Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-26
A FAMOUS MARBLE.
The Remains of Canova's
Statue at Washington.
FRAGMENTS SAVED FROM FIRE,

FkAGMENTS SAVED FkUM FIRE.
How q Superb Art-WOrk Was De-
strOyed in 1880 by the Burning
Of North Carolina's Capitol.
Your correspondent to-day resur-
rected the fragments of the most ia
nous statue of a public man in
America. They are all that is left Of
Canova's statue Of Washington, once,
in all its beauty and artistic greatness,
The pride of the State. Canova, more
nearly thsn any man in modern
times, approached the ancient artists
of renown, and this statue he re-
garded as one of his masterpieces.
The Legislature of this State in 1916
ordered the statue to be made "as an
establishment Of the capitol, in the
rotunda of which it shall be placed,
and as a tribute from the people
of North Carolina to the memory of
Washington, the soldier, the patriot,
the hero" The commission was given
the illustrious Canova, who threw
his soul into the work. In 1920 it
was completed. By an act of Con-
gress, the frigate Macedonia was
ordered to bring it to America, and
did so. The statue was brought to
Wilmington, and was thence trans
ported up the Cape Fear River to
Fayetteville. 1t was there received
with great joy by the patriotic people,
and preparations were made for its
transportation to Raleigh. Carefully
covered with planks and beams, it
was at length arranged upon sort of
wagon, drawn by twenty-four horses.
and was slowly moved over the
forty-five miles of rough road between
Fayetteville and Raleigh. An escort
accompanied it, and the people
on the route were greatly gratified at
the display. On arrival at Raleigh
the statute was taken to what was
then known as the Governors Pal
ace," at one end Of Fayetteville street.
1t remained in the street there for
day or two, while pageant wa pre-
pared to make its arrival at the Cap
itol. 1t was drawn to the Capitol by
a great number OF gayly caparisoned
horses, under the escort of the mill
tary, the Governor and State officers
being in the procession, as also the
Chief Justice of the United and other
distinguished men. Salvos of artil-
lery greeted it as it reached the Cap
itol. 1t was placed upon its pedestal
in the rotunda, and little later was
unveiled in the presence Of num-
Der of dignitaries.
1t was of the purest Carrala marble,
and represented Washington in the
costume of a Roman General, seated
upon chair. In his left hand was
tablet, in his right stylus. Beside
him were his short sword and belt,
and below this were the words: ga.
Canova faciebat, Rome, 1920" Upon
the lofty pedestal were bas reliefs
representing scenes in Washington's
military career, the designs bold, yet
exquisite, and about one-eighth life
size. People of culture came to
Raleigh from far and near to see the
statue. A soft light fell upon it
through the rotunda from above, and
the OBJECT was very striking. The
likeness was perfect, and many old
veterans of the Revolution pro-
nounced it the noblest likeness of the
great hero,
In 1926 Lafayette visited North Car
olina as the honored guest of the State
and its whole people. Immediately
upon his arrival here he was taken to
see the statue OF his beloved friend
and commander. An artist was pres
ent and has preserved for us the only
picture of the statue. Washington
sits, serenely calm, in all the grandeur
Of marble, while below stands Lafsy.
cite, in his costume 81 the gentleman
Of the period, looking earnestly at the
face of the hero. On Lafayette's arm
rests a lady's hand. and beside him is
trim figure in the quaint costume OF
a lady of the day. This was Miss
Eleanor Haywood, then a noted belle
and toast, at whose fathers house
Lafayette was for a time guest.
Strange to say, in 1874, this lady,
then aged seventy, died on Washing
toms birthday. There are few copies
Of this picture in existence. One is
in the Governor s Office, another in the
Senate chamber.
Lafayette was given a levee here,
at the Governors palace. Several
gentlemen, now old citizens, were pre-
sent as boys, and two as members OF
a cavalry troop. The latter recall La
fayette's greeting to the old soldiers
of the Revolution. He hugged them
with demonstrations OF joy as they
were presented by Colonel Polk, q
noted hero Of the Revolution, while in
his broken English he spoke to them
| Loaded with love and honors, La
fayette left the capitol for Fayetteville
which city, then next to the chief one
in the State, had been named in biz
honor. He was naturally proud of this
and was still more gratifed at the
reception the people OF the quaint old
town gave him. Fayetteville had
once been known as Cross Greek
from the fact that the streams Of two
creeks, meeting at right angles, crossed
each other. 1t became Cambelltor
when the Scotch settled it and tha
region, and Lafayette was shown the
ruins Of the house where Flora Nc
Donald lived while in North Carolina
She fed here after "the 49," and the
Scotch still cherish her memory
Only the brown-stone doorsill of hel
house now remains, and on this, thret
years ago, your correspondent sa
while visiting Fayetteville.
All these bits of history or legeni
the sight of the mutilated statute CALL
up. In 1880 workmen one windy day
were on the roof of the Capitol with {
furnace for heating soldering irons.