Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-09

the artists have painted admirable
little color sketches, portraits and sym
bolical designs in medallions and vignettes
suggestive OF patriotic memories and inter-
esting events OF American history. Among
these are sketches OF Mount Vernon, Wash
%ington's tomb, Arlington house and the
Washington monument; portraits Of Column
bus and Vespucci and Indian heads, weap-
ons and armorial bearings. All the decora-
lions are OF a permanent character, calcu-
lated TO last for the next fifty years at
least. They all harmonize with the distinc-
tive style OF the building, which belongs to
the period represented by the beginning OF
the last century. and the decorative scheme
follows faithfully the ideas that dwelt in
the minds Of the original architects. In
authorizing the work congress assumed
that the country takes a pride in the ma
tional capitol and does not begrudge the
expense necessary to its proper adornment.
Our Pantheon.
OF late years Statuary hall has been re-
garded in the light Of a national Pantheon,
where the. people have placed on view sculp-
tured efigies OF admired heroes, pioneers,
warriors, statesmen, inventors and public
benefactors. From the year 1907, when 1t
was first finished, until 1914, when it was
burned and defaced by the British in an at
tempt to destroy 1t, it was occupied as the
hall Of representatives, and again from
1919, when 1t was restored, until 1857. On
September 16 Of that year the lower branch
OF congress took possession of the present
hall of representatives in the new south
marble wing Of the capitol, and since that
date the old hall has served principally as
one Of the show places of the venerable
edIhce.
BY the terms Of an act OF congress, ap-
proved by President Lincoln on July 2,
1864, the chamber was officially designated
as a national statuary hall, and an invita-
tion was extended to all the states to con-
tribute statues to be set up therein. The
act reads: THE president is hereby au-
thorized. to invite each and all the states to
provide and furnish statues. in marble or
bronze. not exceeding two in number for
each state. Of deceased persons who have
been citizens thereof, and illustrious for
their historic renown or from distinguished
civic or military services, such as each
state shall deem worthy of this national
commemoratiOn, and when so furnished the
same shall be placed in the old hall Of the
house of representatives, in the capitol Of
the United States, which is hereby set
apart, or so much thereof as may be neces-
sary. as a national statuary hall, for the
purposes herein indicated"
Up to the present time only twenty-seven
statues have been contributed by sixteen
states. and the contributions, though inter-
esting and valuable, all of them are not in
every case as representative as might be
desired. This is the natural result Of the
method Of selection, exercised at different
times, where each state, through its legis-
lature, chooses whom 1t pleases at the time
to immortalize in this manner. Among the
twenty-seven statues now grouped within
the hall there are quite a number that may
justly be pronounced masterpieces Of the
sculptor's art. Most Of them bear on the
pedestal the 'coat-of-arms Of the donating
state.
New York has contributed two in bronze,
Robert r. Livingston, by E. D. Palmer, and
George Clinton, by H. X. Brown. New Jer-
sey has sent up two, Richard Stockton, a
signer Of the Declaration Of Independence,
in marble, and Philip Kearney, . major
general in the civil war, in bronze, both by
H. X. Brown. Pennsylvania has furnished
two in marble, Robert Fulton, the inventor