The Washington critic., 1886-04-15
WASHINGTON CRITIC
WASHINGTON, APRIL Is, 1885.
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

casts have just been made, and one
will probably be given to the Govern
ment. Only limited number of these
casts have been made, and the one |
saw was in the hands Of one of Mr..
Lincoln's most intimate and dearest
friends. 1t represents with a wonder
full reality the features and spirit of
the great President. The face, front
of the head, the ears, and sinewy neck
are there just as they we're when Lin.
coin was alive. In 1860 the President
wore no beard, and the face Is repre-
sented as smoothly shaven. There are
two little moles on each side of the
nose, and 1t seems to me that the lines
of thought and worry are not so deeply
cut as In his later portraits. 1t was in
April, 1860, when Lincoln was trying
case in Chicago that Volls got him to
sit for him, and at this time, two
months before he was nominated, he
took this life mask. A mask
of this kind, you know, is
taken by putting a lot of plaster of
paris on the face so that it covers 1t en-
tirely. 1t is then allowed to harden.
and when taken off 1t gives an exact
mold of the face Volk was very care
full, in putting the plaster on Lincoln,
to leave his eyes and nostrils free. He
left 1t on about an hour, and then
pulled 1t off slowly and easily, tearing
mt the same time some of the fine hairs
off the temple, which made Lincoln's
eyes water. He then got Lincoln to
sit for him and took sketch Of him in
clay. What sculptor calls sketching
is modelling statue in the first place
In clay or some material just for the
time. Lincoln came and sat for Mr..
Volk to sketch him, and this cast,
which is the result. is undoubtedly the
best ever made. One of the casts will,
I understand, be given to the Govern
ment and be put in the National Mu-
scum. saw also the bronze cast of
Lincoln's right hand which Volk made
at the same time. 1t is an immense
bony fist, tightly claspcd around q
brazen stick. and cut Off about the mid
die of the wrist. Volk took the model
of this hand on Sunday, and he had
trouble in getting some kind of stick
or piece of pasteboard for Lincoln to
hold while he took 1t. Lincoln went
out to the woodshed and sawed off a
piece of broomstick, and it Is this
piece of broom. handle which is now
modelled in brass.
x*2
"How wonderfully like other men
Presidents arep' exclaimed a far West
ern lawyer to the Indianapolis Jour
mats correspondent. II was at the
White House." continued he, "for au
hour early this morning, by special ap-
pointment, and in the course of talk
of that length CLEANED great deal
about the general trend of Mr.. Cleve-
lands mind. was surprised at the
way he talks. Why, after we talked
over the business we had to sc tile, the
President began talking about' miscel-
laneous matters. found him just like
other men. He converses about little
things and domestic and personal mat
tiers as freely and ordinarily as q
frontiey farmer" Of all the many
peopl and things visitors to the Capt.
tai encounter, none surprise or disap.
point them so much as the President.
1t seems to be the idea that the Presi-
dent is very extraordinary per-
sonage--yet the very work of a Presi-
dent makes him common man.
He assumes to arbitrate or dictate to
petty political affairs of the whole
country so far as they relate to Federal
offices. He could not give much
thought to matters requiring investiga-
tion If he wanted to. So long as the
functions of the Presidency are admins
tered as at present there need be no
fear of imperialism or the drifting
away of the Chief Executive from the
people, and so long as the office re-
quires so much contact with all
classes of people there will not be
much seriousness on the part of the
President and the character of that
officer will continue to surprise those
who have not met him.
wv
When l came to Washington, about
1867, to live here permanently, says
Gath" in the Cincinnati Enquirer,
there was but one man in the city who
was building to any extent, and that
was Governor Shepherd. One other
person in the District, Mr.. Todd, whose
daughter is the wife of John Jay
Knox, was buying real estate, and was
by many thought to be rather wild
man for doing so. The improvement
of the District, effected about twelve
years ago, has begotten large class Of
self.reliant business men in Washing
ton, whose competitive energies are di
rected to acquiring property. Tho
ro,n,,ittoo 10 rnn m,aco ror tbn ,; al
of Columbia prepares the appropria
tion bills and the general legislation fol
the city. The Commissioners have
their little capitol and rooms and their
engineers and contractors. Every
thing is noiseless, and yet there is
quite as much alertness to observe de-
fects in the city of Washington as in
any other city. The difference Is that
in this case, where defects are pointed
out, they are promptly remcdied
whereas in cities like New York it Is
almost impossible to have anything
done until 1t becomes a matter Of crime
and sensation. The future growth OF
this city under its present institutions
will probably have a mild influence
upon the forms of municipal govern
mcnts in the United States. If Wash
ington thrives under the present sys-
TEN, and Its success shows an increase
greater than that Of cities with gen
eral suffrage, there may In time b,
movements for commission govern
ments in many Of our large cities
Everybody knows that the city of New
York would be immeasurably bette
off under commission appointed will
due regard to the rights Of residents
and strangers. A city as far ahead o
all others in the country as New Yorl
might with propriety have represent
ative of the United States in its com
mission, 1t almost always happen
where West Point officer is givel