Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-08-01
A New Statue in Lower, N1ass.,

A brilliant Fourth of July celebration,
in Lowell, Massachusetts, was made mem
orable by the dedication, in Monument
Square, of an allegorical bronze statue of
Victory, recently presented to the city by
its distinguished resident, DR.. j. c.. Aver,
she chemist. The figure is that of a draped
female, borne on the wings of triumph,
holding in her right hand the laurel wreath
of victory, and ~ her left the harvest sheaf
of plenty. 1t stands upon granite pedes-
tai, is ofcolossa1 size, being Seventeen feet
/ high, and is majestic work of art. h
The dedicatory exercises were attended
by the city. state, civil and military digni-
staries of the immediate region, and also by
anfimmense military column, belon ging to
the eastern part of Massachusetts, and were
conducted by the Hon. Geo. f. Richardson,
I Mayor of the city, who, as head of the
municipality, publicly thanked DR.. Aver
: for his munificent gift, taking occasion, at
the same time, to say that his liberality as
citizen was only equalled by the emf
-nence he had attained, in restoring health
and consequent happiness to millions of
: the effiicted, through the aid of his med
81 icine. ID -,5 sss u ..-
u AT the conclusion of an Grafton by Judge
Russell, Collector of the Port of Boston,
and other ceremonies, DIR. Aver responded
to enthusiastic calls as follows:
NJ. Mayor and ytelloto-citizens: consid-
Grafton OF my constitutional modesty, you,
III,
: to withhold your compliments, or, at least.
to pile them upon me no thicker than 1
could bear. But their and your Kindness
of heart has tempted you all to break the
contract; and, if there were any bushes in
me, my face would be crimson now.
l acknowledge the satisfaction you afford
me by your appreciation of the appropri-
ateness of this image for this place. There
lay the chief difficulty in this undertaking.
The continent of Europe is inhabited by
an older people than we. Successive gem
erations have covered it over with the pro-
ductions of their genius. Gifted men have
wrought out in marble and bronze, almost
every human characteristic-a that is
loveliest in infancy and childhood, all that
ismost beautiful and fascinating in wo-
man, as well as whatever is noble or heroic
in man. With the idea in my. mind of
bringing some piece to ornament our city,
/ wandered for weeks and months among
these pro luctions in France, Italy, Austria,
Prussia and with eminent sculptOrs in
Rome, Florence and Berlin, to aid me in
seeking what desired totfind. lay ~
o. This figure was moulded by Rauch, the
great German sculptor, for the King of Ba-
varia, who gave him princely price for
the design. The original, in antique
bronze, stands in front of the kings palace,
at Munich, where do not think it is either
as appropriate or effective as this is here.
Raueh was a, Prussian, and they love his
memory; they point you to his works with
a certain exultation and pride, which
makes you see how distinctly they feel 'he
was our countrymaD." The Prussian
monument to their victories over Napo-
leon. standing in the chief street, Inter
der Linden, in front of the royal palace, at
Berlin, was executed in bronze and granite
by Ranch, and is justly considered the
bgreatest work of its kind in the world.
- The praise you bestow upon this figure,
when you tell of its grace, and ease, and
speaking effect, is merited; but it is due to
the talent of the sculptor. With all the pains
taken tor selection, l found nothing else
near as desirable, nor do / believe another
piece can be found as effective or that
would fill its place as well. Hence gladly
accept your appreciation, which, l hope
and believe, is deserved.
Before it was yelled, after its elevation,
an old man grasped me by the hand and
kindly said: doctor, 1 thank you for
having thought of, and done, a thing which
affords me so much pleasure" A culti-
waited woman before it said to me, with a
grace not second to its own: 81 am enam-
ored OF that angel, it speaks poetry to the
heart, its influence will be ennobliDg to
the young" Be it so, and am richly re-
paid. If it is, as you tiatteringly say, appro-
pirate to its place and purpose, then will it
continue through the years that are coming
to speak to the emotions of the living from
the heroism of the dead.
Lowell is certainly fortunate in this ac-
QUESTION to her public grounds, and doubly
SO in the possession of a citizen who has so
often before manifest ted, in the same liberal
spirit, the pride and interest he feels for his
native city.-HoD1e Journal. a-s