West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-11-14
Monument Bull IcrS.

All nations, we believe, savage and
civilized, in all ages, have been monu.
mcnt builders, that is. they have all
practiccd the custom OF erecting struc
lures, whether mounds, or cairns, or
tombs, or tunnels, or pillars. or col
umns, or pyramids, or ObeliskS, or
Suacas, as in Peru. in commemoration
Oh important events, or or the purpose
o. conSecratng and perpctuating the
lame OF great men, or of those who had
exercised, for the veal or = oe of their
country, great authority. At first these
structures must have been rude. insip-
nifcant and perishabie. Even the
memorial erected to so great a hero as
Hector was bat very modest one. n
mere heap of stones. loosely thrown to-
gether. according to Homcr's descrip-
ton OF it.
Among the ancients, the Greeks and
Romans were in architecture. sculpture
and painting, far ahead OF all other
natlons-not in antiquity, but i'm merit.
Leaving out of view the Chinese and
other ASlaLcs, of whose marvellous ar
chtectual creations some rather indi-
gcstlble stories have been told. and
coming west TO the countries BORDERING
on the Mediterranean, the EgvptianS
a:e irst in order in he constructive
arts. They were the masters of the
Greeks in art, and i'm civilization itself;
AMI yet, not many ages had elapsed be-
fore the Greeks were greatly i'm advance
OF their teachers in the very arts. the
rudiments Of which they had borrowed
from the country OF the Pharoahs. Be
lore architecture or sculpture had been
attempted by the Greeks. the pyramids
and the obelisks had been STANDING.
per APPS in their solitary and useless
magniiicchce. some thousands of wears
But soon after their erection, Epyptian
art seems % have exhausted itself and
then 10 have stopped, or rather, retro.
graded. To the Egyptian mind. i'm the
constructive arts ex ellence consisted
in magnitude and height, and those be.
ing attained, they haG reached, tney
supposed, the No plus ultra But. al
though the pyramids are stupendOJs
and sublime. they have nothing OF tho
era 'eiul and the beautiful, i'm which tho
surviving specimens of Greclan art SO
abound. and there is more elegance and
good astc, more Of the quintessence of
art in single Grecian temple or statue.
than in all The pyramids togethe
France has eVrcIlcd all the modern
nation Of Europe i'm the magui ence
OF her monuments. among which the
arch OF Triumph and the Column
in The Place Ncnlomc' are con.p GU
Gus. The ouiy trouble with the French
monuments that thcy have TO be 10.
dedicated as tine ROurHOus, the Rcpub-
lic or the BDuaDartcs come successfully
into power England is now studded
with monuments 90 Wellington, Nelson
aud FRINGE Albert but none Of them
are remarkable.
The monument ON Bunker UfU was
the first memorial pile oil any size I'm tine
United States. aud 10 fair proportions
have a.wa' been admired by peopl of
taste. Now the monument 10 tho
memory o. Wash ng'On is being finished
in the city which bears bis name. and.
Ike him, Q is distugu shed for Gran
dcur and simplicity FIVE hundred feet
boo height mO.o than double thr height
OF any other monument DO is chasfc.
+ imposing and ma cst.c 100 appearance.
We are glad ty learn af the Ancient
and Honorable Artillery Company. tho
oldest military organization in tho
/ United states, cont mp.at. taking part
| in the q d.eHtJn OF .he Wa,h.n ton
mDuumou. the lion Robert &. Win
thrYp Who spoke cIouonNv when tho
corner -'Jn was laid E.. On Doe e ora
o when thc monument is dedicated.
aud d. viii ue lifting 10 have the
Anrioni1 h'a Che co.urn which will
cseOI ise pro c.s..u pom th mOuu
ment 90 tuc CAPITOL. where the oxer.
c.ae5 "iil take place. -- 10 aiou Bud0eL