The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-01-22
The Golden Calf.

on the freight depot of the Hudson River Railway
in New York, was one of the great events OF the
season. The following from the scrap book of q
Sun reporter gives II glimpse OF the popular crit
icisms upon 1t:
INV eve, Jake, but amt she a buster?" ex-
claimed a venerable young American bootblack
to his comrade, as the two gazed at the broad
expanse of bronze.
Z. Bet yer life on't,'' replied Jake. Then. after
n moments study, he exclaimed, {" But LUX at
them cows lest Ter lux at 'em! Who ever saw
COWS lay down side of a train of cars going like
that2"
The criticism perhaps was more just than
liberal, but it forms a popular expression by
which the merits of the work are to be judged.
Passing along, the reporter came upon two
Milesian gentlemen who were earnestly discuss
ing the statuary.
SAh, but Mike, it's n foine sign for the build
ing was the comment OF one.
"Indade it is that, replied the other, " and a
nice bit of money it cost"
San how much did it cost thin, Mike?"
Five hundred thousand dollars in goold, and
not a clint less"
And did the old Commodore pay for it all? ?"
"Faith an he did that. An he'd pay twice
as much widout a blessed grunt for a thing like
that; but a devil a penny wud he give to put a
tombstone over you or me-"
And SO the uncharitable side Of human nature
expressed itself.
ga clumsy piece of work. growled a burly
chap, who labored to convey the idea of artistic
culture.
81 don't think so,'' replied his companion.
60 1t strikes me as remarkably well executed, and
the design is certainly very happy"
"Too crowded Altogether too crowded The
fellow has attempted too much, and made a botch
of it. Everything is confused. The cars are
running over the workmen. The steamers are
running into each other, and into the docks.
The emblematic groupings about the centre are
Sn confused aS tO he uttarlU unintalIiuihfe Tt'a
a clumsy botch d"
81 think" replied his more considerate COM
panion, &c that if you will take time to study it
you will find no unnecessary confusion"
Its all a jumble," persisted the first speaker.
"There is too much crowded into the scene, and
the effect is spoiled. It's a botch-a large sum
of money thrown away upon an eyesore."
\ group OF mechanics stood gazing at the work
for u few minutes in silence, when one Of them
suggested that " the seams in the coping over the
picture are badly painted" Another thought
8 the joints of the bronze should be covered
better" While a third insisted that 8 the color
ing was bad" A fourth inquired what those
clam shells were stuck on it for
"Clam shells? asked one of his companions /:
" where is any clam shells?'
"Why, up there at the top of the picture
among the birds"
Them amt clam shells, they are clouds"
One man, who seemed an artist, said 1.-The
fore-shortening is bad, the drawing is out of all
proportion, and as for char oscuro the fellow
knew he couldn't do it, and didn't try it on.
It's n burlesque upon art from beginning to end.
There is nothing like it anywhere else in the
world: and if it were put up in Paris it would
raise a mob in two hours"
The following details of the brokers' burlesque
unwilling in the s. long room - ought to go into
history with the record Of the great event:
An immense crowd thronged the Long Room
and at the appointed moment the presiding officer,
MT. H.. I'll. Van Schalck- anpnarnN on tho Mat
form, with the orator of the occasion, and a choir
of gentlemen who had kindly volunteered their
services for the musical portion of the exercises.
The President, having been presented with n
gigantic cabbage as a floral tribute, explained the
obJect OF this demonstration in n few words and
introduced the choir, which sang with immense
effect the following ode to the tune of Old John
Brown:
Come all we jolly brokers, n story I'll relate,
AbOu. a famous gentleman who lives in New York State;
Consolidated railroads is n thing he does not hate,
CChOrus>-As he goes driving on.
"Tis Watering machinery as yet has never failed
L o snow our gratitude To him this statues now unveiled,
CChorus1-As he goes driving on.
"This statue was set up for him, and may it last until
This very poor old gentleman can his breeches pockets fill,
(Chorus)-He will 20 driving on"
In the chorus of Glory Hallelujah,'' which
followed each stanZa, the whole company par
%ticipated, and made all Wall street resound. The
orator, Mr.. 5. V. White, then came forward and
pilO d SlOWluS tTiDuOe 10 Ulo INDUSTRIOUS man IN
whose honor q statue was now to be unveiled.
The man, he said, had been ever true to the great
central idea of his life, which was to show the
advantages of a judicious use of water. Other
liquids, it was known, could make us see double,
but it was remarkable that this great man by
the employment of water was not only able to
see double but to make things double themselves.
Immense applause.) But he would no longer
delay the qualification in store for the vast COM
pany before him, and would now cause the image
to appear in all the majesty of it's unrivalled pro-
portions.
The great American flag. which had served to
conceal the statue, now fell, amid the widest
enthusiasm, and displayed a figure
Clothed in white samite, mystic, wonderful.
like King Arthur's arm from out the bosom of
the lake. Its countenance was pale yet noble,
its eyes were full of speculation ; one hand was
gauntleted in a ~boxing-glove, and the other held
out a watering pot, on which was plainly legible
"2O7." What language is adequate to describe
the frenzy that swayed the long room at the in
slant the drapery parted from this ef6gy?
The choir now sung "My Country, It's of
Thee with the refrain of g He's a Jolly good
fellow which SO pleased the statue that it gave
nnmistakable signs of its qualification, like an
intoxicated commentators in the last act of 90 Don
Giovanni" and then disappeared.