The Washington times., 1904-10-04
BARTHOLDTS TWO
GREAT STATUES

The name of the Sculptor Bartholdi is
familiar TO every American school5oy
as the creator o. the Statue OF Liberty
in New York barbor and 10 every
French child as the maker OF that
equally patriotic statue, the Lion de
BeIfort
II IS long time since NJ. BarthOldi
sat al the side OF the President Of the
United States on that little mound In
New York harbor and saw his great
Goddess Of Liberty unveiled iE the midst
OF an enthusiastic tumult, which may
well have made him proud
His interest in America and in things
American was lively. lie knew more
about Americans than they knew Of him,
m spite of his great Statue of Liberty.
NJ. BarthOidi was a great big, live, and
burIy personality. AS an artist he was
quite a. distinguished a. any of his con-
temporaries. and IS a man he presented
a comfortable contrast TO what we
AneIo-sax0ns are prone TO consider the
auemic looks ana manners OF the aver
age Frenchman-
II took a particular interest" Bar
tbo1df once said. '.n dOin5 that statue
OF Washington and Lafayette, for this
reason. Better than any other French
man / knew Lafayette from the Amer
leans point OF view. which is. as YOU
NAV know not altogether the LAFAYETTE
with whom the French themselves are
best acquainted. The embodiment or
the French idea Of Lafayette might not
seem pleasantly familiar to the Ameri-
can.
Lion de BelfoIt.
The Lion de BeIfort. so called because
the original stands in that great from
tier fortress of France. is the best known
An.
pies the center OF a large square of the
same name in one Of the outlying dis
tricts of the city. and is about one
fourth of the original size. though. even
So reduced, il is little short of huge.
Ii has a prideful attitude. warranted
to make enlerprising ans ambitious Ger
mans hesitate before they cross the
frontier. Few more patriOucaliy inspired
statues stand in France on the Iith
of July thousands of school children
place their dowery tributes at its base,
and in the early autumn the largest fets
lorraine of the year encamps around it,
10 the ruin of trafhC and the muCh-eu-
during nerves Of the residents of the
quarter
The lion sheds Iustre on everything
about it, the fete is only one OF its
yearly meanings. For blocks before
YOU reach the square you can teIt your
gradual approach 10 81 by the names of
The shops on either side che way. all of
rs hiCh. with euIrylng, though confusing.
rivalry, take the name of -Au Lion de
BelfOrt And the lion is sCTaighJWay
reproduced for your benefit in plaster.
CHINA, or even pastry, according 10 the
Kind OF shop YOU care to investigate.
Nj Bartnoidi will get real immortal
its from that statue which even the
OF Liberty may rail Co bestOW
upon him.
Ever me friend of Americans. NJ. Bar
Jhoi5i could be counted upon for all
their festivals celebrated iu Paris.
Never grand banquet. a Fourth OF
July reception OF political sOiree but
the faithful BdrthCldi.' as he was
called was JheTe 10 shake the nEGd OF
and tell them and his couu-
.Tymen .top.If IeCC CSsaTy. what he thought
1I U.S. uts love for America. or rather
for what ne saw in the best types of
with whom he came in cou-
act. ls NOT 20 be exhausted. He saw
Them come and go, ambassadors, com
great artists, and men ut
letters. their places We're taken los uJE-
ars, and still others, until another gem
Grafton is really here. and still baItnDl- {
dis hand was stretched out 10 them DO
welcome.