The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-09
HOW COGGSWELL CAME BACK.
ms FOOTLESS STATUE CAST UP
on CALIFORNIA; SHORE.
And Thereby HAMS the Tale. Told Now
AFTER seven Years Conceaiment, OF
How the bronze Dentist Was Yanked
Down From His San Francisco Pedestal.

Down From His San Francisco pedesth.
SAN Francisco. March s.-After the
.,eat storm Of last month, there was left
on the beach at Monterey, 100 miles south
~ here, by the receding waves OF the I'M
usually high tide, a strange figure. 1t was
that OF man, with one hand tucked inside
his frock coat In the familiar and formal
manner OF oratory apd statuary. Both OF
the feet we're gone. just above the ankles.
The expression OF the bearded face was
nrofound and peaceful. The material
seemed to be some degenerated form OF
bronze.
For a day this strange waif Of the sea
held reception on the beach. Then he was
hosted upon cart and borne up to the
iunkshop Of the town, where. posed as a
cearstore Indian. he attracted crowds
and conjecture. il not custom. Nobody
knew who he was OF whence he came.
The local church fair society had applied
for the loan Of him as central figure OF
guessing contest. when young San Fran
cisco artist who has a summer place atMon-
terey came across the stranger and promptly
identified him.
why, that's Coggswell,' said he.
Coggswel il was, come back after seven
years from the Limbo OF the Lost. Strsyed
or Stolen. At the time Of his disappearance
from this city 1t was variously conjectured
that he belonged TO each Of these three
categories. His departure from the high
and prominent place he occupied in the
cty's life was a seven days mystery. Now
that he has turned up-and the statute OF
limitations insures the safety Of those
concerned-the story OF his abduction
may be safely told
pr Coggswell, the original OF the Mon
terey relic, was a dentist. He made large
amounts of money from other peoples
teeth. This he invested and made more.
In the course Of time he had enough and
set about finding ways to spend it, In
those days medical science had not yet
discovered and isolated the Carnegie Lii
brary germ, but Coggswell had the same
disease in another manifestation. With
him it took the form Of drinking fountains.
If can furnish fresh water with my
statue on top to man and beast in the thirsty
cities, said he. my memory will go roaring
down the ages like a cataract
So to Boston, Mass, and Rochester, n. Y,
and Pittsburg. Pa, and Omaha. Neb.,
and Denver. Col, and Ogden, Utah. and
San Francisco. Cal, and such other cities
as one may find upon a standard map Of the
United States. he made offer Of a fine pub
lie drinking fountain, free, which he was
to establish and MAINTAIN, with appropriate
and beautiful statuary thereon
The statuary was Coggswell. 1t may
have been appropriate, but 1t was not beau
tiful.
Nevertheless San Francisco. being then
troubled with municipal art in rather
virulent form. accepted a Coggswell drink
ing fountain, with all the olgations thereto
attached. including an agreement to find
a site for IL In one OF the public squares
The City Hall Square was at first selected.
but some patriot arose with threats OF
Federal injunctions and finally Coggswell
was duly established TO dispense cooling
relief to man and beast in one OF the less i'm
portant plazas on the edge Of the Latin
Quarter.
Less important II was, until the coming
Of Coeswell. Thereafter 1t became for
months the centre Of bitter war. carried on
wherever men met together and voiced
their opinions. Coggswell and anti-Coggs-
well factions arose and hourished. Threats
ofdynamiting were met with counter threats
Of lynching.
The square grew to be q sort Of public
meeting Pia%' anu uho s'co' heaney
street parade. which airs its best clothes
every Saturday afternoon. following a
cus,o,n unioue in American cities. strayed
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MY S,n,ai, rsn,ainnd and 80 me =
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o''' " ~
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p,bn,,;an 1I,1 ~, Vas no, large Lut II
No. oa,ras, Llso |, was made IN entirely
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sr..ach.. r. dinney formed i,self into a
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- t',,,J Nearly a dol,n OF lie men
Volun,e~rsd for m. active lar, Of the work