The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-14
COL. 1, ". JOHNS
 WITHDRAWS OFFER
Will Not Give S3000 to Vulcan
 Statue Account
INCIDENT IS NOW CLOSED
Mir. deBardeleben's Statement, Says Col. Johns, compeIs Him to With draw His Proposition-Citizens
 VIII Meet This Afternoon.

sInasmueh as Mr DeBardeleben de- clnes to permit the Vulcan statue to be erected in his honor, I have determined to withdraw the offer l made recently to give 5000 to set up the statue in Birming- ham as a memorial to Henry F. DeBarde- leben"
 That is what Col. L. W. Johns said after he had read the statement made by MT DeBardeleben through the columns of yesterdays Age-Herald
 Offer Made In Good Faith.
 "When I proposed to give 5000 to the Vulcan statue fund provided the statue be erected in honor Of the character and achievements of MT. DeBardeleben, con tinued Colonel Johns, T made the offer in perfectly good faith. My admiration for Mir. DeBardeleben. and my realization of what he had done for the Birmingham district. prompted the proposition. 1 am still willing and ready to give the same amount of money as a token of the eommunitys gratitude to MT. DeBarde- leben. am certain that some time and in some way this community will build q monument in honor of it's greatest living citizen
 "For reasons, however, which are now evident to the blindest eye, it is my duty to withdraw the offer I made and to await another opportunity to do what l was willing to do in this case.
 A Word About Jealousy.
 "If I had known that my proposition would have caused the friction in eer- tain circles it has stirred up I would not have made It. MT. DeBardeleben is the last man on earth who would consent that a memorial in his honor should arouse unpleasant feelings in any ele- ment of the population. 1 am truly sorry that in my effort to pay what I thought was a merited compliment to a great and good man, I should have awakened the spirit of petty jealousy and ungenerous rivalry in the breast of any citizen of Birmingham.
 Only One Thing to Do.
 When I read the noble statement made by MT. deBardeleben in this mornings s Age-Herald l was satisfied that there was left for me only one thing to do, and that was to withdraw my offer and consider the incident closed.
 Hereafter, when some one proposes to build monument to deserving citizen I sincerely hope that persons who are per mitted to accept or reject the offer will not insist that the monument be built either on the distant hills, where the birds and the beasts will defile it, or near the railway lines where it may be destroyed or injured. l hope also thG. such an offer will not give certain persons an op- portunity to haggle over terms and vent their spirit of jealousy.
 Will Blde His Time.
 Tn th4 meantime I shall await another opportunity to do for Mr. deBardeleben what 1 wished to do on this occasion. am willing today to put $3000 in the fire and burn it up if I can be convinced that il would result in a monument to Henry F. deBardeleben.'
 What will be done with yulcan?" was asked.
 T don't know said Col. Johns, and what's more l don't care"
 Status of Vulcan Debt.
 This action of Col. Johns, following as it does the statement made Sunday by MT. DeBardeeben. suggests the inquiry as to what is the status of the Vulcan statue debt Reports in circulation yesterday indicated that the matter wa. in a state of confusion
 It seems that the Commercial club had taken steps to lift the debt and had through it's committee secured pledges from individual citizens amounting to $120O When Colonel Johns came forward with his offer, the persons who had sub- soribed the $l2OO naturally withdrew their subscriptions, thinking that Colonel Johns offer would be accepted at least in some form, and that arrangements would be made to liquidate the account. The declnaton made by MT. DeBardeleben and the withdrawal of Colonel Johns of fer places the Vulcan account matter precisely where 1t was before any definite steps were taken to wipe out the bal ance due
 It is understood that the original sub scribers to the sl2O0 fund are not a little chagrnned by the course events have taken.
 They say that the Commercial club had a splendid chance in Colonel Johns of- fer, to square the account, and that if prompt and prudent action had been taken MT. DeBardeleben might not have protested and Colonel Johns would not have withdrawn his offer.
 Means May Be Devised.
 In spite of all this however, it is thought that means will be devised to wipe out the Vulcan debt speedily The Commercial club as one of it's promi- nent members said yesterday. is in honor bound to pay the account, and its mem- bers will see to it that it is paid promptly and in full
 Contract Signed.
 A contract was yesterday signed by off cers of the Commercial club and the Webber Drayage and Warehouse com pany of St. Louis providing for the dis mantling of Vulcan and the loading of the statue on the cars in St Louis at an expense of $500 Of three bids made for the work the Webber peoples was great deal the lowest. Part payment