The herald., 1897-01-22
GEN. LOGAN BY ST. GAUDENS
The Great Statue for Chicago's Lake
Front Park.

Augustus st. Gaudens' studio in New
York holds an unusually attractive piece
of work upon which the skill and con-
centration of thought of the famous
sculptor have been expended for the
last six years. This is the equestrian
statue of General John A. Logan, to
which the last finishing touches are be-
ing given preparatory to giving 1t over
for the casting In bronze.
While with an artist 1t ie, as Mr.. st.
GaudenS laughlnly remarks. always the
next piece of work that is to, be the best,
it Is safe to assert that in his long fne
of triumphs as a sculptor he has no one
piece of work to which he can point with
more justif1able pride and satisfaction
than to this, his latest achievement.
1t is rot simply a man on horseback.
colossal statue made to order to be
placed in the park on the lake front OF
Chicago on July 81. next, but magnifl-
cent realization of the scnlptor's concep-
tion of what was beyond aN question the
most thrilling episode in General Lo-
gan's career as a soldier.
1t is just at the moment of General
McPherson's death, when the dlsheart
ene6, defeated troops turned in retreat
before the siege of Atlanta. Infiamed
with the hero's courage. General Logan
has seized the battle flag and has flung
1t out to the breeze with his strong right
arm as cheering his men he oashes on his
magnificent coal black charger to At
lanta and victory. His head is barred.
hs hair tossed back, the silker folds Of
the heavy flag seem almost to rustic into
actual sound and the snorting of the re-
sponsive steeS to- echo In your ears as
YOU look upon the statue. 1t is alert with
life and motion-the stirring episode Sc
lected for delineation by the sculptor has
been embodied, in the present day In
happie3t fashion.
The statue is one that will add new
laurels to the sculptor's fame. When
six years ago Mr.. st. Gaudens was Sc
lected for this work he set about 1t in
characteristic fashion. This was not
only to gather as many photographs as
possible of General Logan, taken at the
time of life depicted in the present eques-
trian statue, but to read every bit of his
tory of that period and even look over
much of his personal correspondence to
more thoroughly harmoniZe himself with
the project in hand and put his feelings
in touch with those melting the soldier
who. before Atlanta, in the face Of de-
feat, like a whirlwind rallied his troops
and led them on to victory.
st. Gaudens has a curious looking lit
tie studio in the neighborhood of Thirty
sixth street and Broadway nestled down
among tie tall houses tnat tower above
it on either side. Outwardly the appear
ance is a cross between modest little
church and stable 1t has a simple one
story front, tiny looking from the out
side. but running back a considerable
distance with the opaque glass roof ris-
ing another story after the small outer
hall way and reception room have been
passed.
AS one waits in this latter modest
apartment. in which there is simply n
wicker sofa and several bamboo seats.
thQra c onnOrtlDitV tO note the has
liefs on the walls. The largest of these.
framed in oak, is the one modelled by
st. Gaudens a few years since Of the
late Robert Louis Stevenson, when the
latter was in New York. 1t represents
the author propped up on the couch
with pillows, holding on his bent knee
sheets of manuscript. while in his right
| hand is a cigarette from which he has
just puffed rings of smoke as he gaZes
refiectively off in the distance, working
out the full fruition of an idea before
transferring it in words to paper. OPP
posite this in one corner on pedestal
is fine bust of General Sherman. to be
used later as study in connection with
several similar busts Ior an equestrian
statue of that old soldier.
There is no time to note much beyond
this before the brown portiere Is swept
aside, and St. Gaudens comes forward
to greet you in quiet, pleasaN fashion.
Tne foremost ODJecl IN tDe studio al
present is the Logan statue. which,
mounted on revolving iron pivot, occu-
pies a large platform across the entire
back of the building. The first model
ing was not done in this place, but in
a down town stable, which was the only
available place of sufficient di-
mensions to admit of the heroic propor-
tions. being properly accomplished. In
one corner of the platform is the small
clay model in which st. Gaudens first
satisfactorily wrought out his idea of
the present statue. The animal from
which the modelling was done is splen-
did black stallion from the farm of John
A. Logan, jr. 1t was selected for the
purpose because of its likeness to the
famous black charger which General
Logan rode during many historic en-
counters.
The date selected for the formal un-
yelling of this statue is July 81 next,
which marks the anniversary of the siege
Of Atlanta-Chicago Tribune.