The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-02-20
BRNNINGTON,s OBELISK. .

bu gdepot. on lhes ruke Of three O'Clock
There is no one but "R' an myself in
the smokery of the Pullman, and so live
ly is that the, so witty the sallies of my
friend, so delectable the gossip we swap
about our mutual friends, that night
drops its African mantle down over the
brown landscape of Baldwinville and its
vicinity almost unheeded; we are soon
despatching tOunteOus supper in Athol:
and after an inteval of time which se ems
phenomenally brief, we are shooting
through the Hole IN the Hill, with it,
twelve hundred and fifty incandpscepi
lights, and dt eight o'clock arrive in North
Adams, the mountain girdled metropolis
o. Western Massachusetts,, where We
sleep.
In 'he morning it has grown suddenly
cold, the air has become as cleaf as crys-
tai and great rolling gray clouds sweep
from west to east, casting deep purple
shadows on the sere bills as they pass,
II look up at Hoosac Mountain, over
whose broad summit the sun has just
risen, and the shadowal flank of this
strong height looms fat mass of misty
violet, edged with silver. and seems al
most to ovPrhanR the town. II is 4 elor-
ious winter day among the hills, which
are always beautiful, and never more so
than on such February morning. Tht
top of one rouud-hedded mountain near
WIlliamstown is just busted with hoary
frost; ON other wooded upland slopee
the thick se ond-growth forests have the
soft te extures of velvet in the distance.
The ride from North Adams to Ben
nlngton is an exhIlarating succession Of
fine landscape views, with lncessant sur
prises and charms for the eye. The
train winds through valleys. now tortu.
Gus and narrow, now broad and flat,
like the New Hampshire Intervales;
climbs the sides Of the hill, doubles ano
twist, reveals glimpse of far away blue
mountains, darts through rocky gorge,
and, as it approaches Bennington, give,
the traveller fine treat in v Ide paDo-
rama of magnificent proportions stretch
ing hoTiz n of faint blue peaks which
melt into the sky.
In yonder field the sturdy men of he
roic age met and routed the hirelings OF
the NAL British monarch; and on yonder
hill is the strong. simple, stately shaft
which is to tell 10 all the future age-
that the sons of Revolutionary sires d.
not forget, that republics are not migrate
full.
In what a setting this jewel shines
For this noble picture what royal back
ground
The modern part OF Bennington nest
Ies in broad basin about 500 feet above
the level of the sea, 10 the centre Of al
irregular amphitheatTe, the highest pnin'
IN the surrounding belt of hi s-B Id
Misunderstanding the elevation OF
$500 feet. Bennington Centre, the Ban
niugton of 17S7, is one of the foot hills H
mile distant. 1t is, in fact one of those
Ioua Mt bill towns of the last century,
built before the days of railroads, all on
one wide street, with its white meeting
house and academy. lifting their belfrier
against the sombre background OF
the higher pint-clad hills beyond
These Green Mountains, brown at thIs
season. but with slight purple bloom
Of tint like heather, are not rough bold,
Ij,gged, but all suave and gentle in their
Ou lines, full of grace and long, sweep
ing curves The main chain at the east
Of Bennington which is only part OF
the great system extending from North
ern Vermont TO Long Island Sound, is
uurIvalled in the beauty Of it's sky lines
Such, then, is the scene, and II the read
ers will whip imagination into ACTIVITY
to fill out this most inadequate sketch,
and bring to mind all the most graciou>
memories of New England hills, some
notion NAV be gained of the frame
Wherein the Bennington Battle Mnnu-
;nent appears. belongs and Is at home.
1t is my own supposltion that the ar
chitect, Mr.. j, Philip Rim, looked upon
this great amphitheatre of hills, and saw
its strength. it's simplicity, its grace and
It's durability, and the thought must hav'
come to him that, whatever monumen,
we're reared here, it should logically pos.
sess enough of these same characteristics
tu be in harmony with its su' rOundlngs
its lines should be the curving line of
beauty exemplIted by the hills; the i'm
preston should be not My of strength,
of massiveness. of height, of durability
grandeur and dignity, but also of mort
tender and intimate beauty; that is Il
saw, he was artist enough to get ack tC
first principles by accepting a leading
hInt from nature. In applying The idea
of vertical curves 10 the form of thu
obelisk, he was not 80 much Develop nI
modification of a shape old as mOnu
. mental art as he was restoring the prim
uive purity Of the form which the Egypt
ians of old invented to express their bop'
and pride, which in their hands WAS mo-
? stupid, angular and straight-cOrnere'
affair, but well proportioned and artis
nc composition. The monoitha takeI
from Egypt to Rome, Paris LondoI
9 and New York were never cut by j 'uI
ueym stoDe.cutters with geomelTica
j straight edges; they had fatness an,
3. warmth in their lines, which curved
: very slightly, it il true, but therein wa
4 their beauty. BrsIdes this, the tru
ubelisks are covered with inscription
and bieroglypbics, not only interesting
from what they tell, but as ornament
to the surface of the monuments, givinI
relief, texture and light and shade to Lh
stone.
The Bennington Monument looks q
old, as tranquil, and as enduring as tn
hills. II is constructed OF dolomit
a stone, of the nature Of the North Rive
= blue stone, We y hard, closv grained an
i impervious to water. This gray blu
/ stone ia in large surfaces susceptible Il
the influence of sunlight, not geologic
I ally. but chromatIcally. When l frs
: saw the monument 1t looked black il
e the shadow OF the clouds, but when tn
sun came forth, and l saw the shat
. from the street of old Bennington vii
D lage, it took on soft and ETHEREAL tin
. of mouse gray. The 1t one is left uncu
AS to its face and as the light falls at a.
e angle upon it the great towering wall i
7 enriched by hundreds Of little points o
' shadow and bubbles of light. Like tn
2 sea and the hills and the clouds, 1t neve
= locke alike twice, but changes unde
If every varying phase of light, The rough
ness of the face tffords depth of texture
Il variety of stone, aud subserves in som
i degree the same purpose as the heiro
o glyphics, of the Egyptians, in obviatin
u the cold mOnOtony Uf smooth, mechan
e zeal surface.
r The obelisk is 81 feet square at its bas
b and its total height lie 30S feet. Tn
= curve in its outline begins by an almos
lmperceptible tapering which in the firs
200 feet amounts only to 215 inches. A
II the height of 200 feet is band of ham
y mered :stonP, marking the place of tn
'e outlook or observatory, which is a ha
y % teet square and l6 feet high, wit
y twenty high and narrow windows, fiv
~ on each side. A secund band of ham
u mered stone, wider than the first, indi
Is Gates the point from which soars the Gu
minating sec ion of the shaft. FrOI
L. this pause upward. the curve of the shat
becomes more decided, until, by sol
'r of geometrical progression, at the heigh
W OF 302 feet from the ground, the mont
D. menI comes TO an apex, crowned by
rod 9 feet high supporting a gilt ter
pointed star feet in diameter.
n The monument is now virtually con
/ pleted 80 far as the outside is concerned
ts though much remains to be done in th
~ way of details, and as a work Of art
r something Of which the States Of Ver
mont Massachusetts and Nav HAM