Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-25
MONUMENT COMPLETE
The Equestrian Statue Set Upon
the Granite Pedestal.
PRETTY PICTURE OF IT.
Enterprise Of the Dispatch Gives lis Readers
th First Trustworthy View.
THE UNWILLING DAY
Great Preparations TO Make 1t a
Glorious Success.
ROUSING REUNIONS.
Veterans toHaye Royal Reception from
a Loving People.
Schedule OF THE WEEK.
Parades, CstmOnies Addresses, Balls, and
0thuEnldlainmcniS in Store
VISITORS DIRECTORY.
How and Nhere You viii Find Your
Fdebs During the CeIe-
bration Days.
paradts CefmOnies Addresses, Balls, and
0thtrEnlerlainmrntS in Store.
VISITORS DIRECTORY
How and Nhere You win Find Your
Fdeds During the CeIe-
bratiOn Days

The pictue of the Lee monument here
with presented is the best one ever en-
graved.
No other c,mpares with it in fidelity and
accuracy Of letail.
1t was dra Fn from the most Authentic
material tn. pedestal from photograph
Of the grapte-work itself; tho bronze
equestrian coup from photograph made
in Paris undr the personal direction of
Mercie
A competdt artist with these two pic
lures beforehim made the drawing which
is here Reproduced in print.
TIE PEDESTAL.
The pede4al proper is q classical compo-
sition, uniting the gracefulness of the
Grecian style Of architecture with the so
lidity Of modern requirements. Theli
head is intended to portray the dauntless
courage of the man: the oak typifies his
great endurance, and the laurel proclaims
his right ID be crowned as one of the
worlds heroes.
The idea of the plaque, which is fastened
on each face of the pedestal, IS to immor-
talize tho ,ame LEE. This is upon raised
disk surrounded by wreath Of immor-
telres. such as was used by tho Greeks in
GROWING the heroes Of the Olympic games.
The nlme Is supported by marshaps
trunchson.
The PLAQUE is very large; In fact, the
Bonnald Bronze Company say 1t is the
largest single piece they ever made. and
the most successful. To prevent 1t from
warping by the alternate expansion and
contraction due to changes in temperature
it vas important to fasten it securely at
those points where possible. The stars
merely cover up the bolt-heads, so as to
MAXI the Job look artistic. There is no
thing symbolical in their number. The
engineer was compelled to use ten in order
to bolt ii securely.
LEES POSE.
TIE sculptor represents General Lee as
having just ridden to some eminence
where he may better view the movements
of tae enemy, and here his soldiers recog-
niziag his presence. greet him with one Of
those outbursts Of cheers which never
failed to welcome his presence among
then. and as the General for moment
reis in his horse and acknowledges the
greeting by taking off his hat (Which he
cle1ches in his right hsnd) the artist seizes
the occasion to picture him and present
him to the world in bronze.
rrGrpFs
Tie masonary of the monument is forty
feetfye and seven eighths inches above
thesurface of the ground.
F,om the crown of the riders head to
thebottom of the plinth (base of bronze
wok) is twenty-one feet four inches,
making total height of sixty-one feet nine
and seven eighth inches.
The height Of the masonry OF the Wash
inton monument in our Capital Square is
forty feet; height of the bronze work
twenty feet three inches; total height OF
Washington monument sixty feet three
in.hes: so the Lee monument IS one foot
sit and seven-eighth inches higher than
the monument in the Capital Square.
COMPARATIVE COST.
The total cost of the Lee monument IS
s,5. 600. while the Washington monument
with its equestrian group and tretce Ou'ei
ptces Of statuary cost S259,OOO.
The difference in the cost of the two
monuments would. at first glance, seem to
indicate that that of Lee Is inferior WORK
but such is not the case.
Bronze castings nowadays are not sc
expensive as they were IN lo5l-'5S and the
parisian founder was able 10 make vast
reduction in the expense by casting the
statue in eight or nine pieces, and so ar
ranging that these several parts could be
ioined in 4 manner so as not only 10 dety
detection. but 10 give TO the work as great
If not greater strength than 1T otherwise
would have had.
The stone-work Of the Washington monu
ment was exceedingly expensive, while the
Lee Board got theirs on very good terms
so while the Lee Monument Board made
iudieiously economical use OF their money
they have avoided "cheapness " and nov
present to the world a statue from one o.
The greatest sculptors of Europe, and
pedestal made under Mercle's direction by
H. Puiot, who has a continental lame "a
An architect.
cHEyAIIER MERcIE.
OF Mercie. it is sufficient to say that II
his Gloria Victis he is considered TO nave
made one of the three finest pieces o.
modern sculpture. IL is the admiration o.
all France and stands on the MonthaloI
Z Square in Paris. Another fine work OF hi
is called Q,Ldnd Merne, which is IN the towI
of Belford. The hight, graceful figure o.
Fame, trumpet in hand. poised on the su m
nit of the lofty Trocadero, Is also Mercie'
work. Yet another offspring OF MS geniup
is the spirited group known as the Wlngsc
| Genius on Horseback" This sets over tn'
archway away into tie Louvre OF the oaIn
/ Perec. His David" of the Luxembourg I
also well known. and an equestrian statue
/ by him of King William OF holland Is
strong work of quiet dignity. Specimen
| of his productions as portraie-scuIptJ,
| are seen IN his elaborate work Tor tue toih'
of Louis Philippe, and he has on oruer lron
! the United States Government ior sla'u'
/ Of Lafayette.
Mercie is painter as well as SCULPTOR
and his picture of Venus IN the L1aen M
I bourg is catalogued among the e1Ampicso y
I great modern artists.
LEE MONUMENT CIRCLE
The site of tho Lee monument IS at tn'
west end of Franklin street where y"
avenues. each 140 feet. will intersecE ~
about $40 yards west of Richmond Ooleg
and upon level plain which has an eieva
tion above tide-water greater than thai y
the State Capitol.
The cornerstone Of the Washingto,
monument was laid on the 22d OF ree
unry. 1850, and the equestrian statue statue VIZ
unveiled on the 22d OF February, lsoo.
was tho production of Crawford and hoge1'
and tho casting was done ct Munich.
Tho cornerstone of the Lee monun sa1 ~
- I-t1 h. - n~tA w.