Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-10-27
THE STORY OF THE STATUE.
Almost Twenty Years from Its Incep
tiOn to Its Completion.

Bartholdi's colossal statue of Liberty so long
In progress Of erection on Bedloe's Island, New
York, Will be unveiled tomorrow with all the
pomp and circumstance of a great national
ceremony. The history ofthe statue dates back
almost twenty years. 1t was just at the close OF
the disastrous war with Germany, and while
the horrors Of the commune were still raging in
Paris, that NJ. Laboulaye. the founder of the
French.American Union, first definitely
preached his patriotic project of building in
this country joint memorial of the struggles
OF French and Americans in the revolution,
anu sent the young sculptor Bartholcl 10 the
United States 10 find, If possible, some suitable
and happy idea.
The first suggestion of the statue, perhaps,
dates still further back to dinner given under
the empire by NJ. Labouaye at his country
mouse, Glavigny, near Versailles. 1t was at
that dinner at Glavigny in 1865, as Bartholdi
himself says, that his mind was first turned In
the direction IT was afterwards SO devotedly
ana enthusiastically to follow. The after-diuner
taik OF M Laoouiaye's guests had fallen upon
gratitude between nations. Some one said that
such thing as national gratitude could not
exist. Italy no longer felt grateful for the good
offices OF France in 1859; even with the United
membrance of the past. This ii. Laboulaye
stoutly protested against. Whatever might be
the case with Italy, he said with America
france had still q greater sympathy than with
any European nation. Americas feeling to-
ward France, too, was not one of simple graft
tude. 1t was based on the remem brance Of a
community OF thought and struggles and as
pirations
Five years after, in the midst OF the war
with Germany, Bartholdi found himself re-
curing again to this conversation. The war
was soon over and his native province, Aisace,
shut against him. He resolved to travel for a
year and visit the country in which his inter
est had been SO sharply aroused. In a month
or two he found himself again at NJ. Laooul-
ayes house, near Versailles, and the latter ln-
a view of studying it and bringing back his
impressions. The sculptor thought over some
plan :or the proposed monument on the way
out, but only hazily. Suddenly, one beautiful
spring morning, steaming up through the mar
rows into New York bay, the moment of inspir'
alton came, and the sculptor saw in fancy the
majestic figure of Liberty towering with her
torch over the bastions OF old Fort Wood, light
ing the crowded harbor with its tributary
borders, the very image of a teeming, populous
miniature world. With all his travels in
America that impression grew only sharper
and more defined. Before returning to France
he made q water-color drawing of the statue OF
Liberty on Bedloe's island.
Going back to France, Bartholdi ran over his
and laid before them the plan Tor statue In
New York harbor. They adopted it with en-
thusiasm. A committee was organized under
the name of the French-Amercan Union, and
Bartholdi set to work to make his first models
The full plan of the union was made public al
the end of 1874, and subscription lists were
soon circulated throughout France. good
deal OF money came ia at once, and more was
promised The actual moulding of the huge
CaSt DeSan III 1910. 1ue TlguC manu- Vi Iue Sou
dess was struck off In Its colossal proportions
and sent to the Centennial exhibition at Phia-
deiphia in 1876. Bartholdi came over that
year, and an American committee was organ
lied in New York. The question OF procuring
legislation from Congress was the most Inn
portant. After some drawbacks and delays q
joint resolution was introduced accepting the
statue and setting apart site on either Gov
ernors or Bedloe's island for the statue, and on
February o. 1877 it passed both houses. Gen.
Sherman chose the latter site. Fort Wood was
given up as d military post and turned over 10
The use of the American committee.
Barthoidi went back to France in the fall OF
1876, but 1t was not until 1879 that money
enough was raised in France to pay the bare
expenses of the work on the statue. In 1878
however, Barthodi, sanguine and undaunted
as ever, executed the head for the Paris EXPOSE
ton. On October "a, 1881, the anniversary Q!
the surrender of CORVALLIS at Yorktown, all
the pieces of the framework and OF the base
were put in place. The statue was nearly IN.
ished in 1888, but the work on the pedestal
was SO back ward that it was decided to leave
the completed goddess on exhibition for awhile
In Paris. On July 4. 1884, the complete statue
was turned over TO the United states, through
Minister Morton. Its removal to this country
and the subsequent events up to this time, 1t is