The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-08-23
THE GREATEST TARHEEL
Unvelhng 81 ths Splendid Bronze Statue
Sfvanee at Rleieh. D.

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event of the present week IN Raleigh
one in which every true North Caro-
Iinian feels personal and patriotic in
terest, is the unwilling of the splendid
and ]ite-like bronze statue of'the i'm
MORTAL ..zeb' Vance, the great com
moner," and the most beloved man Of
the people Of bis State eyer raised up
among Us. . s=,.5ii.1s'.s,
The unwilling ceremonies will take
place Wednesday IN Capitol Park, at
The east entrance TO which and facing
the rising sun, about 80 yards from
|tI,esesst front of~sthe statehouse build
inx, the statue stands-on native
granite pedestal, which rises through
q grass-turfed mound--some, thirty
feet high in all. iSs>
The bronze statue, which is a little
larger than life sire, represents the
great Carolinians in an. erect attitude,
such as be assumed when addressing
the yice-president and his colleagues
in thd. United States sbnate-with one
hand ! resting ccarele.sfy onthe corner
of his desk, the other half outstretched
and holding between his fingers the
eyeglasses, he was accustomed to re-
move. while sreaking, bringing them
into use: occasionally as he read from
some authority or quoted an extract
from the coinage of another's brain.
The attitude is Enthusiastically that OF
Vance-as the writer had many times
seen him in the Senate-and the fea-
lures and facial likeness, 'flion-mane
hair and all, are very life-like. In
short, the bronze counterfeit is splen-
did one, and not. only in its resem-
blance to the original, but the work is
first-cIass and splendidly executed In.
every particular. The statue has been
in position for several weeks, but has
been kept yelled up to this time, Of
course. a.
The "veil'' will be removed by Miss
Espey Vance, granddaughter. of the
governor" Gas North Carolinians were
wont to call him years alter he entered
the Senate) and daughter of the late.
David Vance, his second son. The
latter married in Louisiana, and the
young lady is now a resident of that
State, where she has her hone with
maternal relatives. She geta her first
name "Espey" from her grandmother,
the Governors first wife, who, was a
Miss Espey. :.., ,...... ... 81
q, A MAGNIFICENT TRIBUTE. .et
The address of the occasion will be by
Hon.. Richard H. Battle, of Raleigh,
the private secretary of the great "war
governor" during the civil war, and
who was, through nearly all the politi-
cal career, OF Vance, his most intimate
and trusted friend. No living man
knows 20 much Of the hero of this oc-
casion personally, a fact which pecu-
liarly qualities him for the task as
signed him. add to this the TACT that
AIR Rattle 10 RI L4 -.
ing speakers of the State and IN orator
OF uncommon ability, and the wisdom
Of the selection OF him to prepare and
deliver this address is apparent to all.
When the Legislature meets it ought
to provide for statue ct Vance to be
placed in the national capitol building
at Washington, where space is provid-
ed for the statue OF two OF the sons of
each of the States. North Carolina
has already too long been without rep
resentation in either niche of this
temple of fame" and Of course a
counterfeit Of Vance should be one OF
the offerings from this State.
presume that tho molds have not
yet been destroyed, and 1t Is probable
that duplicate OF the statue now be-
ing unveiled here could be secured for
but small portion of the cost of the
original. Let the Lawmakers take up
this matter when they arrive here next
January and put it through.
@2t 80.