Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-29
pUTNAN,s Pnow horse.
1t is True Pillow Horse Misrepre-
sented in a State of Upheaval.

From the Neto YORK sun.
HARTFORD. Sept. 25.-The State of Con-
necticut has been trying for a long time
to have statue built in memory of Gen.
Israel Putnam, and the last Legislature
decided 10 have the old Continental soldier
put in bronze on q bronze horse on the
brooklyn. Conn, Green, at an expense OF
$4,000. The artists of this and other
States we're asked to see what they could
do in the wav of models for the State
statue Committee TO pick from. Mr..
Kari Gerharit, an artist or this citv, has
got the job of making the bronze figure,
the committee having studied the various
models submitted long and painfully, and
with an agricultural eye for general eff.
feots, and recently decided in his favor.
1t had been the purpose of the commit
tee at first to rut Putnam up alone on
pedestal, but the Windham county farm
ers wanted him to have horse, and as
1T would not do to offend Windham county
Republicans on the eve of an important
election, in which it is to be decided
whether VIM. II. Barnum or =. e. Louns-
bury is the more liberal with political in
fluence, the result of the committees
second thought is Mr.. Gerhsrdps peculiar
likeness OF old Put just as he appeared
after uuyOking his plough oxen in his
Pomfret field, when he swung himself on
the back Of "Old Sorrel," and set out to
ride siXty-eiGht miles in one day to Cam
bridge to see what the British were firing
at
Mr.. Gerhardts design is said by con-
peient critics to be unique. He Strove to
be realistic, and he succeeded. Such a
horse as the artist has designed for Put
nam to ride on at Brooklyn Green may
be seen now and then in wild and uncul-
tivated parts OF Windham county Yank-
ing plough over the stones. but never
before was such an animal setup in sculp-
tor sclay. 1t Is lOng-necked, gambrel-
jointed beast; the name and tail are rath-
er trushy. and his hoofs have the look OF
being small Gnvils welded to sections OF
thin gas pip'ng. To a fairly good judge
of horse flesh there is a sinister sug-
gestion of n wei defined SPAWN aft,
while forward the shoulders and legs
are gathered into spasmodic
upward pounce that was never seen on
land, or in a sea horse, A calm-lookiug
cannon ball, nonchalantly resting under
the belly of the sreed, is supposed to he,
in the opinion OF the sculptor, sufficient
motive or excuse for the upward flop OF
the animal, but in the Judgment of any
man who ever saw n horse before, espec-
tally the restful, profound and benevolent
Windham county pillow horse, nothing
could explain and justify the eXtraordi-
nary gyrations of Mr.. Gerhardt's beast,
except an active hornet at work under
his throat strap or in the region of his
tail. 1t is an animal that no horse Jockey
would look at for a moment eX-
cept with the curiosity of an an.
tiquarian or veterinary expert. Yet
MIR. Gerhardts conception in one re-
spect is a correct one. 1t was a pillow
borse that Gen. Putnam rode 6S miles to
Cambridge in one dav, and the model Is
Of a plow horse of pronounced TYPE.
The defect in the artists design is that
the plow horse WAS put into the violent
action Of upneaval. Good judges OF
pillow horses admit that they ''kin kiver a
good deal o. gToun' in day. but they
never upheave." They lope and glide,
but they never paw the air. or prauce and
pound the ground. No critic disputes
that Putnam rode lis plow horse SO miles
to Cambridge 100 years ago In one day,
but all critics assert he never rode 1t in
any such attitute as the one Karl Ger
hardt's steed exhibits.
The horses neck 10 also objected to; it
is too long and stretchy. some Brooklyn
men fear that 1t will reach entirely across
the green and over the village road, and
that the sight of its protruding eyeballs,
glaring sternly out of the revolutionary
past, will scare other horses, particularly
after dark.
There 10 objection also to Putnam him.
self, as he appears in clay. He does not
look very well. His body is amazingly
big, his neck hardly noticeable on account
of its shortness. his face is sculptured in
imitation of an Over-ripe tomato, large
size. and his sword arm is thrust wildly
straight up and outward, as though he
might be brandishing the weapon at old
ApopleXy IN the distance.
The model, however, has been regularly
accepted; the casting will be done this
winter, aud the statue dedicated next
June. 1t will not stand onsfhe Unitarian
church ground. as they won't have it, but
on the public park.