Evening star., 1905-10-28

much-plumed hat; heavy boots, with gigan-
tic rolling tops, and great broad sash.
by which his long sword Is secured, ted
jauntly about his middle. He looks what
he was-a veritable old dog of the sea, and
the capstan Of vessel, with heavy cable
coiled around 1t, on which the admirafs
left hand rests. is strengthening access
sorry To complete the picture, 1t Is only
necessary to add that Won Tromp, instead
of grasping his sword in his right hand, as
one would be led to expect of so doughty
a fighter, simply holds roll of documents,
after the fashion of the average sculptured
American statesman.
And yes, there Is France, with the liberty
cap, crowning her always flowing curls, IN
as chic a fashion as ever. Also, the robe
Is full and flowing, but Frances inestima-
BILE work in furthering the fine arts Is rec
ognized by the diminutive statue in the fig
ure's outstretched right hand: while the
Justify Growing cock at her feet tells of the
| Frenchman's standing challenge to the
world.
Then there is Phoenlcia. The beholder
| must needs be we'll posted in ancient his
| tory to place either the figure or the cared
vessel held in her hands. Venice IS typi-
! fed by the figure OF her famous doge, Ma
rino Falieri She Genoa, Spain and Holland
are the only nations represented by the
| real flesh and blood persons.
| Portugal the twelfth and last of the
series is a representative medieval knight
| in armor This figure and Holland are the
| work of St. Gaudens; Germany is by Jae-
| gars; Denmark by Gelert: England and
France by Crafty; Venice and Spain by To-
| netti; Greece and Rome by Elwell; Phoe-
| nicia by Ruckstuhl, and Genoa by Luke
| man.
Shield Of the United States.
So much for the nations. AS should be
the case the topping bit Of al lthis array OF
| sculpture will be gigantic cartouche dis
playing the shield Of the United States. 1t
will be set in front of the top. or seventh
! story Mr. Bitter has the shield supported
between two seated winged female figures;
while perched, the talons of an American
| ca gle with wings outstretched, clasp the
| shields top. The supporting figures are the
embodiment of grace and beauty; gigantic
| replfcas OF two of Uncle Sans pretuest
| daughters, doubtless. One holds In her
| right hand a sheathed sword. the other
| grasps in her left tightly bound bundle
! of reeds. embematic OF the strength or the
| nation in states in perfect union; While the
| sheather sword typifes mighty power at
| peace.
| A second cartouche. of secondary impor-
| tance and displaying the shield or the state
of New York, will be placed over the man man
| entrance. in line directly below the main
| cartouche Mr.. O'Connor is the sculptor
Taking it all in all no other building In
| America has exterior SO Dountlfuliy
| decora ted with the sculptured work OF mas
| ters; and, excepting its cathedrals, Europe
| can name very few buildings so prefusely
| ornamented as the new custom mouse Will
| be.
|
| the main entrance, expects to behold an
| Interior as marvelously and heroically beau-
| titled, keen disappointment will be his por-
| ton. For, truth to tell, the interior IS De-
| ing finished for business, not for show.
| Therefore, all the poetry was planned from
| the beginning for the exterior, and except
| ing the rotunda, some of the public rooms,
| the office OF the collector and the main
| halls. where fine marbles will be used, the
| interior will be as plain and prosaic as
| row. of figures from the lower OF the two
| underground floors to the topmost above
| ground, the seventh which Is all but IN
| visible from the street, owing to the granite
| column bordered balcony running around
II Right here II is interesting to note
that every block of granite used IN the
| building (all the granite Is now In place)
| was uuarried in Maine to be set In the very
| suot it occupies In walls and columns and
| balcony.
Stands on Historic Site.
1t is a striking coincidence that the new
custom house stands on the very spot
where custom duties were collected over a
| hundred years ago. AT that time the gov
| ernment house, built for but never occupied
by President George Washington. stood on
the site, and part of the house was occu-
pied from 1889 to 1915 by the collectors Of
fee. Then the building was burned, and
the office was moved to 20 Wall street, two
years later to and IL Wall street, and four
years later to the corner of Wall and Mas
sau streets. There 1t remained TIL 1874,
when 1t was moved temporarily to "a and
SO Cedar street during the building of a
new custom house, which occupied period
OF eight years. Then. after twenty-one
years of incumbency, the collector turned
over the building to the Treasury Depart
ment-it has been known as The suhtreasury
I building ever since-and the custom busi-
ness went to the sonlber and now ante
| dated building on WALL at William street
from which 1t viii move in about a year.
n Every time that the custom business has
been moved excepting Its forced removal
from the government house BY hre) the
cause Of the change has been lack 0f spAce