The independent., 1907-04-11
THE MARBLE HEART.

Truth may be crushed to earth, but
it will rise again by virtue Of its own
elasticity John Currie, the sculptor, Is
a living example Of this great truth.
Ten years ago he projected something
good for the state of Nebraska he
roic statue in marble of Abraham Lin
coin to stand on the state house square.
In this project, at its inception he mad
the endorsement of Governor Silas A.
Holcomb and two ex-governors besides.
Armed with these endorsements he
made bold to write the governor of
Tennessee outlining his plans and de-
siTes, and In due time, as the records
will show, the governor Of Nebraska
received from the governor of Ten
nessee two blocks Of gray Knox mar
BILE of the finest quality to be used as
indicated in the letters of Mr.. Currie
on file with the said governor of Ten
nessee. The marble Is still here, but
the statue has never been erected, and
the reason OF it Is fully set forth in
pamphlet recently issued by Major
John Currie author and sculptor the
title of which is THE Marble Heart
Speaking Of himself the author says
he requires no introduction, everybody
knows him." Noted people, he says,
usually earn their distinction by
ue0uB anu virtues fllidt 6Iltllic Ineul TO
recognition" and then he names him
self in the artist class along with Lund-
gren, Whistler, Zorn, McEwen, Vedder
and VoIk. After establishing his fame
beyond the question of doubt, he
goes on TO relate the unhappy history
of the statue that was never con-
structed, and the nefarious work of
those who would put a quietus upon
worthy project merely for the sake
of doing an injury to worthy and
patriotic citizen.
But it wasn't the loss of the job that
incensed Major Currie to the point Of
explosive fulminations. IT was Me-
braska's treatment Of generous sister
state that had donated the marble In
good faith believing that we intended
to make use of 1t as stipulated in the
semi official communications of Major
Currie. sculptor, who now says in his
pamphlet:
After all our people not only failed
to give the reception it deserved but
allowed it TO remain on the capitol
grounds for ten years, and after The
State Journal came in at the funeral
and cursed it as an eye-sore. it was
ignominiously dragged from it's original
position by the hands of rough and un-
couth men and consigned to the rub
bish heap in dirty recess Of q heating
plant smokestack, by order Of the board
of public lands and buildings of the
state of Nebraska, u. s. A.
This is all true enough, but the major
makes a mistake when he writes con-
tumaciously of the rough and uncouth
hands employed in removing those
blocks of marble to sheltered posi-
ton under the shadow of the imperial
smckestack Those were the gnarled
and knotted hands of honest toll, the
hands that every man is delighted to
shake when he Is running for office.
All, but he says of rough and uncouth
men, Worse yet, and more of 1t. We
fear the major has forgotten himself.
Let him be coniforted in knowing that
the blocks of marble are still intact,
and that some day a legislature may
be elected composed of men who win
see that the work so auspiciolsly be-
gun by Sculptor Currie is carried on
to a successful issue.