Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-15

The same ill-luck that presided ut her
birth still clngs to her skirts BarthOldi
confHsses that he was at a loss what to
do with her before she was born. He
al nrst Intended IN plant her at the
entrance Of the Suez canal. Luckily, un-
toreseeE Obstacles interviewed, for If she
had been placed there she would to-day
have been beaming under English pro.
lection. BarthOldi next devised the
scheme OF presenting her TO the American
government. Over 10000, 900 Frenchmen
each chlpped In sou, and she was sent
over here. A committee OF Americans was
appointed 10 raise funds to he used in
building apedestal. Over $27j, 900 were e.
CURED. Tue committee issued circulars
and went to work with wordy
vim, but the business dragged
worse than the effort to raise money
Tor the Grant memorial. The Hon.
Joseph Pulitzer then put his shoulder to
the wheel. lu two mouths he picked up
more than twice the amount of money
gathered by the committee in two wears.
with all tins help the committee remain
ed powerless. Congress was forced to
come to the rescue with 100000. The ped
estal completed, the committee prepared
Tor grand elbow Out' at the inaugur-
alton. The President and Cabinet were
invited, and the newspapers were urged
W SUI up Tue peOpit anu give OD0 JulDQ
ec!at. just fortnight be fore the dav set
ior the ceremonies the committee diScOv-
cred that the selection OF an orator had
been overlooked. No time was lost on
this discovery, Appeals were made TO
speakers of national reputation. All de-
clined on account of lack q time for pre-
paratiOn. The most brilli;< of them all
said that he would require a. least three
months to prepare such an Grafton.
Driven TO the wall, the committee at last
sought refuge in the offices of the New
York Central Railroad Company. 1t
found there a man with a Peter Stuyve-
SAINT cast of face. He wore frosted side
whiskers, and his eyes were as clear as
the eyes OF 3 bald eagle. He was
Chauncey M. Depew, the President OF the
company. He was up to his syes in bust
ness, but he listened patiently to the
committee. Its members told him
thai they had failed to secure az orator,
and urged him to fill the gap. With
mind half clouded with railroad details,
Chauncey con scented and bowed the COM
mittee out. That night, while be lay in a
berth of sleeping car en- route to Buffalo
on business, be turned his intellect on the
subject of the proposed Grafton. AS he
thought of Webster's speech Mt the In
auguration or Bunker Hill monument.
the magnitude of the task whic1 he had
undertaken appalled, him. He knew that
1t was no after-dinner concern. He could
not spring to his feet and trust to inspi-
ration. Every idea, every expression,
every word, must be weighed. A man
might as we'll try to chisel marble
statue In an hour as to deliver an
Grafton on such theme with
out careful preparation. Chauncev
grew nervous. The theme itself seemed
nnntlDn6 It likn n fr1ply
out branches. There was the bare statue,
and that was all. So wrought up did the
thinker become that he could not rest.
The sunlight of Buffalo fell upon him af-
ter a Bight of seeplessness. He could
endure it no longer. He telegraphed to
the com mittee asking to be excused. The
reply was that it was impossible. There
was no time to secure another orator.
Finding fundamentally In the tolls,
Chauncey went to work with the energy
of an electric engine. He returned to New
York after transacting his business in
Buffalo. On the way down he made a
draught on the volumes Of the State Lii
brary. Every book bearing on the French
alliance at the time Of the revolution was
sent to MIN. A barrel OF themwas dumped
into his library at night. At 10 p. m. he
tackled them after the manner OF
Macauley. He mentally jumped the pages
of each as ne nervously turned them with
his thumb and fingers, and iOtted down
on piece Of paper the ideas that flooded
his mind. 1t was daylight before he
closed the last OF the volumes. Utterly
exhausted, he sought rest. Sleep came,
but it was a wearied, trOu bled sleep, and be
awOke unrefreshed. To add to MS agony
he found that his notes were mostly in
comprehensive. The det webs of
thought that had tied them to each other
were broken. He was more at sea than
ever. Annoyed beyond measure, he
plunged into ais railroad business, drown
ing every reflection about the statue. But
at night the female giant again confronted
him. In vain he pOndered upon some
basis for the construction of an intellec-
tual ediiice pleasing in architecture and
harmonious in detail His mind was as
perverse as historical woman.
Thoughts came to him by the hundred.
but all disiointed and uncOnnected. 1t
was like man unloading bricks. They
were of no use without the bricklayer,
and the brlcklayer was missing.
For three days this state of mind con-
tinued. Railroad duties drowned the
statue for few hours, but the corpse
floated to the surface at night and drove
away all sleep, On the third hight tired
nature asserted itself. 1t stupefed both
mluu anu DOOys duu OudunCel SlepG tue
sleep of the righteous for ten hours. He
awoke thoroughly refreshed. The statue
glided into his mind gently and by de-
grees. Suddenly bis intellect flashed.
The frame Of the Grafton appeared as by
magic. 1t was inspiration. He planted
himself at his desk, and wrote page after
page fluentlv and without interruption.
The theme worried him no more. Every
thing was mapped out IN his mind. AT
night he finished his task. Subsequent
odd moments were spent in adjusting
doors and windows, oilIng hinges, and
kalsomining, papering, and other prepa-
ratIOns.
The result is well known. The Grafton
will bear a critical examination, and is
well worth a careful perusal. Although
it was delivered on the most miserable o
days, and under the most untOward OF
circums stances, its elOquence and beauty
were recognized by all. Chauncey's mind
far brighter than Liberty's torch,
and the CHEEKY ripple Of his after dinner
speeches is again heard in the land.
AMOS J. CUMMINGS,
BLAKELY HALL.