Hutchinson gazette., 1901-07-11

An interesting history attaches 10
the statue Of William Penn, founder
OF Pennsylvania, which still sand
where IL was placed In the groands
OF the old hospital at Eighth aud plue
streets. The minutes of the Penney
Vapia> hospital tell the story Of lls
coming, a gift of John Penn. IN 80
VemDer. 1902, John Penn, through MS
attorney, offered portrait OF william.
Penn to the managers Of the hospital.
requesting 10 know where It would be
placed. A reply was duly sent to john
Fenn, but the picture was n8yer pre-.
sented' On Sept. "a, 1904, the minutes
record "A statue In lead OF william
Penn Is arrived In the ship Pigon from
London" No letter accompanied the
statue which was accepted IN lieu NJ
tho portrait which John Penn mad NJ
hrst purposed giving to the hospital.
In quaker language beginning with tho
familiar greeting Esteemed friend
ana couched In friendly "thees and
'thous," tho president, Josiah Hewcs.
wrote to Penn, thanking him Tor his
gift and telling him immediately after
its arrival Some young men Of orr
city who are friends to your family"
requested the liberty of raising graf
uitously for this purpose PEDESTAL or
the white marble OF Pennsylvania TO
Do hxed at the green south front of
the hospital, with suitable inscriptions
10 record the birth OF William Penn,
the memorable era when he founded
the Province OF Pennsylvania and th1
time OF his death" Penn Is represent,
ed In colonial costume. He holds IN hts,
hand scroll engraved with "chartr
OF privileges to Pennsylvania, MDCC ''
ETC. me statue stands on a slab or
marble marked; Presented by John
Penn, A. d. 1904" This surmounts the
pedestal, which is engraved as follows
IN front the well-known ooat-ot-armS
with Penns roundels. Over II Is en-.
Braved William Penn. Born 1914.
Died 17l8." On the east side we read
pennsylvania Granted by Charles II.
TO William Penn, 1861" On the north:
The Proprietary Arrived 1852, Made
Just and Amicable Arrangement
with the Natives for the purchase Of
Their Lands and Went Back TO Eng.
land 1884" The west side reads. RE
turned to Pennsylvania 1899 and Fin.
ally Withdrew to His Parental Estate
l7Ol.' The history Of the substitution
OF statue for picture was not explained
until 1S46, when letter OF BENJAMIN
Franklin, written in 1885, threw light
on the transaction, says the Philadel-
phla Record, In this Oplstle Franklin
describes visit TO his friend Lord
Despencer, and seeing the statue OF
William Penn holding the scroll
Franklin admired 1t 80 much he then
wished copy made to stand In the
state house grounds In philadelphia.
The letter, with copy Of the scroll de-
scription, is now among the archives or
the Pennsylvania hospital. Lord De-
spencers successor took no interest In
William Penn. The statue was sent To-
a junk shop to be sold for old metal.
Here John Penn found Il and pur"
chased 1t for presentation to the Penn.
sylvanla hospital. We may now see
the statue facing Pine street, on the
hospital green. Penn still holds ths
charter, In perpetual remembrance OF
that famous treaty, never sworn to-
and never broken" It 10 curious to
know that in course OF time ono OF the
statues shoes wore outl In 1860, dur
Ing severe storm, the statue Of Penn
blew down. 1t was found that the sup
port Of one foot was corroded and the
metal had decayed away, A new sole
and high heel were supplied to Fem.
and his statue was then securely re-
placed on the pedestal, where Il now
stands today.