San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1888-01-12
STATUE OF LIBERTY.
THE GODDESS VISITORS NOT so
NUMEROUS AS THEY WE'RE.

into u Conventional Harbor Land
manifestations from the Country-A
Commanding OutIsok-statuettes.
Few big undertakings Gro whole years
wonder, and 1t is only natural that the
Statue Of Liberty should be falling more
and more into conventional harbor land
mark. Snch, In fact, 1t IL; and though
the boats still run down from the Barge
office daily with fair sprinkling Of sight,
seers, one can feel that Bartholdi's WORK
has lost its freshness for all but n few
strangers and enthusiasts. The sail these
hot days is pleasant one, and the air ut
the island IS cool and salty. That the
statue is there Is something, but not all
that IL used TO be.
Things on the island look much rs they
did tho day after the unwilling. The
same rough wooden stairs lead up from
the pier to the outer ramparts, over which
the same useless six gun battery frowns.
Across the narrow interspace are the old
star shaped granite walls Of Fort Wood,
with their curious winding sallyports.
They will be hidden some day by tho big
embansment which Is to slope from the
sea wall up to the statues base. There
are no signs OF such terrace work now,
and the walls stand out rs bald and dull
as ever against the lighter, polished granite
of the pedestal. Even the wooden plat
form Is still standing under the south face
of the pedestal, from which the unlucky
orators faced the mist and rain on the day
of the unwilling and struggled against the
whistles of the feet Of tugs. The same
narrow wooden staircase runs up to the
doorway of the pedestal. There Is no
elevator inside. The stone steps are hard
to climb, and one can get no further than
tho goddess heel without n permit from
the American committee. The American
committee, IL turns out, Is still In charge
of tho statue, though the government
nominally owns It. A good deal Of brac-
ing has to be done yet inside the big
figure; and the terracing outside, for
which the committee Is responsible, has
not even been begun. No money is on
hand, and there Is little chance Of raising
any.
One misses the crowds, Of course, that
used to struggle down to the island on
the overloaded steamboats, last fall, and
the hustle Of tho workmen hammering
away high up on the head and shoulders
of the big, unfinished goddess. The last
bolt was driven and the last rivet placed
nowadays on the quiet island Is the morn
ing bugle of the little squad Of infantry
that garrisons it. The artillerymen from |
the harbor forts found life too dull and
lonely under tho shadow Of the big beacon,
and less favored company Of infantry |
was brought down from Sackett's Harbor |
to relieve them. There Is guard, as
usual, on the pier; another ut the base Of !
the statue; another at the base of the big |
bronze figure itself.
FROM THE COUNTRY.
Most Of the visitors to Bedloe's Island |
nowadays are people from the country |
stopping over for day or two IN New |
York. What they don't know about the
harbor from the guido books Is scarcely |
worth knowing and the talk they hazard |
from the deck OF the steamer as 1t leaves
the barge Office is often most refreshing.
81 guess that be Staten Island" said
hayseedy looking old gentleman the other
day to his wide mouthed family Of six.
"Sir Rastus Wymen or some such noble.
man owns the hull of It.
can mebbe that's one Of them towers
of Babylun that wo hearn Cousin Jimmy
a-talkin' about" he continued, jerking
his finger at Castle William. 'Wall,
never. don't see no Brooklyn bridge
down here, though it oughter be pretty
near in front OF us. That's the East river
what runs west, really, JUS as the North
river runs south. Blamed of i kin tangle
her out right. / see the Goddess Of Lib
erty plain cnnuf, and thems the Narrows
what's behind her, where you see the
smoke a-hangln', Must be Coney Island
there with the hills onto ID But | don't
seem TO find that Brooklyn bridge, no.
how"
The old man gazed carefully again
around tho horizon. His idea of bridge
was sort of n poutoon with draw. He
tell on the real bridge Mt last from the pier
= Bedloe's Island-a fine, GauZy net
cork, showing against the black roofs
md spires and tho SKY beyond. He didn't
shy a word, hut stared at it blankly for
1--WE minutes, and then for five minutes
more at the goddess; and the people Of
will hardly be able to tell next
winter which Of the two is the greatest Of
tho modern seven wonders.
A COMMANDING OUTLOOK.
No visit to the island is complete with
put n look through the parade ground,
irom the middle of which the statue rises,
and climb TO the galleries of the pcdes-
tai with their commanding outlook on the
Aarbor ana It's pretty eetunS OF nils, |
spires, towers and black, dense patches Of
.ities. The pedestal is open all the way
up, though the copper figure itself 10
barred against the unfaynrSd. 10 is a long
Journey 10 the top, however, and the pros.
hect is scarcely tempting on hot day TO
lie unenthur.asilc. The men are gen
rally mattcruf fact enough 10 &c satisfied
with the view below. The Young women.
those from the country doing
the sight6 Of New York, are more ambi-
lions
The country people are the hest custO-
ners too, Il tbe girl who sells statuctics,
medals and mcU3rial volumes on the
steamer. Most of the siatuettes have
been On the market n good while. There I.
are some ncw ones, however, representing
Liberty a.ts.dr u the North Polo
Il = colorcd clU' e. with the continents
and oceans an neatly laid ont il rc,l and
olue and yellow. The Bariho,di medals
have heal stamped 90 tie face. which I
might he taken equally vel Tor Julirs /
-asar, AlgNar'ler the Grsat. Geor-c
Washington 1r l.ouis NaQo.Con- r. passes /
veil e-loU-h. however. with thosc VIM :
ave never srcn the Frellch sculptor -
sew HorI. Trrlune