The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-10-16
II is a Handsome MOnu-
menr, Indeed.
WAS HITHERTO UNKNOWN.
A Rhode Island Sailor Honored and
Also Igu0red.
NO UNWILLING, NO DEDICATION.

Who knows that the city In adorned
with a new and beautiful statue anS
monumental tribute to Esek Hopkins o
Providence. distinguished as the frs
comman der in chief of the American
navy?
The News ventures 80 say that outside
limited circle, kno Wedge that such |
statue exists is not possessed by a dozer
people-that less than that number hav,
district where IL stands be excepted. AnC
most Of these have doubtless passed it by
without knowing what il was.
And yet the statue stands. an heroic
figure of Rhode Islands chief naval rep
resentative, mounted on a superb pedestal
to be seen Of all who choose to make the
journey TO its site, n splendid tribute thai
for some mysterious reason has had prec
ious little attention, less credit, ana in
fact seems to have been ignored. Indeed,
il has been intimated that public igno
rance as to the statue has Leen purposely
encouraged.
The News today prints the first picture
Of the statue and monument erscted to the
memory of Esek Hopkins ever made pub.
lie it is believed. The picture does not
assume to adequately represent its
artistic beauties or give complete
idea of its imposing appearance. But il
answers very we'll TO give the public an
idea OF what nobody outside The News
and a limited circle. knows anything
about.
In word, never was testim onial "a
public man carried out with 80 little
oslentation. No fuss has been made
about it at all. The newspapers were not
asked to exploit ii, nor were any of them
awakened to the fact that such a project
as the Hopkins statue was on foot. much
less completed. Public Information was
confined 10 a paragraph lost in the re.
ported proceedings of thu City Council to
the effect that the city had appropriated n
sum of money for building a pedestal
for the status and nobody seems to have
paid any attention TO that or become
curious as to what the statue was like,
when and where IL was to be located. or
in fact anything at all about it. And
parties whose position gave them
knowledge OF the proposition seem not 70
have been at pains to let the public into
the sucret.
That perhaps, they had reason for
most peculiarly conducted enterprise.
1t appears that the late Mrs. Harriet
Hopkins CoggeshalI, n granddaughter OF
Esek Hopkins, left by her will sum OF
money To be devoted to the erection OF a
statue TO Hopkins, upon the condition that
the city of Providence provide q pedestal.
Tho production of the statue was given
talented wife of Sculptor Kitson, who
created the Doyle monument. Mrs. Kit
son completed the work in enduring
bronze as pictured in The News, the city
made an appropriation for the pedestal.
the Smith Granite Company built the
pedestal of choice granite, and today the
whole proc uution stands on an artistic
foundation of masonry and rough stone
in the old Hopkins burying ground.
which is located at the junction of
the bones of the Rhode Island sailor also
lie
The statue has never been unveiled nor
dedicated. Indeed 1t has never been
veiled. Ii was just set up in the old bury.
ing ground and left to be looked at by
whoever chanced to pass by without any
further ceremony. Indeed, throughout
tho whole proceeding nobody seems to
have cared to go sponsor for IL or particu-
larry u acknowledge IL as such gifts "a
when they are, also, tributes to local
character and fame.
Perhaps the peculiar history of the
erection of this sequestcred testimonial
finds its explanation in the fact that q
con Siderapls fuss has been made about the
the propriety OF us honoring Esek Hop
kins The fuss has been made outside the
state. certain Massachusetts antiquarians
DtlnR phTlituidIig NlkoTous III utHOunC-
ing Hopkins ana tho lack OF Judgment
displayed in honorine his memory by a
monument. And the old sailor seems "a
have had no champion within Rhode
Island borders 10 step into the breach for
his defense and maintain the integrity
Of his character and his right to be
honorcd in Rhode Island.
The News published a sample Of these
criticisms the other day ana the Newport
News has also made public the same
thing No one in Newport has taken Ut
the gauntlet thrown down by tbs writer
in the Boston Transcript, who was quoted
nut in another column Of today's issue
IL printed n statement Of Mr.. Edward
Field Of the Municipal Court, who in
dignantly denies the .aspersions cast or