New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-27
GOSSIP AT THE CAPITAL.
HOW THE GOVERNMENT PURCHASES
WORKS OF ART
uxyuoyrcs OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABOUT
-.....zI. ...,r-ru rIrrY cOIORED MEN.

,,vvvoxrcs OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ABOUT
,rp,rc ury-TurrFTY cOLoRED MEN.
u.sh,ncton Nav o6-second only to tho collection
Of curlositics gathered under the ROOF OF the
Museum I'm Washington-whlch ihciuues' oho hie"
,rost cav everything from the Egyptian Sphinx 10
,oh,ad sou,d or from the photograph OF Dr. Mary
walker "a the wreck Of Noahs ark land that Is hkey
IN Inc discovered any day and purchased py our GOV
ernment-second only 10 this wonder1W cohec''on arc
tho numerous paintings, statues, anu other "orAs "a
alleged art owned by the Government ana dspaSea III
various places In the Capital Congress appropr'a'os
every year a certain fixed sum Tor the purchase u
,rorhs NJ ars This Is in the nature OF notice 10
- ar,ists IN hiring in all the truck they cannot
,,so ~ cIsewhcrc and offer 1t at cxorbitant figures
%, tho Government. with the exception OF one or TWO
ctres I'm the Capitol. there is probably not Single
n.in,inr owned by the Government which any person
with only a moderate claim to taste and dlscretloh
oud care TO hang in his house. Lobbying through an
anpropraton for the purchase OF picture Is an arr
r tIf. n renures patience but is certain TO lead TO
,ocessful result II the artist will only put high
cnoprb figure on his work Nothing impresscs the
average Congressman so much with the merits OF
ort of art as the price which the artist sees fit to
Mace upon It anything less than $o'ooo Is not con-
s,dered worthy the attention OF Congress
The vclssitudcs which work OF art has to undergo
,oto # masses into the final possession Of the Gov
eminent are well illustrated by the history OF the
portboldl fountain which now adorns the Botanical
Gardens at the foot Of Capitol HILL Inc FOUNTAIN
was exhibited at the Centennial Exposition In Phila-
deIphia in 1876. Tho attention OF the senate Oom-
mittee on Public Buildings and Grounds was directed
by some one TO the desire expressed by NJ bar'ho'u
70 dspose of the fountain before he returned to Europe
In an evil hour the committee agreed 10 report an
amendment TO the sundry Civil Appropriation bill
nrovidng for the purchase of the fountain The dis
cusson occurred az a late hour OF The night Inc
fountain was referred to in the most complimentary
terms by members Of the committee some senator's
however were not quite so favoraby impressed with
It indeed, southwestern Senator since prominent d.
dcfenden I'm the cause ceebrc, remarked, soto voice.
That fbc blessed thing was made OF terracotta" The
remark was not made so low 10 be unheard and
created some commoti1n. which was only allayed Dy
the assurances OF quondam Territorial Governor dele
gate and commissioner TO Philadelphia, and anerwaru
an Assistant Secretary and later commissioner 10
foreign exhibition Tht the blessed thing was made
Of the finest quality of French bronze Upon this as
surancc, the amendment passed the Senate and went
into conference
Will not dwell upon the dangers which the appro-
praton for this fountain aficrvald In the House
1t Is reported that Mr. Holman, the distinguished
objectors from Indiana, only voted for the amend
men because he labored under the impression that II
was some plcturcr the Government had ordered and
must pay fon Suffice II say that the bill became
law Subsequently, however, the officials OF the
Treasury Department devoted their powerful minds
TO an Interpretation of the act and in the secluson Of
their closet these &" brooding Buddhas.' as Mayor
Hewitt might have called them. discovered that by the
strict construction Of the words of the appropriation
the Government could pay for the fountain delivered
in Washington. but for the taking It down. trans
portatlon from Philadelphia. and IT'S erection In the
Capital Further investigation by the Treasury OFF,
cias satisfied them however that the two last named
Items Of expense could probably be met by the Gov
eminent under the appropriation but they decided that
Bartholdi must deliver It on the in Philadelphia
and pay the expense incident TO putting 1t there This
was estimated at eos Il. 1t Will be noticed by
those fond of that class Of literature that the Gov
ernmen is always very particular about odd cents In
the estimates for appropriations. On being informed
of this decision of the Department, Barthold wrOto
letter. eloqent in the force OF its rhetoric than
pous In its religious sentiments. 1t had the effect
however, OF stimulating further research the part Of
the Buddhas of the Treasury and after cogltatng for
six weeks. and constructing the troublesome clause
in the appropriation bill, anew they discovered that
the Government might the estimated S9s IL also
Tho fountain finally arrived In Washington. Tho
question where TO put led TO an animated discussion
and several places suggested, among them the
lawn in front OF the White House. The Commissioner
of Public Buildings and Grounds would have nothing
TO do with selection of the site The matter had to
be decided nevertheless. in some way or other, and
that soon, because the charges for storage In
creasng with every day of delay. At last two Sen
aors Of the Public Buildings and Grounds Committee
took carriage and after driving about the city all
day, examining the fountains at the Arlington Welck
ers, Wizards, Losekam's and ShOomakcrs and other
prominent dspcnsaries OF bottled malaria" agreed
| to place the fountain where 1t rests / do not
think more suitable place could have been found for
IT, This at least, is the opinion OF those who do not
regard the blessed thing" being such great work
| Of art after all
fate scarcely less satisfactory has been the lot OF
nearly every other statue, painting work of art
| purchased by the Government. They all seem to
be kept moving from place TO another / re-
fered last Sunday to the different places successfully
occupied by Greenoughs statue Of Washington, and
of the proposition now pending TO It from its
present position in front of the Capitol to a more pro
tected spot. The bronze statue of Jefferson, which
for many years stood in front Of tho White House.
placed at the suggestion of Senator Sumner in
Stauary Hall, which the iFreverent sometimes call
The Chamber Of Horrors" The figure Of General
Revlins, which occupied a secluded spot In little tri
angle in one Of the most obscure portions Of the city
| has, within year, been moved to a central To-
| cation where 1t is not by anybody, either The
painting Of the Electoral Commission, after having
| been thrust upon Congress for years, pledged and
seized for debt, exhibited elsewhere finally pure
| by the Government and stored in a cellar, I'm order
TO keep It out of view OF indignant and sensitive
ocrats has at last been placed in the Senate wing OF
the Capitol. The price paid fer It was 81 500, OF
within 80 per cent of what originally asked Even
at that figure It Is So 400 too dear To make room
| for II on the wall another picture called Pioughinc
in DakOa7 had be removed. The latter picture IL
now in the Agricultural Department. A painting
illustrating n General Greely's expedition to
the North has for couple of years been adjoining the
walls of the Navy Department. The artist has been
in vain trying TO sell it TO the Government not be
cause he did not ask enough but probably because he
| Is young vet and does not know the ropess but II
he has patience he is certain to succeed sooner OF
later picture Illustrating of the naval fights
I'm the War of 1872 and painted By a Californian. was
| recently received at the Capitol No daylight evei
peneracs near II, which is great advantage to the
picture The statue of Lincoln in front OF the Court
House. standing pillar like Simon sylites of old
ought certainly to be removed in the interest of good
| taste: and so ought the Army and Navy Monument
at the head OF Pennsylvania-ave. The proper place
L.. Is a gIaYeYard. a,,hli