The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-06-19
The Women Declare That the Great
Montana Silver Statue Il
Legged.
Ocular Proof u Furnished That
Such 10 tho Unfortunate
Fact.
The Thiag to Find Out Now 10 whether
the Fault u with Artist or
Model.

1850 on S0O 9lLV0I otAtuo OK SUsS1Uo = sUe
Montana exhibit In the mines building.
says . Chicago exchange. Soon after
Justice" was unveiled The critics came 10
the conclusion that her complexion was NOS
just what II ought to DO. and an sfsrt has
been made TO tinker mp her facial appear.
ance 20 % To make II pass muster With The
critics. But during the last few days u has
leaked out that . more serious defect had
been discovered In the silver goddess Of
I fair play, and what lends additional inter
ct to the discovery u the fact that u VA
made bv women. Not womsn Art critics
either. but Inst plain, every day. nastsr-of-
fact women. who make no p~Ystenaions
whatever TO be connoisssurs In art matters,
but who know = thing or tvo about what
arr ought to b withal.
In short, these matter-of-faot sisters of
.Justioe" have made the horrible discovery
that she 10 bow-legged.
Tbs a~rt,sts, the art critics and The general
run Of newspaper reporters have oil bad
some observations TO make about the lines
Of Justice. Some Of these criticisms were
decidedly complimentary and some other
wise, Some Of them admired the strong
lines OF the classic face Of the statue and
observed how true they were TO The fscs Of
The model. Others saw more beauty - Shs
round tapering arms Of the statue. while
others again won't into raptures over the
anklee and feet Of the silver goddess.
There was, Of course. some mild s4lsi-
eism, but it was very mild. On or two had
the temerity to observe that The ssasse's
ankles were Just atsife thicker than = we'll
proportioned goddess ought 10 wear. and
Others iusinunted that the statues arm
ftom shoulder to elbow was shorter. per-
haps than a hrst-class figure would present,
and II was intimated from one sou &c. a.
least. that "Justice'a'' bicepss would do
credit TO q rolling mill hand. But II was
reserved for Just the average everyday
woman, who makes little or no claim 70
artistic education, to make the narrowing
discovery that "Justice" shows unmlssaA-
Bio signs Of being bow-legged.
Il has been frequently noticed BY men
who visited MontRnA's exhibit since tho
statue was unveiled that Whenever there
was q party of women wIth0uS escofss
around The statue they invariably got 70
made some great discovery which vas just
q little too good to lot the horrid men into
tha secret of.
Yesterday, however. in an unguarded mo
ment, one of these unconscious critics let
the cat out OF the bag. There were four or
tivA Of them standing around the 81 tue
gazing at her classic pose. whom one Of
them who had boen looking intensly q the
ankles OF "Jastioe" for several, minutes
suddenly burst out With, "Oh. girls. she's
bow-lsegsd-iust look"
There was 4 gathei ing, Of heads In one
place and q oraninR Of hooks and much
raising and lowering Of eyes. as il trying to
mentally follow the direction taken BY
'Justice's" ankle whore " was lost under
the folds of her toga. Then there was \,
unanimous noddinR Of heads and a great
deal OF gieg.ing. as il tho discovery con-
stituted one Of the farsss jokes ever
heard of.
A careful survey Of ths lines of jus
tioe's'' right ankle CONFIRMS the c,iticism
passed upon her by the women. There can
be no question that taking tho original de-
parture of the ankle from the foot upon
which IL rests and extending in = straight
trunk Of tho status somewhe . about thlee
feet above the pedestal. and, II further
projected, would strike the roof of the
mine building about one hundred and fifty
feet north of the point immediately over
her head. The only possible way tor her
after starting out in ths direction 1t has IL
to- describe q sort of . horseshoe bend
somewhere about the knee joint.
This discovery naturally raises anew the
question as to who posed for tho model.
Those who have seen the cir ssic Rehan In
Rosallnd will be less disposed than eve to
believe that shc was the model in the light
Of this later discovery. The question then
naturally arises. Who could she have bcen3
The discovery also raises another Ques-
zion AZ TO whether there has ever been any
a~llusion in any of the classics as TO this pc
culiarity of 'Justice's" undermining. Can
It be that Mr.. Park has discovered some
ancient authority for making the statue OF
'Justice'' bow-leRged. She ID often al
luded TO in the literature of later days as
being even-handed and blind. but ell these
writer's are absolutely silent a. to the gen.
sral contour of her lower limbs.
This dreadful discovery ut least suggests
one well-merited criticism and that 10 rel
alive TO the length Of her gown. Either it
should have been made long enough TO hide
the defect, if such it is, or made shorter 20
40 TO bring tho peculiarity of construction
into greater prominence IL IL 10 really CO :
REQ. form for "Justies" to appear with even
hands and bow leRs.
Al il has been customary heretofore for
''Justios" 10 appear In marble with ban
daRsd eyes IL may be possible that In the
new departure followed BY the artist in
this regard he may have concluded TO go
further in the Sensational line and hold
'Justice" up to the derision of her mortal
sisters who seem to rsga d being bow-Ieg-
gsd As a great joke, il not . positive de-
foYmity.