The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-10-28
CAPITAL STATUES.
Marble and Bronze Ornaments That
Have Cost Upward of a Million
NJ nollara-CuriouS Visitors.

Marble and Bronze Ornaments That
Have Cost Upward of a Million
OF Dollars-Curious Visitors.
Statues, statutes, and statures. it may
be said, are what Washington ID most
celebrated for, writes a Washington
correspondent of The Ne,o York Herald.
The great men of the nation perpetually
live here. either in an official capacity
as legislators or in efigy. just now
the statues are the greatest attraction.
When the president, cabinet, and heads
of bureaus return they will divide the
visitors attention. When congress is
in session that body and the capitol viii
be the center of interest. -~E--
To make the marble and bronze Or
nsments interesting it will be sufficient
to say that they cost upward of 81. 0OO,-
600 That amount has been expended
in the production and mounting of the
equestrian and pedestal figures which
are scattered about the public parks,
in front of the capitol, and in Statuary
hall. More than that, there are proba-
bly, as many works of art of this class
in Washington as there are in all the
cities of the United States. 1t was some
years ago regarded as evidence of &C.
MUS to condemn everything in the way
of painting and sculpture about Wash
ington. 1t indicated large experience
abroad. for where else could an Amer
lean have his taste properly cultivated
Certainly not at home. 1t was likewise
tho habit of letter-writers to belittle the
infantile effort of q country not yet
century old to perpetuate in enduring
brass and stone the memory of those
who deserved recognition from their
fellow-countrymen- The flippant tongue
of the ignorant no longer wags, and
gifted correspondents find the statues
of public men more engaging theme
than criticising works of art of which
they know nothing.
A classification of the statues will
give the reader better idea of whom
they represent. The presidents, for in
stance, are always regarded as great
men. and are presumed to be worthy of
enduring fame, yet only Washington,
Jefferson, jackson, Lincoln, and Gar
field are to date deemed worthy of inn
mortal rank. Washington has four
statues, Lincoln three, Jefferson two,
and the others one. Again, of the
twenty one vice presidents, George
Clinton, of New York, has this field of
honor exclusively as his own. Then
there has been upward of two hundred
members of the cabinet since the founda-
ton of the government. The first sec
rotary of the treasury. Alexander Ham
ilton, lives here alone in marble. Of
the thousand silver and gold-mouthed
senators Gen. E. d. Baker, of Califor-
mia, and Jacob Collamer. of Vermont,
are all that are now in session in Statu-
ary hall. The judiciary, with its long
line of eminent judges. knows only
Chief Justice John Marshall. of Vir-
ginia, and Chancellor Livingston, of
New York, who administered the oath
Of office to President Washington up
on his Inauguration in New York city
in 1889. Theology and religion strike
hands in the person OF Martin Luther
and Roger Williams. Silence recogniz.
es the grand name of Prof. Henry and
genius The name of Robert Fulton. Of
the great payal heroes of the war Ad-
miraI Farragut is frequently mistaken
for a New York fireman OF the olden
day. his long spyglass suggesting she
butt. while Admiral Dupont holds his
field glasses so close to his breast as
though about to pitch u red hot ball
across the field at Dupont circle. The
peace monument was erected by Ola GERS
of the navy. but does not commemorate
the name of any particular officer.
~ off n
marble is Ethan Allen. Gen. Greene,
of Revolutionary fame, has his memory
brass cast in an equestrian statue and
on foot. The other generals whose
| names are kept alive in FURNISHED
bronze are Washington, COMMANDMENTS
chief of the Revolutionary armies;
Jackson, of the war Of 1912 and 1915;
Scott, of the Mexican war, and Nc
Pherson, Thomas, and Rawlins, OF the
war of the rebellion. All but Rawlins
have grand equestrian statues. His
has been on a reservation southwest OF
the state department. 1t has become
| so blackened by exposure that from its
general design and appearances it is
better known as the Pirate Of the
! Potomac, near whose banks it stands.
Congress has ordered it to be removed
to more suitable spot and reburnished.
The old colonial congress has the
statues of Hancock. FRANKLIN, Adams,
and Sherman to preserve its memory.
John Winthrop represents the old con-
tinental governors, and William King,
of Maine, the governors of the United
States, and Muhlenberg, of Pennsyl'
vania, stands for the house OF repre-.
sentatives, of which he was member
several terms, besides his distin guished
service during the Revolutionary war.
The only one not assigned is Jonathan
Trumbpll, of Connecticut, an eminent
patriot of the Revolution, who deserves
q separate mention, because it was
from him the term Brother Jonathan
originated on account of his skill in ex-
pedients to meet the necessities of the
continental congress,
Then there are the symbolic fgurel
of Freedom" surmounting the dome
of the capitol; 1.-THE Discovery o.
America, +" THE Settlement of Amer
ica," Progress of civilization" some
alto-relevo designs in front of the ole
capitol; the statues of peace" ant
"War" on either side of the main en-
trance, and busts and panels by thu
dozens. Washington's equestrian stat
ne represents him at the battle 9
Princeton, with drawn sword on a yer,
spirited horse, apparently frightened
by the fray; again, he is standing a.
Citizen George, the celebrated work o
Houdin. A third statue is the colossa
one by Greeaough. 'Pater Patri@,'
ON the esplanade at the east front o
the capitol; and the fourth is the cen
trail figure in the group composing tn
Progress Of Civilization of the Unite'
States in the tympan4m over the sen
ate portico. These evidences Of regar'
for the Father of His County cost tn
government in all 1925, 900. Lincoln
Is next honored. He is on monolitl
is front of the city hall, and this wa
the first statue, erected to his memor.
ia the United States, it being unveile