Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-08-25
POCAHONTAS MEMORIAL
Plan to Honor Indian Princess
at Jamestown Exposition.
BRONZE STATUE TO BE ERECTED

Promoters of the Project Apparently
Assured of Its Success Work OF
Memorial Association In Securing
Funds Accelerated by Congress
mans Rebun-Features of Design
Proposed For Statue and Pedestal.
The tendency to destructive criti-
cism which makes itself apparent at
intervals in spasmodic Individual at
tempts to impose a new version of a
generally accepted incident of histor-
zeal record is not without some re-
deeming features, says the New York
Posts Washington correspondent. The
course, to attract attention to the pros
and cons of the subject at issue. This
arouses interest among large number
OF persons who would not otherwise
evince more than passing concern. The
next and more important effect is to
stimulate good many more minds to
come to the defense of the records at
tackled than the number who chose to
align themselves in support of the new
exponent of captious criticism.
All this has been demonstrated in the
development of the preliminary plans
for erecting at the jamestown eXposi-
ton permanent memorial in honor of
the Indian princess Pocahontas. 1t is
we'll known that in Virginia those de-
scendants of the "F. f. VS." who
claim direct descent from King Pow
hatan's line cherish that tinge of abo-
riginal blood as possibly the greatest
Inheritance any one could hope for.
The possession of an unbrOken line of
800 years of American ancestry is val
ued more than great. wealth. and it is
little wonder, therefore, that it should
be made the subject of Renaissance
and the theme of family memoirs.
To honor the memory of the Indian
princess and to inculcate patriotic ideas
generally there was recently formed in
Washington the Pocahontas Memorial
association, with the object in view of
erecting on Jamestown island a statue
of heroic mold to record the Importance
of her participation in the early affairs
of the English colonists who landed at
jamestown in 1907. 1t had a few zeal
Gus promoters, and they expressed con-
fidence in carrying their plans to sue
cessful conclusion, but the movement
progressed slowly. One day one of
them preached the subject casually on
encountering a congressman of the
twentieth century commercial sort, who
have no use for historical remi-
niScenceS. -
"Oh, that's all a fraud" he interject-
ed impatiently as soon as the topic was
preached to him. Its all a fraud,
say. You're all frauds, 1 believe, both
ering congress for appropriations. There
is nothing in it,
That settled it. The rude and thought
less rebuff had insured the success of
the Pocahentas Memorial association.
1t was quickly repeated to the other
prime movers in the project and passed
along by word of mouth and by letters
until it had aroused the fighting blood
of every one who had even the most
remote interest in the subject The
story of the rebuff spread and no doubt
gained in the telling. 1t was a chal-
lenge from the materialistic world of
today to defend the fame of the set
tiers who had hewed their way into the
wilderness and had laid the foundations
for the great commonwealth which be-
came the mother of presidents" and
was prime factor in the early history
of the American republic.
Having had their energies stimulated
by this incident the founders of the
have been working enthusi-
lstically. They now have 700 members
enrolled and have planned pilgrimage
TO Jamestown on Oct. IL next, the an
liversary of the landing of Columbus. |
A few weeks before that time finish |
ed model of the proposed statue will be |
submitted to the association and will be |
)n view in Washington. The sculptor, |
Ordway Partridge, will be on hand to |
describe his work and to answer criti- |
cisms. The statue will be full length |
igure of heroic size done in golden |
bronze. The exact pose has not yet |
been determined as between two fig |
Tres under consideration by the sculp- |
or
Matching the statue in point of inter
st will be its splendid pedestal, bear
ne on the four sides tablets recording
historical events in the life of the In
liam princess. Three of them will be
scenes in bas-relief. The first will be a
of the famous painting
The Baptism of Pocahontas," by
chapman, which occupies a conSpicu
,us position on the south wall of the
otunda of the capitol. The second tab
ct will depict the marriage of Poca
lontas, from the famous Brueckner
painting The third will present an
original design by one of the members
# the Memorial association showing
and her servitors bringing
supplies for the subsistence of the
tarving English colonists.
On the fourth tablet will be repro
luced a partial copy of the old parish
opiStpr still in axiStpnco at Graves |