Evening journal., 1888-08-24
FRANCIS SCOTT KEY.
A MONUMENT TO THE AUTHOR OF
THE STAR SPANGLeD BANNER.
Gossip About James Lick, tho San Fran
cisco Millionaire Peculiarities of the
Long Trip Across the Continent-Golde
Gate Park.

erect monument TO the author of THE
Star Spangled Banner" and it is indeed
one of the finest monuments in the United
States. Ii cost six times as much as that
which rests over John Howard Payne's
bones, and it is the work of w. w. Story,
the American sculptor. James Lick, the
California millionaire, and the man whose
money made the big telescope, set aside
800, 900 in his will for this monument,
which was made at Rome. 1t reminds one
much of the monument Of Walter Scott,
which stands in the heart of Edinburgh.
1t is if anything finer than the Scott
monument, and the poet is represented
as sitting within a sort of temple of red
dish yellow marble He is in deep med
itation and is looking out as it were, into
the distance. His statue is larger than
life size, and on the pedestal beneath it
are bronze medallions, while on the top
Of the monument stands gigantic statue
of Columbia holding the American flag.
This statue and that Of Key are bronze,
and the monument as a whole is a fine
artistic creation. 1t is located here in the
Golden Gate park and is where it will DO
seen by thousands.
Francis Scott Key was buried in Balti-
more, and it is a strange thing that here
at San Francisco, 5000 miles away, his
greatest monument stands. His grave is
in Mount Ol.vet cemetery, and the only
stone above 1t is plain marble slab bear
ing the words;
FRANCIS. SCOTT KEY
born
August . 1880
Jan. II, 1913.
This slab was erected by George Fl.
Pendleton, our present minister to Ger
many who, it will be remembered, mar
ried Keys daughter. 1t was one of Keys
sons, Barton Key, who was shot by Gen.
Sickles, and one of his grandsons was
reported as meeting Gen Sickles in New
York the other day. Francis Scott Key
came of one of the Oldest families in the
country. His father was an officer in the
army under Washington. He was man
of means, and his son had a collegiate
education. Francis Scott Key studied
law after graduating, and at one time
occupied the Office of district attorney
for the District of Columbia. He
was here the great friend of John
Randolph, of Roanoal1e, and some Of Ran
dolph's most interesting letters were
written to him. During the war Of 1912
he volunteered in the aid of the defense
of the District Of Columbia. 1t is stated
here that Key was not a prisoner, as has
been supposed. At the time of the attack
of the British forces upon Fort McHenry
he had gone out to the British fleet with
flag of truce to secure the release Of
prominent Maryland physician. The Brit
ish were willing TO release his friend, but
they were then ready to make an attack
upon the fort and they refused to let
Keys vessel go back. The result was
that he had to stay on deck and watch
the fight. When dawn caIne-for this
was during the night-Key and the doc
tor saw the flag still waving, and Key
exclaimed, Look looki The flag is still
there" II was at this time that he COM
posed the first lines of his poem 1t was
written on the spur Of the moment and
was published in one of the Baltimore
newspapers. h was copied everywhere,
was set TO music and soon became the
patriotic song Of America It's compost
ton was widely different from that of
Home, Sweet Home" which it is said
that John Howard Payne composed as
the part Of an opera which he sold for lit
tie more than a song.
Two of Francis Scott Keys grand chill
dren were here at
!. !. !. . s. /:
h @ celebration,
one little boy n
and the other a GA
little girl. Miss TM
Alice Gertrude FAY
Cults wore lib BJ
erty cap of the EI
stars and stripes, N6a5N
and Master Tenn @szs
]. ]. 9: !. ]. ]. !. !: ]: !. !. M
pie Grayson, the sRszt
boy, had n red, IN AF
white and blue ~ WEE
sash about his tiatAsd
jack ct. and he
waved his hand sA
kerchief at his Szz.-asElsSs,
ancestors statue s==-.r=5
when when it .1 was IN IN HN3a3lgR
cheers of tho sshF s=5I1..ara
crow d. James SSrSs-=-= zESar=rS9
Lick was greatly %---=7 -
eulogized in the NM, ~, ,,o,,,.,,,,,,,,
speeches. but the
truth seems to be that most of his good
deeds. were done otter death. He was
Pennsylvania originally and he went in
early life 70 South America. He came to
California during the gold fever of 1913.
| He had accumulated something of for
tune in South America, and he made his
gold breed here like Australian rabbits. In
the words of Gen. Barnes, the man who
made the Grafton at the unwilling Of the
statue, he was a solitary man and never
seemed to care for the friendship of man
nor for the love of woman. He was
austere in manner, exacting what was due