The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-03-23
Much Regret Expressed at Se-
 lection of Capitol Park
FAVOR RED MOUNTAIN
The Grouping of Vulcan With the Statues In Capitol Park Is Consd- cred lncongruous by Those Ap-
 precative of the Artistic.
BY ANNIE KENDRIcK WALKER.

The announcement that Vulcan is to be erected in Capitol parll-not the sugges- ton. but what seems to be an actual faet-has brought forth q storm of pro- test from Birmingham women. The tele- phone of the editor of the womans de- partment of this paper rang bright and early this morning.
 Vulcan is actually to be erected in Capitol parlli9 said woman indignantly. "Thnk of it That huge thing grouped with the statues in the park. Cant you do something? Is it too late for you 10 enter protest? Oh, it Is dreadful to think that Capitol park has been se- leeted!
 "I am afraid it is too late said the newspaper woman.
 "But thought an article from you would help things" said the woman. Perhaps 1t is not too late. Do write something anyway. Do not look calmly on while a step is being taken that will always be regretted. In even a few years the city will see it's own mistake. Vul- can belongs on Red mountain. It was never intended to be in park with smaller monuments, and she entered an eloquent protest against the erection of Vulcan in Capitol park
 As an indication of how Birmingham wemen felt on the subject, several other telephone messages were received by this departmnt. Protests. strong. indignant, almost fiery were sent over the telephone. Entreaties they might be called, so urgent were several women in their requests that something be written, anything that might delay sentence, as it were word that might in some way influence the powers that be, something that would at least show that there are women in Birmlng mha who deplore any action looking to the erection of this huge statue in a place for which it was not intended.
 The importance of Vulcan as an adver- tisement for the district was not by any means underrated. On the contrary, those women who expressed themselves recog- nize and have at all times admitted that Vulcan has more than represented the wonderful resources of this district. The statue means even more than what is rep resented in its composition, because it was patriotic spirit that made it possible
 But the whole history of Vulcan has grown tiresome. No one wants to read anything about It. and how very tired peo- pie will grow if they are compelled to see 1t day after day in Capitol park. They do not have to read the newspaper art- cles about it, but if the statue is erected in Capitol park there will literally be no way around 1t. People will have to look at it, this giant thing that needs back ground and plenty of it, not the back ground of houses, but a great and won derful sky, the kind that you saw yes terday If you looked toward Red moun- tain. How utterly incongruous Vulcan will look in a small park, where little children play these bright afternoons. The other statues, the Davis monument and the Confederate monument, will be dwarfed the moment that Vulcan is put in the park, and the one artistic view that looking up Twentieth street-will be gone forever. If you come up Twentieth street these afternoons the park is flooded with sunshine It is a place for happy children. and the statues that have been erected there mean so much for artistic Birmingham. They mean all at present. What seems sad about what we call "en- during art is that it can be so quickly de- spoiled.
 Among the women who expressed regret at the selection of Capitol park was Mrs ". S. Lowell
 Vulcan should not be erected in the park said Mrs. Lowell. "In the first place il was not originally intended for park purposes, and it would dwarf all other statues in the park If it is erected there now, l think it will be only ques- ton of q few years when money would have to be raised for its removal. Public sentiment would be so against this huge statue remaining in the park for future generations to see that 1t would have to be removed. Red mountain is by all means the best location. Vulcan belongs to the soil. 1 hope that it is not too late for protests to have effect and that the statue will be erected in a place most suited to it.
 Miss Alice E. Rumph was among the artists who also expressed regret at the decision to place Vulcan in the park Tt seems 10 me ," said Miss Rumph that Red mountain-the source of Vulcan-is the proper site. do not at all approve of the park
 Miss Willie Allen also was among those who entered a strong protest against plac- ing Vulcan in the park
 In discussing it she recalled the visit here several years ago of Marion Craw- ford.
 He was the guest of Mir. and Mrs. James Bowron" said Miss Allen, land with them went up the mountain for q view of the city. In viewing Brmng- ham from Red mountain MT. Crawford remarked 'how like Florence.
 'I recall that my first impression of Birmingham was not unlike MT. Craw- ford's, particularly one misty. strange strange looking morning that I saw it from the mountain. It is on the slope of the hills outside Florence that the reproduction of Michael Angelo David overooks this lovely Italian city. The statue is apout the size of Vulcan and is wrought in bronze, There it stands on a