The morning times., 1896-07-26
BRONZE TO THOMAS PAINE
Memorial Of Heroic Size to Be
Erected Here.
TO BE DYNAMITE PROOF
Unlike That Erected at New Rochelle,
the Proposed One Will Defy
Attacks of IcOn0clasts.

Thomas Paine, the great Revolutionary
statesman and one OF the famous agnostics
OF his day, Is to have his memory cotnmem-
GRATED by the erection In this city or the
largest bronze portrait bust ever made.
The Paine Historical Society OF New
York is 10 erect the bronze, which Is now
being made by the president OF the society,
Wilson Macdonald The bust will be OF
heroic size and will he the largest of its
kind in the world. In design and finish
the fact of Its being made by Macdonald
Is a sufficient guarantee that it will be
u beautiful specimen of art and that 1t
Will he artistic enough to exclude all chance
OF criticism.
The New York society intends to pur-
chase a suitable plot OF ground here ana
to erect the bronze thereon. The bust
will be mounted on a heavy pedestal OF
bronze, and this will be SO constructed
without crack or opening SO as to make IT
as nearly dynamite proof as possible.
The sculptor, when Questioned about this
matter, said:
I'VE think this is necessary, not SO neces-
sary at once, but in view u the treatment
that has been received by the Paine grave
and monument at New Rochelle. The head
and foot stones were broken some years
ago and all that is left Of them is this little
piece of stone," and here the sculptor pro-
duced Il small fragment OF stone no larger
than your two hands, which, he said, was
found By an old lady living near the grave
and who gave it to Capt. George W. Lloyd,
who gave it to the artist. See the shot
marks in il? Iconociasts haze used it for
u target.
HAD IT RESTORED.
''Ten years ago." continued the sculptor,
IT found the monument clipped, broken on
the edges and corners, the inscriptions
partially defaced and almost ruined. With
the aid OF some friends / had the in
scriptions reca st and the emonumentrestored
as you will see it today"
Sculptor Macdonald, further express
ing himself, 50 id that there was a more
liberal feeling today, but ii was the in
tention u The society to make the bust and
pedestal OF the monument So strong and to
anchor them SO securely that nothing short
of very large charge Of dynamite can Ge
stroy them.
The proposed heroic bust will be unique
us portrait nd one OF the most imposing
works Of the sculptor's art 1t Will be the
only one OF its kind in the world.
The head OF the bust alone Will measure
six feet from the point of the chin to the
top of the head, and the entire bust will
he about fifteen feet high. Then the ped
estal will be in proportion.
The materials to be used by Mr.. Mac
Donald in his work are an original pnr-
trait OF Paine which he owns, two por
traits that We're painted from life, and
the standard engraving from the picture
that was painted by Waldo and Jouett.
The entire work will he carried on by
the New York society, but appeals will
be made 10 kindred organizations and
to the public generally for aid.
COMPLETED BY MAY.
The bust cannot possibly be completed
before next May. The clay modefon which
Mr.. Macdonald is now working is the first
visible stage OF the work. When It is
completed and is to the sculptor's satis-
faction. showing Paine in his prime, with
his head held thoughtfuliy a little to
one side-a favorite position-it will be
copied in clay, heroic size.- =
From this model the bronze will he
made. It will cost $4,000. From the
completed bronze will be modelled the
colossal bust which is to be erected in
this city.
It is hoped the unveiling ceremonies
will be held next Decoration Day, and
that Col. Robert G. Ingersoll Will delives
the Grafton. All the expenses attending
the working and the erection OF this noted
memorial will he paid by the Paine His
torical Society, the Philosophical Society
or Brnos'rn, and the Manhattan Liberal
Club OF New York.
All these societies for several years have
met at Paine's grave.