The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-02-14
uOUDON'S WASHINGTON.
..,rv % the Famous statue-'n' '"'
ruene..- Necessity Of n Public
state Library for Its rrescr'S"'"

..rttr~q now hanging W
f.s beon said SD regard TO this impor-
,,osepre thatit would appear a WORK OF
n-,~ston 20 sll another word in this
.rl vot. plain as tho duty may
...m. 81 is possible chat an unwise policy may
-. l.st he adopted 10 executing the details Of
s.somo. The work To be done Is for an
.e,.fo torn Of years. II is not only FOR
etoft this and O few succeeding gene
h-t Derhaus for the life Of q nation.
~ whom ls entrusted this important
.l.rfl remember that q library. like the
.-r plant. should be ever growing. bat
go. fEo same time. It's accrctOus should
ching more than the results of a mere
..,.t.rr process. Such a policy should Do
t.1 4. VII in the end secure the fruits of
f,u and learning. not only for the PIES
en- but for future generations.
guE ITgsr STIR.
The first and most important step 20 be
,..., therefore. is Co secure proper space-an
m..f c.entupon which TO erect "a capacious
.t -.tah.e building. To d. this the state
r..t .o aut Of the narrow lmltsoi ITS present
r grounds. When the seat OK govern
Was removed from Williamsburg 10
m.nl. the latter was quite % snlhu loNn'
fle purchase otthe present puolc SIouuus
o.. considered ample enough i'l ni 4u'uto
rr. off she new capital. 40 tlht liine lNeIe
rs t.t even the germ OF % AoIalt' III WIS
NJ uutl the State own pu.4tAt4oHa Aa4 oo-
tl accumulate JOB SOS lofts. and alter a
reeessarv law books Lad been placed
fMa shelves of the general courtroom, tAat
idea of public library was entertained
Iurely law library was tho germ
the present valuable ana III
rr @rospeets. exceedingly rare collection
D. A rf nunnaanrT fn NffHTnIf
lore 8nv extended account OF now 10y degrees
State has acquired for the number OF It's
..es one Of the most valuable libraries
America. and h0w It has been steadily
e-- led of late years. notwithstanding the
severity ~ the State. by the ludlcious and
Use AZ small appropriations made IN
81. I.r..t. Looking. then. To- its future accu-
r. .t.as in 800 age pulsatng with progress
,- ...rr branch of human eudeavor and CIV
EXPRESSION To its achievements of mind
l.i .lr aid soul through the press 1t IS all
....alt t.at ample provision should now
o.. made for the accommodation OF these
..ig increasing results.
PROPER LOCATION.
Who're. then. is 20 befounda proper locality
e..r.r entity located and adapted 10 tins lm-
r.t.rt object, The public square Is already
F.. mach cuoumbercd by monuments and
Statues. 10 would never DO 10 eucr0Ach upon
%, .ald. scauty area. During the long
heated term Do now scarcely affords breathing
.m -. chat class OF sufferers whose tate 10 IS
81. remain at home. while Others have the
means and opportunity of enjoying cooler re-
t-..,. away from the tOrrid heat of the city.
In .ny event 10 should be the policy OF the
State % enlarge rather than contract the
lr4 .f the public grounds. We all recall the
liberal proposition made during Governor
John B.. iloyd's term. and regret that 1t was
Dot carried out. He proposed that the state
..0uld purchase from the city the space down
t. Main street now occupied by the Custom
House and all tho other buildings south OF
the public square. and all the space north OF
the Capitol square out 20 Broad street. IL Is
scarcely worth while % express bitter regrets
flat his was not then done. Let us repair
tie mistake SD far as we can 10y getting pos
se SION Of all the space that may now be made
available. in whatever direction 10 may lle,
and in disregard of how many houses may
la.e to be removed. We anu0t longer Afford p
tuit add tlme-serylug policy. The state must
aef. must exhibit proper enterprise and show
herself alive 90 her 1881 and the needs GA
tle public. lf there We're no other reason. IL
VIII be wise policy. % good speculation 10
awake from her lethargy and do something TO
l.saluse the outside world OF the supposed
L.uclessncss of her financial condition.
When 10 is remembered also That br the
flle 0t other property not available Tor public
purposes she has realized quite O large sum-.
and that the accrued interest on the original
0unt has added much % tins fund, there
can ue no good reason why she should
NOT 80 once relnve8t this money IN providing
f0r this absolute want.
w~AsuINGrOS's sIATU by HOUDoN
Although the subject has frequently been
tic theme of discussion of late years we can-
refrain from once more referring TO tie
HH..frrInLNa rr0|fI af fnn AfNfnn Of NuaIIHN-
tom lg H0ud0n. which stands in patient ma
.e,ty exposed % daily destruction under the
root Of the Capitol. A people may unwlt-
illlv. by long practice. become accustomed
g. certain habits of mind and body so that
their senslbiltles or o~pprehenslons uDon q
llfrn subject are practically rma or hope
lesslv Oblterated. Al times they may. under
some extraordinary occasion, be reused from
state Of Indifference. But the cOndl-
remaining undisturbed. the indifference
q, ltlnues as chrome as ever. The state II
d rth Carolina some years ago employed the
CanOya TO make "A colossal statue Of
HI lshington. in due time 10 WAS finished and
erected within their Capitol at Raleigh. Tho
building was an old one and not fire proof.
Tie statue was considered SO valuable q one
had been proposed % construct for its
a...mmOdau0n q movable pedestal. so ar
ranged that lu case of fire IL could be safely
out Of the building. But even this
ayalled nothing. The building
t0k fire. CauOya's work and almost every
tl.lg else AIT were destroyed.
So serious was considered tho loss that
every fragment of the statue that could be
was secured with the hope of at least
g partial restoration. The head was found not
injured and was considered SO val
liable that 10 WAS committed % the care of an
arts. VINO claimed that he could reconstruct
70 upon another body and 80 preserve the
of the statue. With this understand
l. le was allowed 70 carry II oil but untoI-
~tulately 70 was never recovered By the au-
taolues Of the State. Here was "a
striking example OF the folly of leaving ex-
posed TO destruction % costly work of art and
valued symbol OF patriotism and national
g~l-.ness.
CAN0vAs STATUE.
There could have been no comparison be-
tween H0udon's statue of the ilu-trl0us NIr-
Lad spent several weeks az Mount Vernon:
bad taken two mOulds of W~asllngtons per-
tn iu plaster: had studied and observed the
lan bis movements. attitudes and personal
..arlues. and was expected TO produce an
I-t representation OF his subject. Con-
teaa oralles were present looking on; critics
N.ie ready 20 complain II necessary. and the
lt who had come moro than three thDu-
'-ai miles. after having his lie insured 10
i ae wen supposed. was anxious 70 make "a
l.e.f likeness of the man whose fame. ~
l.t Very moment. he knew filled the world.
I'D te other hand. CauOya had never seen
"ts. lrt0n. and no matter how fine q Work
y -t .r Low much ldeaIzed might have been
.e Statue 40 Raleigh. its value as a true
ftallIre Of Washington 10 could never have