, 1891-03-05
A QUESTION OF FIGURES
Who Stole the Clothes of the Wy
oming Goddess of Liberty
The Lady on the Great Seal Pos
ing as a Greek Slave
While the Legislature Believed Her
Comfortably Attired.

The female figure which was selected to
adorn the new state seal hrs lost her
clothes. Just how this calamity was
brought about no one pretends to know
definitely, although some shrewd sus-
picions have been expressed.
Various designs were submitted for the
new state seal. but that OF Representative
Buechuer of this city wss adopted. Il was
a strikingy artistic piece of work. which
in a landscape IN the foreground very
cleverly introduced the various industries
OF the state. The center of the seal was
very appropriately devoted to a female
figure, as IMPLYING the universal suffrage
which prevails here. In the Buechner
design this figure was draped in classic
clothes, with one hand resting upon a
shield and the other uplifted.
The design which accompanied the en-
crossed copy OF the bill from the legisla-
ture to the governors office bears no re-
semblauce, SO far as the female figure is
concerned, to the design which the mem
bers OF the legislature believed they had
adopted. The figure is supposedly that
of a Greek slave. This interesting ie-
male stands upon what Is intended to
represent a platform, it is believed, but
in reality resembles a large shallow pan or
beer vat in which the lady might, without
much stretch of the imagination, be cred
tied with soaking her eorns. Her face is
represented IN profile and the cxuberance
OF her nose. which is relatively of the
same size as one of her feet, is the joy
and delight OF every beholder.
This extremely useful organ repre-
sents u very acute triangle
and the point OF it seems sharp enough
to split a board. The figure is scarcely
classic in its outline and the face bears no
evidence OF satisfaction over the lavish
il not a%lluring display made of it. Upon
one side of the body is an %afiuent ex-
crescence which the artist probably in
tended as a weapon of defense. One
arm is appraised to a star which is in
reach OF the finger tips and is supposed
to be marked with the figures III" The
hand on the other arm isn't appraised. 1t
is proportionately about as big as a
smoked ham and is being utilized by the
lady in a well devised but palpably I'M
successful endeavor to conceal her beaute-
Gus person, much the same as though she
were partially hidden behind a stone wall.
From each wrist depends what
at first glance appears to be
several links of sausage, giving forth
the impression that the Young lady had
been surprised by the artist at a moment
when she was making a meal of the delic-
ious but mysterious conglomeration which
goes under the euphonious name of saus-
age. Conuoissuers, however. are of the
opinion that instead of sausage this is in
tended to represent the broken links of
the chains OF political slavery which had
bound woman previous to her enfranchise-
ment here.
Mr.. Buechner never knew of the substi-
tuition until yesterday. He Is naturally high
ly inccnsed and believes that Senator Chat
terton is responsible for having inflicted a
nude figure upon the state seal. He In-
tends to make a great effort to prevent
the adoption OF this startling seal by the
state officials. The design is, however, a
part of the enrolled act received by the
governor and approved by him. If any
new seal is therefore adopted the nude
figure must form a part of it, but it is be-
lieved that rather than to adopt the &C.
centric design attached to the legislative
act, Governor Barber will retain the seal
so long used BY the territory.