Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-23

tai bears bronze medallion with the coat Of
arms of the State Of Michigan. The State
pays Mr. French $4,000 for his work
The figure is heroic in size, and there was
no place in Statuary Hall where it would
show TO good advantage except on the spot
occupied by the immense, heroic figure Of
Ethan Allen, so the Ethan Allen was
moved a few feet away to the side of the
hall and the Cass statue placed where the
Ethan Allen had stood.
There now remains but one available spot
I'm the hall for statue All the spaces in
the circumference of the chamber, and
along the southern side, where the Speak
er's dais stood when the House of Repre-
sentatives occupied the room, are entirely
filed up with the exception of one small
space. On this southern side Of the cham.
Der stand heroic statues Of Governor Allen,
of Ohio, and President Garfield, both by
Niehaus. In ridiculous proximity to these
fine, heroic figures is the little, Impairment
figure of Muhlenberg, the preacher Cen
eral of Pennsylvania, who was the first
Speaker of the American Congress under
the constitution. This statue of Mullen
berg makes Pennsylvania ludicrous in Stat
uary Hail. The general law governing the
use of the chamber provides that there
shau be admitted to it only statues of dis
.inguisheG citizens of States, and that they
must be approved works of art
Tho Muhenberg figure seems TO come
under neither of these provisions. Not one
American out of ten remember Mullen
berg's name, and certainly as a work of
art this piece of marble is monstrosity
Muhleuberg seems to be on q dead run, and
the guides about the Capitol allude TO HIM as
the "sprinter." 1t would be far more to the
credit of the Keystone State to spend fifty
thousand dollars or seventy-five thousand
dollars for a statue Of Tnad Stevens to
stand on this Valhalla of American states
men.
Wisconsin two years ago appropriated fifty
thousand dollars for a statue of Pore
Marquette for Statuarv Hall without know
ing that under the Federal law it could
not be received, as Fere Marquette was not
citizen of any State. 1t has been proposed
by Wisconsin men to use the appropriation
for statue of Matt Carpenter, her most
distinguished statesman. This, however,
Is hardly likely TO be done so soon after Dir
Carpenters death.
Mr.. French has succeeded admirablvwith
the clothes on the figure of General Cass.
at is almost impossible" SAID Mr. French
when | met him the other dav, as he was
chiseling some parts of the marble, Ito do
justice TO the human figure when clad in
Swallow-tail coat. II is a theory Of NINE
Shat most sculptors pay too much attention
20 the clothes in the modern costume and
not enough to the anatomy of the figure
within them, and on that account there
have been failures. In making this statue
of General Cass-aud / freely confess that
it Is one Of the hardest undertakings l ever
assumed have made the most accurate
and painstakiag study to decide what the
figure should be. | modelled the figure first
and then upon it modelled the clothes. II
there is any success in this statue as it
stands, it is as result Of that method.
''Men who knew General Cass in life tell
we that l have succeeded In catching the
exact pose of his figure, the pose of his
head and the fit and set of his clothes. |
had difficulty in determining what the cos
tune should be. as / was unable TO secure
clothes worn by General Cass. but there
were numerous portraits, full length and
three-quarters figure, and some daguerreo-
types. | went to Detroit where General
Cass lived so long and from his friends and
kindred was able to secure accurate infor-
nation. think there is very little to 9ues-
sion in respect TO the costume. OF course, +
tic greater part OF my work was spent
upon the face aud head, where the success
g portraiture must be had
General Casss was q man OF fine, symmet-
real features, but there were distinctive
pecuharities about has countenance difficult
70 secure. presume made twenty models
OF his head before l stopped The marble
E' which the figure Is chiseled is from
Carrara, and one Of the finest pieces of
stone ever saw. perfect in every inch.
49, inquire was cuIseIea IN tarfs unoer my
direction, and in considerable part by my
sell have now moved my studio 10 NeS
York, where l am engaged on heroic
statue c1 Dr. Gallaudet and one of Thomas
Starr King, which will be erected in San 1
Francisco
''The GGilaudetis to stand out here at Ken
dali Green, the college for deaf mutes, in |
the suburbs Of " ashington"
Becoming interested somewhat IN tia no |