Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1896-08-08

mated would cost 10000. President
Andrew jackson signed the contract.
and it WAS specified that the head should
be modelled afterthc Houdin east.
In 1884 ~Greenough went to Florence,
Italy, and there. after much travel and
incessant study, began work upon his
model, lie worked steadily and care
fully, and in 1910, after six years OF
painstaking effort, the work was CON
pleted. In 1871, after numerous yexa
tious delays, the statue was transported
10 America in the American ship Sea, OF
Norfolk, after the vessel had been
altered so as to admit the bulky, boxed
figure through its h~atchway. No ordi-
nary sailing vessel of that period would
admit the statue IN its hold, and there
was not a ship in our navy which could
transport it.. There was considerable
correspondence between Grcenough
and the secretary of the navy on this
subject. Finally the Sea was chartered
for $4,000 to bring the statue to Wash.
,ngton, with the privilege of stopping
Mt other ports than Leghorn, for add.
tonal cargo. The anxiety of the artist
70 display this statue in the national
capital without delay vas such, how
ever, that out of his own private funds
lac paid the commander of the Sea 81 800
20 speed straight to Washington city
with his precious burden. Consequent
ly, on July 81, lS4l, the Sea anchored At
the navy yard in the Potomac river,and
preparations were Immediately com
jnenced for the erection of the statIt
in the rotunda Of the capitol. The sum
of $4,000 was spent for n pedestal and
moval of the statue from the ship to the
rotunda.
Nobody liked the statue after it was
placed in position. 1t filed the center
Of the rotunda, the light upon II was
unsatisfactory, and finally, at an ex-
pense of $4,000, it was removed to the
position which 1t now occupies on the
east front of the capitol, and was sur
JONiiiANu w MI lIOu ldlililEs tNNutN
gears ago, however, the railing was re-
moved, and there II stands an object Of
admiration and OF criticism.
Ten years ago 1t was discovered that
the frost and rain had caused the back
of the statue to crack. The soft Italian
marble could not withstand the Weiss,
tudes of outdoor life. In 1889, by re-
quest Of the senate committee on tn,
library, the architect of the capitol wal
authorized TO erect temporary shelter
and since that time, in winter months
the statue is covered by Il movable franz
house, and the disintegration of tn
, marble has ceased. Early in July tn
house was removed, and the statue i
now exposed to public view by day an,
! by night. ~Greenough, the artist, dur
ing his lifetime repeatedly urged con
/ gress to erect over and about IL II pa
vilion for its protection; but congress
! never does anything right, until com
, PEELED to by stress Of circumstances
and hence the pavilion has never bee,
{ erected, and is not likely to be for year
Ia come.
Concerning the criticisms made b
critics Of his own day, the artist wrot
) II memorial to congress, saying: 9Th
designs OF Frederick H., with his hug
e walking stick and preposterous queue
. Louis XVI., with his redundant periwi,
. cumbrous robes and stilted shoes, wei
a~pplauded bx contemporaneous artist
n The effect OF those designs to-day is |
rcpressible laughter. have been ther,
by influenced to avoid putting up |
Ie high places OF this republic u coloss'
y copy of nm uncouth costume, which hi
4 already passed into disusc."
isl SMITH d. FRY.