Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-04-30


not to commit herself, as she did not
know what matters might be laid
before her and what discussions
might arise. They went back to the
Arlington, and the committee took
vote-Mrs. Farragut and Gen. Sher-
man, a m ,jority of the committee,
voting for me, SO I obtained the
work. s.t--
/ The statute is a counterpart of
the seven -fost model l made, only it
is ten feet high. I commenced right
away, and worked at it for two years
in clay. I bought house and took
the floor out in order to make this
| huge model. When it was finished
the new Secretary Of the Navy, Mr..
Thompson, issued an order that it !
should be cast at the Washington
Navy-yard, subject to the usual cons
ditions-at my own expense, and not
to interfere with government work. |
We started to take the model to the
Navy ard. and got it as far as the /
window of my studio, when we dis>
covered thai it would not go through.
It was in the middle of the night, !
and it commenced to rain. Finally
we succeeded in getting it out
and placing it in large
express wagon, and it was
carried to to Navy-yard. It
was placed in the largest building
in the yard and platform built Oh
which I could work. This platform
worked on block and tackle, and the
sailors of the Tallapoosa, which was
then at the yard. used to come and
pull me up and down. When the
model was finished, we took it to the
iron-froundry. I had a room in that
building while the bronze-casting
was going on: This part of the
work occupied nine months. It was
cast in sections, and afterward was
joined together. I remained at the
Navy yard until the work was fnish-
ed. The casting was perfect. Some
Of the Frenchmen who worked with
me there, and who had worked in
Paris, and at Woods bronze-toun-
dry at Philadelphia, said it was the
best casting they had ever seen. A
casting is judged by the holes in it.
This had no holes in it. It was pers
feet Then it was brought from the
Navy-yard, placed where it now
stands, and covered up.
AS before stated, [ had seen Far
ragut only once, but had many pho
tographs of him. [ had one photo
graph given me by Mrs. Farragut,
which she particular y liked, and she
wanted me to follow that. I did So.
She also loaned me the uniform that
he wore during the New Orleans
fight. Mrs. Farragut was here four
or five times while was engaged on
the statue At one time there were
over thirty of the most distinguished
, naval officers present in my studio,
: inspecting the work. This gathering
: was occasioned by a dispute as to
whether or not there should be cap
t on his head. General Sherman and
all the naval officers thought that he
ought to have cap on. Mrs. Far
ragut, however, did not want it. She
objected to it, because it would hide
4 his intellectual forehead. She said
f she was satisfied with the work, and
did not want anything added to it
! The officers insisted that the CAP
: ought to go on Among those present
were Admiral Porter, Admiral Rowan
Gen. Sherman and a great many
other officers. Mrs. Farragut was
the only lady present. There was 6
ladder on each side of the statue
u Gen. Sherman told me to go up anG
put the cap on. I did so, and the
g act was greeted with applause. I
) was suggested by Mrs. Farragut thai
: the cap be put under his arm; bu
that was met with the statement thai
y he could not hold the cap and glass
e both. 1t would not look natural
y Mrs Farragut then wanted to know
= why the cap could not be thrown OF
the ground. The answer was, tha
Il that would make it look as if th
h admiral was excited, which he neve
y was. Mrs. Farragut finally grace
Y, fully surrendered to the views OF t.
ID officers, and the cap remained on hi
/ head. Many persons tried to per
suade Mrs. Farragut not to let m
do the work. S,e was advised t
n select some old, experienced an,
lg tried artist She told these peopl
er that the model was faithful repre-
sentation of her husband, and ,ha