The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-15
THOSE cooswELL FOUNTAINS.
Fun the People sf Rochester Had Win t1s
One the Dentist Set Up There.

Fun the People ss Rochester Had VIII ne
One the Dentist Set Up There.
ROCHESTER. July IL read In a paper
on my way up on the Empire State to-day
that Harry ID. Cogswell. the dentist died N
San Francisco a few days ago.' said a uaVei-
ling man whose nome Is IN Rochester, i also
see that the drinking fountain that Cogswel
had put W In front OF the Court House Is gone,
And then the travelling man laughed In
a contemplating sort of way. just as one does
when the thought Of something that was iuhhy
In tho past comes back.
"Ah-hem." he continued. That was inc
most famous adornment that Rochester ever
got. Strange how little appreciated Il was.
And then he laughed in the same old eon-
templativa way again.
1T was fifteen years ago. when there was
talk Of big things In the line Of improvements
Cornell Parsons was Mayor. and he had been
In that Office so long that folks began to think
he had IL for life. They've put him In the
Senate now, | hear. and he gives Just as good
satisfaction there as he always did, ana there
seems no desire for a change. Well. Cor
neel' got swindled In this deal just as did the
whole bloomin' Cominon Council and the en-
tire population OF the city. Cogswell had been
heard Of az the man Of the drinking foun-
taius,' so when he announced that no was ready
to unload one Of his public benefactions here
there WIS a chorus from all quarters to let
him do 1t.
Say, l guess he was only too glad to put
up that drinkin' fountain here. for the con-
sent wasn't any sooner given by the 'om-
mon Council than we had the news that II WAS
nm tina Way 4 thing of that KIM WAS QuluC
a little event, II IL was only fifteen years ago
30 a lot vi time was spent hxinx on the pis'G y,
At last they made up their minds 10 pun ,ha
city, on the west side OF the yard. l swan.
II they'd all got together and hiled a corps
OF civil engineers aud measured the cry on
inch by ZACH they couldn't have s'fucX ''
central point Of the city more surely p,r-
And talk about beng conspicuous. EvuS
body thai came here wanted 10 zee Mr fomSiel
block, " here the art gallery Mas, ana tnsy m rnar"
TO seq the Court House and the -Four corners.
Well, they couldn't zee these without seeing .me
Cogswell fountain. 1t would have mad LiDetsy
Enlightening the World blushing behind her
tiambeau. and no mistake about u; On .hts
scheme should have been worked upon .
grander scale. Such talents make us gaze MIN
admiration and with awe and Win AL o'hei
gifts which nature has given us. N
"-Tbs drinking fountain got into place all
right, and il was a very fine thing to put u iront
Of q court house. II was patoniIea W. us
thoroughly, being one OF the most eoinpl Hus
things of the kind | ever saw.. ~ hau y spous
to which any old drunk could attach hiihsen
and cool his parched tongue. Down AZ tie
bottom was a basin where the dogs reeaieo
themselves. There was a pretty little lnscrlb,
ton near the bottom OF it that said The fountain
was put up for the good OF man and beast, anu
it made the people feel very satisfactory 10
think their rosterity and the duno animals "e'0
The ton Of the fountain looked as though 1t
needed some adjoining, and somebody let crop
a remark In the pubic yress e. the elect w, .
much better looking. The feelings or THIS m
dIvldual as we'll at the collective feelings OF
many other individuals were, hurt, however,
when Cogswel sent on and had SET up, on top OF
the fountain a zinc statue Of himself. IL was
very badly done. II was out OF al proportion
TO the size OF the fountain. and then the PEOPLE
couldn't see what they wanted a statue or Cogs-
well In front OF their palace OF justice nyway
The poor statue was much derided by the
entire populace. A humorous writer on one OF
the paIsrs ran daily itGries about he ear ,bs
statue which provoked mirth and set the Tame
of public opinion burning very fercely about
the fountain. Cogswoll was represented ~
the statue as standing with barred head, and
with his long hair extending down his back II
was a common occurrence to pass the statue IN
the morning and see il trimmed out very fetch.
inyly with a dilapldated slOuch hat. collar and
necktie, and other cast-of clothing. The within
of others led them 10 fasten carrots and
easily secured vegetables about the neck OF the
dentist.
III made no difference that the statue mutely
held out It's hands as II asking help and assist
ance instead OF practical Jokes from the hands
Of the people.
Then came q mystery. In some way or
other the statue disappeared. Rochester men
and women W ks. up one .morni1y TO IND that
nothing remained but tho fountain. and 10
learn that no more belated and slowfy-ambulat-
ing individuals would hold communion with
the likeness Of DR.. C~Oggswel, Somebody
had Rugged on the statue, and whoever did
IL was too clever TO leave uncovered tracks.
One story was that 1t had been
pitched into Irondequoit Bay. and another
was that 1t had been taken to Pinnacle Hill and
buried.
Mayor Parsons was suspected Of having
known something about the statues fate. but
he preserved a discreet silence. People seemed
to be glad enough TO have 1t gone. without
prying into the why or whereabouts thereof.
and after furnishing a few columns for the
napers In the matter Of speculation IL was
dropned. The fountain stood in place. " here
Il poured forth refreshing drinks for years.
until the people OF Monroe county decided
that they wanted a new Court House. and the
fountain went the way Of other landmarks.
Il have visited other cities between here
and California, and ! have seen other similar
fountains and statues OF the famous. dentist
on top OF them. I have also seen old battered
mug hats reposinR gracefully on top OF the
dentists head. showing that others entertained
the same small regard for the statue as did
the folks Of my own town. But ! never saw
ANYBODY that didn't think the fountain itself
was a mighty good thing. and that, sans statue,
II would nave been "a great benefaction ana
would have given Cogswell a boost Upward
in the esteem Of his fellow men. hear that