The San Francisco call., 1895-11-16
TO ORNAMENT THE CITY.
James D. Phelan Will Give a
Marble and Bronze Foun.
tain.
The Junction of Market and Mason
Streets to Be the
Site.

Arrangements are being made ty James
| D. Phelan for presenting San Francisco
| with a beautiful drinking fountain of
marble and bronze, which will be a
veritable art treasure to the City.
For the last three months Mr.. Phelan
has been inspecting various designs for
| the fountain, which he wished to be SYM
bolical of California, but none of the plans
presented have until quite lately struck
his mind as meeting all his requirements.
| Even now, though the work has gone to an
architect and arrangements are being
made for the bronze casting, Mr.. Phelan
has little to say about his intended gift.
Willis Polk, the architect to whom the
erection of the fountain has been in
trusted, is full of enthusiasm for the work,
and in the exuberance OF his delight at
seeing the City adorned as Mr.. Phelan in
tends it he has talked to a few art-lovers,
and thus the story is rapidly becoming
public property.
1t is at the junction of Market and Mason
streets that the public will have an oppor-
tunity of dri hiking sal fresco' in artistic
surroundings such as have hitherto been
unknown in the far West. Even people
who are not thirsty will take sip of
Spring Valley water to give them an ex-
cuse for lingering near the marble foun-
tain and gazing upon its beauties.
The design is entirely Californian and
patriotic, and it has been modelled by
Douglas Tilden. the well-hnown sculptor
who is a Californian himself. Though the
plans are in the architects hands, they
have not yet been wrought in marble and
| bronze, but bv January, or February at
| the latest, the work will not be far short OF
completion. The materials will be costly
| but they have been selected for beauty and
| durability, and unless some unlocked for
convusion occurs the California fountain
at the junction of Market aud Mason
streets will supply water for thirsty lips
| long after the descendants OF the present
| population, even unto the third and fourth
| generation has passed out of existence.
| The design is graceful, light and SYM
metrcal; 1T has the effect of tapering tow
ard the apex, and yet the effect appears
shaft of marble will support winged fe-
male form, symbolical of California. at
| the base of the column will stand the
| heroic figure OF a man in the act OF ad-
vancing and waving aloft flag. This
| figure IS symbolical of the Native Sons of
the Golden West. On either side of the
column will be basins, supplied with flow
ing water and appliances for drinking.
| The whole design will stand upon several
granite steps. There will be inscriptions
upon the other two sides of the column.
| AS stated before, the chief materials
used will be marble and bronze, though
in what proportions is not yet definitely
decided. There is no doubt, however, but
that the work will be of exceptional beauty
as we'll as durability. San Francisco is
badly off for drinking fountains, and even
one of stucco or ordinary stone would be
boon to weary pedestrians, who too often
have to trudge along thirsty or patronize
the saloon. A fountain such as Mr.. Phelan
proposes to erect will make a draught of
pure water an artistic JOY. 1t may even
/ take the same hold on the public affection
that the fountains in Rome have, where
the people hnger to exchange the news
and enjoy one moment more Of dolce far
niente as they admire the sculptor's bronze
and marble for the hundredth time.