proposition with neg
lect and doubt. They said :" Mr.. Mills
was not a founder, and they could not en-
tertain such a proposition from him.
Such are the difficulties which beset poor
men of genius and merit. Mills, not,
withstanding, had succeeded thus far
He had made his model and his founde-
ry.
Mr.. Mills was no founder; he had pro-
we'd himself to be an artist by nature, and
Il man of great inventive genius but the
practical business of casting he had yet to
learn. He could find numbers of work
men capable of casting things in the ordi-
nary way, or any small piece. He could
find no one who understood casting SO
large mass as his statue, which required
so much skill and precision. He trusted
in himself he took from the street ordi-
nary laborers, and as he instructed him
self he directed them. He did nothing
rashly; he made himself we'll acquainted
with the principles and practice of cast
ing metals. 1t was impossible, however,
to foresee everything, His idea of doing
the work was correct, but his experience
was insufficient. The sides of the horse
were to be cast whole. These were large
pieces, to be cast by such means as he
had at his command. He failed several
times by unforeseen accidents, in produ-
cling perfect casts. He was determined
to have the whole perfect, and at great
expense and loss of time, he continued to
recast, until, in the month of October,
1859, he finished the casting all complete.
When. we consider the length of time
such works take in their execution in Eu-
rope, varying from five TO twenty years,
and the many casts which are often made
there before perfect one can be obtain
cd, we must be surprised that Mr.. Mills
has succeeded so well, and performed his
work in so short time. From the month
of October to the eighth of January fol
lowing, the day on which the statue was
inaugurated-that is-in less than three
months-Mr. Mills put the statue toge-
ther, and placed it on its pedestal.
The design of the pedestal and its con-
struction was left to the artist. The five
thousand dollars appropriated by Congress
for that purpose, was placed at his dispo-
sal. Had the appropriation been larger,
: and the time not SO limited, he would
have made more imposing structure
1t is, however, plain, handsome white
marble base for the group. The cap
stone alone, weighs about eighteen tons.
The entire height of the pedestal and
mound is about fourteen feet.
i During the progress of the work, and
especially while be was making unsuc-
cessfui castings, Mr.. Mills had to encoun-
ter the seepticisms of the world. Who
can appreciate his difficulties and mental
sufferings. "I have been ready" he
) says. to throw myself in the Potomac. -
! None but man of unconquerable will
and perseverance could have overcome
such obstacles. He had spent all his
means-the twelve thousand dollars oi
, his contract-and had not finished the
; casting of the statue. The world said he
would never do it. Where could he