New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-12
A MONUMENT TO PAYNE.
ERECTED IN TtNIs BY MR.. CoRCoRAN.

ERECTED IN TUNIS BY Mr.. CORC0RAN.
fFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CoRREsPoSDESr of TIE THBunEJ
VALLEI1A, Malta, March IL.
| Mr.. W. w. Corcoran has been putting beautiiuI
memorial over the empty tomb of the author Oh
Home, Sweet Home" in Tunis. When on January
8. 1888. Mr.. COrcoran. at his own expense, causea
the body of John Howard Payne to be exnumed
there IAN account of which was published in lhE
! TRIBUNE and has since been republished from that
paper in an illustrated memorial volnmel. the Ola
slab that had covered the grave for so many years
replaced, and II was resolved by the irlcnds ol
Payne IN Iunis to add a statement OF the disin'ei
ment to the inscription and then keep the spot s"creu
stll-as they had already done for so many years
But their Toying intentions came to nanght hecause
OF the removal Of the slab itself soon alterwaru W
America. know that Mr.. Corcoran regretted INC
removal of the slab from Tunls; and 1t was broken
| in transit. having been badly packed. Later on
when he heard of the disappointment felt by the
Europeans in Tuns over the taking away of the
last remaining mark of Payne's first sleeping place
in his mother earth. he commissioned the American
| Consul mt Malta 10 have made a suitable and
substantial monument and place it over the TunIs
grave.
The monument has been completed and was
shipped 10 Tunis yesterday the Italian steamship
| Cipro. 1t made in Malta by "A skIlful firm OF
chisel wieders and is composed of the inacstrnctI-
| bic, granite-like, close grained hard stone known
as zoncor" which is found in the Maltese island
of Coco This stone was favorite material of the
| Knights who employed it when they built anything
that they wanted TO last. 1t eau be polished to Il
| surface as smooth as Scotch granite, but without
| the glare of the latter. Its color is yellowsh
| drab, the prevailing tone being soft gray This
| new monument to the memory OF Payne stands
| seven feet high on q base four feet square. The
shaft curves gently as il rises from the base and
then curves out to the cappieee. being sendeest III
| the centre. 1t is surnOunted by symbocal
decoration in snowy marble in quiet but effective
| lines. Its designer, DR.. Nicola Dammit. Maltese
gentleman of large and fine artistic attainments,
thus described it to me:
al have" he said. combined the symbol of the
poet with that of he writer. l have given to the
Tyre simple and solid form rs wonld be suitable to
sculpture exposed to the air. The laurel Is loose
so as to express the crown Of genius broken by
death" The lyro recnes against n book and
scroll, while q marble ribbon-that may have
escaped from the boOl-bears the musical notes Of
the first strain of Home, Sweet Home" The
design is suggestive and appropriate and yet simple
and pure 1t tells half the story OF Payne's life
and accomplishment without word. On the front
of the shaft clearly and clearly carved:
IN
MEMORY OF
AUTHOR
"HOME. SWEET HOME"
BORN JUNE o. 1891,
DIED APRIL q. 1882.
On the right side is carved in relief shield. eagle
and the L" T. Plurlbus Unum legend-the arms OF
the country in whose service Payne died while
United States Consul. Beneath the arms are the
words:
DIED At THE
AMERICAN CONSULATE,
IN TUNIS,