Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-06-17
THE HALL or sTATUARN.
m.s Nevin's spirited Figure OF General
muhlenberg, Parson ana Soldier.

Emma Jane" in Philadelphia Press.
For two weeks or thereabouts, visitors
to the capitol, when passing through the
hall of statuary, where puzzled by non
descript object lying prone upon the floor,
swathed in boards-an overgrown cbrys
alis evidently of some precious object yet
to be revealed. A week ago to day force
of workmen were busy revealing the i'm.
prisoned treasure and setting it upon its
pedestal, 20 be henceforth one of the
denigods in our national Walhalla.
Congressman, in passing back and forth
between the Senate and House wings,
paused, with various degrees of interest
Indicated in their faces, 10 observe its pro-
portions and offer an art criticism in the
midst of their comments on the nomina-
tions at Chicago. Mr.. Ermentrout, from
the committee approving the statue, and
Col Theodore Lyman were the two who
fingered longest, aud who seemed more
absoI bed in the creation of the one fair
woman's " hands at Philadelphia than in
the work of S2l men at Chicago.
The statue OF General Muhlenberg may
now be said 10 be fairly before the people
PENNSYLVANIA is hopOTed in having the two
most imposing sites in the hall for her two
contributors TO the national collection,
viz: On the right and left sides of the
doorway leading into tho corridor reach
ing to the hall of Representatives, aud in
the exact spot where the Speakers chair,
on its imposing rystrum, used 10 sit when
this was the place Of their deliberations;
for, according TO Mr.. keim in his hand
book of WashingtJn:
When the hall was occupied the
speakers chair stood on the south side,
upon an open rostrum about four feet
above the floor, enclosed by bronze
balustrade. Rich crimson curtains fell IN
elegant folds from the capitals of the
columns, and were separated 80 as TO form
luxurious draperies as background 70
the chair and rostrum."
The statue Of Robert Fulton, seated,
with the model of his steam vessel in his
lap, formerly had the place now occupied
by General Muhlenberg, at the east side
OF the doorway, but was transferred 10 the
west side because the pose of the new
statue lost somewhat Of its effect unless
its left was presented boldly to the OBJ
servers eye. 1t is spirited figure, repre-
senting it's subject at the heroic moment
when, in his pulpit at Woodstock, Va,
| at the conclusion Of divine service, be
threw back the robe of his sacred
| Office, calling out TO his stirred anC
| stastleu UOCk - tueTc 10 tlme loE ai
things a time to preach and time Z
| fight and now is the time to fight,
and, disclosing on his alert and martha
| form the uniform Of colonel Of the Con
| tinental army, ordered the drums 10 bea
| for recruits, right there in the sacret
| house, and enrolled goodly number to
wards his regiment-the 9Th Virginia, o
gallant renown. All this needs TO b
understood before one can quite under
stand the nervous attitude, the bold stride
which at first seems disproportionate T.
the statues size, and the quaint mixtur
of clerical and solderly garb. II Mis-
| Nevin will affix to the statue little ex
planatory card of this nature, in compass
sion for the dense ignorance Of America
history which most visitors TO the statuar
hall betray, she will increase their enjoy
ment of her admirable work.