Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-06-25
BEECHEl STATUE.
dwelling Of = rribate to the
Great Divine il Brooklyn.
An Event of Public interest in
the City Of Churches.


Anniversary OF Beecher's Birth-The
Statue Bronze, Of Heroic Size and
Mounted on o1iucy Granite Pedestal.
The Work of sculptor }. o. Ward.
BROOKLYN, June 25-The unwilling
Of the statue Of Henry Ward Beecher
on City Hall squaec, Wednesday, was
an event of great public interest. The
speakers platform was at the westerly
end Of the City Hall steps, directly OPP
posite the statue Back of this on the
City Hall steps was platform filled
with the committee in charge of the
matter, members Of Mr.. Beecher's fam
lily, the city mid county officials, JUDGES
of the courts and prominent public men.
A large space on tie Court street side Of
the City Hall park was reserved for sub
scribers to the statue fund.
The members OF the Thirteenth regi-
ment, of which Mr.. Beecher was chap
lain, and the veterans of the Sixty
seventh New York volunteers, in which
Mr.. Beecher's son, Colonel Henry b.
Beecher, went to the war, were grouped
in the park back of the statue, with a
band, and at the left of the statue were
300 school children Of Plymouth church
and its missions selected to sing. The
greater part Of Che city hall steps and
the Fulton street side of the square was
open 70 the public. The city han was
deliberately decorated.
The Exercises.
The exercises opened with prayer by
the Rev. S. B, Halliday, long Mr..
Beecher's assistant il Plymouth church.
DIR. Charles Fl. Hall, chairman Of the
Beecher committee, introduced Mayor
Chaplin as the presiding officer. Before
the speeches the statue was unveiled by
grandchild Of Mr.. llcccher, Gertrude
Roxana Beecher, years Of age, daugh-
ter of William c. Geacher The sculp-
tor, j. @. Ward, led her to the statue
and placed the lines in her hand While
the unwilling took place, the Sunday
school children gang "Beecher, lei by
the band.
DR.. Hall made the formal presentation
Of the statue to the city, and it was &C
cepted by Mayor Chaplin who turned il
over to the care of the park department,
represented by President George V.
Brewer. The band then played "the
Adagio," from Reothoyen's fifth sym
phony, and Dr. Srth Lowell, ex-mayor
of Brooklyn and president of Columbia
college, delivered tho Grafton After
this "America" was sung, and Rabbi
Gustav Gotthoil, Of Temple Emanuel,
New York, pronounced the benediction
Description OF the Statue.
The statue ii of bronze Of heroic size,
and stands upon Quincy granite pedes-
tai, suitably inscribed. 1t represents
Mr.. Beecher with his head bare and his
hat in his hand, wearinga cape oyercoat
and an ordinary suit of clothing and
standing in firm, erect position The
pose was chosen from Photograph
which the family reEa | MS the best ever
taken of him. The face is somewhat
idealized but much of the characteristic
expression Of Mr.. Beecher has been pre-
served. There are three auxiliary figures
placed about the pedestal. On the right
is the life-size figure of q young woman,
representing victim of African slavery,
laying palm branch mt the feet of the
man who did SO much TO secure emanci-
patton. On the Other side are two life
size figures of children. One is boy,
who has thrown his coat ON the lower
part of the pedestal and is sitting on it.
holding u girl so that she can reach upI
and lay wreath of flowers at the feet
of Mr.. Beechcr. Both children are bare
footed and simply clad.
The figure Of Mr.. Deccher is 8 feet
inches; the other figures are: the regr
girl, measuring feet inches, and tho
children, each about 4 l-9 feet Til,
height of the pedestal, which is con.
siderably broader than it is deep, is l0I
feet, thus giving to the monument a
total height of Is feet 6 inches. The
sculptor has endeavorod with courage
to represent not alone . maN Eof courage,
of boldness and of intellect, but ono
of broad sympat y with humanity, the
figures of tho children testifying TO hi
sympathy with young life, as that of til,
girl does with the oppressed.
This was an appropriate day for the
unwilling. as it was the anniversary the
seventy eighth--of Mr., Becchcr's birth.