El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-05
THE GIRL OF GOLD.
A Confidence Game Being Played
Upon the People of Colorado.


Upon the People of Colorado.
The Colorado gold statue for the
Paris exposition is to be built of gold
furnished by q New York syndicate
and is to be constructed by New York
sculptor.
Not only that, but New York &C
tress has been selected as the mo6el
for the figure.
These facts were intended to have
been kept a secret until the plans had
been successfully consummated, but
they leaked out today, greatly to the
chaerin of the Paris BOARD and the
New Workers., who intend to use the
name of Colorado in foisting upon the
public one of the fakiest advertising
s:hemes oa record,
The people of this state have been
led to believe that the statute was to
be entirely representative of Colorado
resources, Colorado art and Colorado
womsnhood. but they nave been basely
deceived, for, according to the present
plans of the Paris exposition board,
Colorado will have nothing whatever
to do with the moulding of it.
The Paris board will have row OF
gigantic proportions on it's hands be-
fore it gets through with it's work, as
all indications point to the fact that the
people of Colorado will rise up and
protest ae ainst the indignity the state
is about to be subjected to aud demand
that the plans be altered in order that
Colorado may be recOg nized in It's make
up and that the statue be genuine, or
If not that the state has right to de-
mapd that its name be not imprinted
across statue that is supposed to con-
tain 81, coo, 900 in gold, but in reality
contains only sufficient of the yellow
10 etal for an outside covering OF main
body of lead and copper.
Maud Adams, the actress, now 10 pos
ing in Bessie Potter's studio In New
York for the figure that is tn represent
Colorado at Paris. The actress Is not
q native of Colorado, as has been urged
as an excuse for her posing. She was
born in Salt Lake city aud never lived
in this state. Miss Potter. who Is to
make the statue, never was inside OF
Colorado. F. D. Higbee, the man who
originated the idea for the Paris board,
designed the Montana alleged silver
statue at the Worlds fair which was
such coarse fake as to bring the state
of Montana into national disrepute.
The New York men that propose TO
pay the cost of the statue and transport
it to Paris, with the name of Colorado
inscribed across the base, intend to ex-
hibit the statue all over Europe after
the Paris show is over.
They will charge an admission Zee 70
see it and expect to make lots OF wealth
by deluding the people OF the CONT
nent into believing that the statue Is
made of 81, OOo, 900 worth OF gold. the
product of the greatest gold producing
section in America, and was modelled
in that section.
The whole game is one to advertise
Maud Adams and to coin money Tor It's
promoters. All that Colorado will get
out of it will be some cheap notoriety
that will injure the reputation OF the
state in the end. Colorado does not
want to father any such fake as Is pro-
| posed. Nobody doubts that the state
can furnish q genuine homemade gold
statue complete that will be credit
to the state and open the eyes OF Eu-
rope in wondermeDt at the interna-
tional exposition. There is no necessity
| for taking.
Already the protests against the
gigantic swindle have begun to roll 10.
The Denver sculptors object to foreign
| talent being employed and have filed
communication with the governor set
ting forth their grievances; When 1t
Is fully known that Maud Adams Is to
| be the model, that Bessie Potter Is to
make the figure, and that New YORK
syndicate is to furnish what little cash
| is needed to push the fake through, the
| board will be overwhelmed with pro-
| tests.
| These are the details, briefly stated,
of the confidence game tina. it ia pro-
posed to have the state OF COLORADO
stand for. It remains to be seen ii the
people will allow the game to proceed
| further.-Denver Post.