Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-06
THE STATUE is HERE.
PREPARATIONS BEING MADE TO MOVE
1T TO THE PEDESTAL.
A Peep st Lees Head--A Dispatch Man
Gets Glimpse at the Rider
Return from Paris OF
Mr.. Burgwyn.

Sunday afternoon tho statue Of Lee ar
rived here from New York.
Two fat-cars were covered with the four
great boxes containing the horse and rider,
and were side-tracked on Broad street near
Graham.
That afternoon and all Of yesterday they
were the objects of attraction for thou
sands. Tho cases would all have been
clipped away and carried of by the relic
hunters but for the presence OF police
man. who, under orders. permitted the
public TO look, but not to touch with kniIe
or chisel the boxes wherein the bronze was
packed.
HK CUT VIEW
Before the statue got 20 Richmond some
man doubtless burning up with curiosity
had ouenched his thirst by breaking IN
board of one Of the boxes. thereby en-
Rbling him 70 look square into the eyes
of Lee.
That case was marked FACE" and all
the person bad to do was to smash an end
Of an eight-inch plank and the head ana
body Of Lee were IN view.
LES HRAD.
The head is about the size Of half barrel.
The bronze is as dark rs that of Washing
toms sfatue on the Capitol Square, which,
however, was as bright rs cent Just i1om
the mint when il reached here ana was
raised upon the pedestal.
Mercie had his work cast in darker metal
A LIKENEss.
peerine through the opening in the case,
which contains that portion OF the rider
from the saddle up, YOU wonder II Mercle
has made a likeness of Lee. You see before
Won a titanic head. You would have TO
look NJ it from tho big end OF tele-
scope TO get the normal size. mat done,
doubtless YOU would be well satisfied, for
in SCULPTURE of this character you must not
insist upon Photographic oxactness. Inc
face Will be sixty feet above the level or
the ground in Lee circle. At that distance
from YOU you will see in Mercie's WORK the
dicnified, calm. and courageous commander
of the Army of Northern Virginia.
II MANHOoD's PRIME.
II is the General. not the college presi-
dent that Mercie has made. The lines
have the masterful tracings which show
our hero in his prime, not as he was after
Appomattox; not as he was in his last days
He was handsome as n youth; he was bet
terlooking still when he was IN the old army;
but the perfection Of his manly beauty was
reached in the Confederate service, Then
he was at the apex of his mental and physl-
cal power.
So Mercie has endeavored TO picture
him.
THE FEATURTs.
In colossal head like this You do not
expect TO see an expression like that IN
fine oil painting; hut You rightly demand
the well-recogaized hneaments-the large,
shapely head, the broad and high fore
head, the prominent nose, and the mouth
and chin. indicative Of strength of Charac-
ter. The head is bare of hat, but true to
life, covered with abundant locks of halr.
The shoulders are square and shapely, the
breast wel-developed, and the General
wears the regulation coat of his rank, one
lapel of which is Just little awry Qnten-
tionally sol. to break the stiffness and pam
ful precisenesS Of the lines.
TIE SOLDIERS WILL KNOW HIM.
In truth the bust seems to be Lee as the
soldiers OF the Army of Northern virginia
knew him, Leo as he was when he took
command of the army before Richmond;
as he was when the soldiers pulled him 10
the rear when he would have led them III
their charge in the Wilderness; as he was
when. after the bloody defeat at Gettys-
burg, he took all the blame upon himself
as he was when, at Cold Ilarbor. he dealt
Grant q fearful blow; as he was even IN
April. 1865, when ne rode out Of the lines
md met Grant and signed the terms OF
mental and physical; model soldier
and man, hero whose fame Will forever
gild our historys pages.
I've IN BOX.
Prom his narrow place IN the poX Lee
seems looking out the aperture OF the
broken board upon the azure skies OF his
native State The trees are smiling IN the
tender verdure Of the early sprlng; BIRDS
are singing on every branch, and nature IS
in lis most jubilant mood. 1t Is almost a
repetition Of the May days of 1862, when
the Coufederacv was Assem- mbhng at Rich
mond the grandest army II ever had, whose
handsome gray uniforms were soon 10 De
stained in bivOuacs AMI trenches ana
whose glittermg guns were speedily TO be
smoked at Seven Pines, MechancSville,
Cold Harbor, and Malvern Hill.
"Ihe Sword OF Lee hangs IN the same
box with MS body and his eyes seemto rest
upon lt.
II il prodigious weapon. Not even
such giant as the Revolutionary patriot
Peter Francisco would he able to WELD 1t,
even if he could withdraw 1t from the
scabbard. which he couldn't.
No. sword and scabbard are one piece OF
bronze.
the Generals belt are, however, not cast,
but wrought.
In another box-tbe box Of boxes for
si2e-is the horse's legless aud tallless)
body. Lees legs are part OF this piece.
In another Is the plinth or bronze plat
form upon which the horse Will stand. In
the fourth box arc the legs of the horse.
When Mr.. Burgwyn comes to JON these
several parts the plinth will be first put IN
place: upon this the horses legs VIII be
fastened: upon the legs the body will go /;
10 the body the tail Will be joined; then
the body of Lee will be riveted IN the sad
die.
This done it will but remain for the
sword to be attached to the belt, and we
will have Lee as he Is represented III
Mercie S sculpture.
UNLOADING.
The work of unloading the statue was
begun Yesterday. The chief labor is TO
get the big box (horse's body from the
flat-car TO the immense wagon which has
been drawn upalongside Il.
The tires on this wagons wheels are six
inches wide and much over an inch thick,
and the spokes hubs, oXles, and frame
work correspond in mas>iyeneSs.
The next most difficult piece to handle is
the box in which Is the great bronze plat
form to cover the top of the monument.
The other two boxes will be easily man.
aged.
MI. W. a ". Aplt HAS luo NVhti".' ANA
unloading the fats and placing the boxes
on trucks and has already made good pro-
cIess.
THE BOXES.
In the crowd OF people who on Sunday
gave the statue welcome" TO Richmond
was a gentleman who said he would pay
$3.50 for the empty boxes.
What did he want with them?
Why be proposed TO cut the timber into
walkinc-sticks 10 sell during the celebra-
ton.
The wood OF which these great heavy
cases is made is spruce pine and maple III
rough, undressed state.
The boxes are numbered from to in
elusive and each Is addressed to
Gi Lte,
Governor Of Tie state Of Virginia.
Ne,5 York City.
Tinted States Of america.
At New York city the consignment by
agreement went into the hands OF Wells,
Fargo a Co.'S express for reshipment to
Richmond
PERSONAL.
General Ftzhugh Lee was Governor
-. A. oo,troat ,trffh MoTCiS WAS made.