The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1893-02-17
JACKSON'S STATUE
IA History Of the Finest Monu-
rnent in Washington.

T
Washington is city that is rich in
vast collections Of beautiful statnsry
and interesting relics There ii ono
work Of art however. that has an inter
esting history that viii no doubt bcap-l
preciated by the many readers Of the
TELEG.AM.
The equestrian statue Of Jackson in
Lafayette square, opposite the white
house, Is considered the best work OF
art OF It's kind in the national capital
It's location Is such that it attracts Mt
tention from greater number Of Wis
itors than any other statue, and II has
history, which was recently brought
/ 70 light by tho efforts Of certain UNI
artistic people 10 obscure lie Jackson
statue by placing the Lafayette statue
at the south entrance OF tho park. II
was claimed, by officials having a
little brief authority. that ..thc gov
eminent has clear title 10 the Jackson
statue, and can obscure II, or remove Il
into the woods. II III wants TO-
There was once newspaper pub
lished here called the National Intclli-
genccr The files OF that paper, under
the date of January II, 1858, contain the
following paragraph: ut is due to the
jackson monumental committee 70 say
that the jackson statue has been made
and erected entirely under their con-
troll and direction. They caused the
money 70 be collected, employed the
artist, and made all the arrangements
for Its inauguration That committee
consists now Of the following gentlemen:
Hon. Cave johnson, chairman; Amos
Kendall, +. p. Blair, John w. Maury,
B. d. French, Charles X. Gardner. q P.
scngstocls, John Mccalla, George w.
Hughes, Thomas Ritchil, George
Parker, John G.. Rives and A. j. Donel-
son. The original committee consisted
of thirteen members, OF whom were the
following gentlemen: John p. Van Ness,
James Hoban, Jesse E. Dow and vii.
liam A. Harris, the three former of
whom have died, and the latter, upon
going abroad, resigned; and their
places have been filled by Messrs. Me-
Gala, Parker. Hughes and Donelson."
The files of the same paper show that
the statue was inaugurated on January
8, 1858, the date ordinarily called
"JaclSson's Day" because II Is the an
niversary of the victory ut New Or
leans. Upon that occasion, the statue
was presented TO the United States; and
hence there is no doubt about the title
of the government to the statue of "old
Hickory" but 1t has been settled that
the bronze prcsentment OF the military
and civic hero shall remain in its pres
ent position. The statue of Lafayette
is now located ut the southeast entrance
of the park. instead of the south en-
trance, whore II would have been di-
rectly between the jackson statue and
the white house.
The names Of the members Of the
Jackson Monumental association are
the names of the most prominent citi-
xens of early Washington. The official
programme OF the dedicatory exercises
contains the following:
4 Military escort
I The monument committee
{ Clark Mills, artist t
Hon Stephen A. Douglas orator.
Z Chapiains OF congress-
President Of the United States
Senate and house OF Representatives
suafcn OF inc supreme court
Commander In chief OF the army. and the old.
estecmtnodore in The navy. etc
It was long procession, and the ex- 4
ercises lasted from ten o'clock in the
morning until three o'clock in the at.
ternoon, the last performance being q
national military salute, followed by a.
benediction by the chaplain Of the
house. At the conclusion of the Grafton
by the greatest orator OF his day, Hon.
Stephen A. Douglas, Mr.. Clark Mills,
the artist, was presented to the vast
concourse Of people and heartily
cheered. as he deserved TO be, for his
work was unrivaled at that date.
Clark Mills had been a plasterer, and
it was while engaged in making plaster
corniccs and center pieces that he con-
cludcd to undertake the reproduction
of faces in plaster. He had very little
success, and finally turned to modelling