Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-10-24
MARSHALL'S MONUMENT.
Il will be Completed in a Few Week
The Unyailing.


The Unvailing.
One of the Marshall Monument Commission
visited Coloma last week to look after the work
of the monument He reports as being more
than pleased with the progress made. and the
substantial character of the work so far as COM
pleted. discharged employe circulated re-
port some weeks ago, to the effect that the work
was not being done according to contract, and
that inferior material was being used in it's con-
structiOn. The Commissioners have since made
personal inspection, and denounce the state
ment as unwarranted, aud absolutely false.
The monument is being erected on the sum-
NIT OF Marshall hill. which is some 800 feet in
hight, ana which oVer3OokS the little valley of
Coloma. Here it was that the discoverer of
gold, years before his death, selected his last
resting place The property was his own, the
the American where stood the mill, in
the race of which he made the discovery
that created commotion throughout ele
world. IL was happy thought. The foundation
of solid concrete and blocks of granite Is sunk
deep in the decomposed granite formation, and
tons of stone hold down his coffin The foun-
Cation Is % leet squ@rer ara, OF course, has
massive appearance. This granite monument
which tapers to the summit, which is 30 feet
high and 6 feet square on the top, has nos
reached hight OF y feet The design is
unique one, and when it is snrmounted by the
l0-foot bronze statue of Marshall, it will be one
of the most imposing structures i'll the State Of
California Some of the blocks of granite usei
in its constl uctiCn weigh many tons and they
are handled and fitted to the place with a
nicely and cxactness by the use OF powerfll
derricks.
+. Marion Wells the sculptor, has had to work
under many disad Eantages bat he has overcome
every difficulty. His first foreman proved to be
n fraud, but he was dismissed as soon as his in
competency f" crop Il out" and a firs,-oIaSs
man is now in charge. The design reflects
credit upon the sculptor and viii add to his
fame as historian in marble This monu-
ment will be a credit to the State, and is com
plete history of the pioneer days. Marshall is
represented standing on the summit Of an i'm
mense column of granite, in the garb of the ar
gonaut. In his right band he holds a nugget of
gold, and with his left he points to the SPARKLING
river that runs at his feet, the exact where he
made the discovery over forty years ago.
The pannels on the sides of tae monument are
carved in white volcsnic roek, and are all his
toric in character, representing the great seal
Sutters S mill as it appeared at the time of the
gold discovery, and the tools of a mill-Wright
which was MaTshalPs trade.
The Commissioners held ? meetingiu Placer
vile on eaturday last, at which all were present.
They decided to have the unvailing in January
during the session of the Leg:sl tuIe on VIII
occasion special trains Will be run from this city
TO Flaceryille. From the latter place passengers
The citizens OF Coloma will give the visitors q
grand reception, and the days festivities will
conclude with grand promenade concert in
the evening at the Coloma Vineyard House.
The honor of orator of the day rendered
10 senator A. +. Jones, OF Butte, and he has ac-
cepted. Short addresses viii be made by men,
bels of the Commission, the p resident of the
sacramento Society of California Pioneers and
others. 1t is expected, weather permitting, that
this Will be grand reunion of all the Pioneers
and Native Sons OF the Golden West upon the
coast. Certainly, no better occasion, nor more
appropriate place, could be selected.