The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1907-06-20
STATUE TO STAND
IN CENTER OF PARK
LOCATION SELECTED FOR THE
EDMuNDsoN MEMORIAL.
BAND STAND is TO BE MOVED
Bronze Figure of Old Chief Mahaska
viii Be Eight Feet Above the
Pedestal and VIII Cost
over $4,000.

j
The location of the new $4,000
statue of Chief Mahaska, which is to
be erected in the city park in the
near future, has at last been selected.
Sherry e. Fry, the young Iowa sculp-
tor who built the statue, was IN the
city last evening and attended the
meeting of the city council. His wish
es In regard to the location of hts
magnificent piece of work We're CON
sidered and it was decided to erect
the pedestal at once in the center OF
the square The band stand is now
almost in the center but 1t will be
moved to one side and the pedestal OF
granite erected in its place, The fig-
ure itself is just eight feet In height
and is made of bronze, while the base
will probably be of brown granite,
elevating the statue five. feet off OF
the ground. *a..} b. ),
The statue is the gift of ]. D. Ell.
mundson of Des Moines, a memorial
to his father, William Edmu1dson, a
pioneer in the state and first sheriff
of Mahaska county. Theswork Is now
complete and on exhibition in Paris,
but will arrive in the city some time
in September, when 1t will be erected
at once and appropriate celebrations
held at its unwilling.
The Artist in Town. ~,
This statue of the famous. CHIEF
Mahaska was one of the features OF
this years salon in Paris, France,
and won for Mr.. Fry an election to the
National Sculpture Society of New
York, and an invitation to become a
member of the International Society
of Men of Arts and Letters OF Paris.
Mr.. Fry's rise to recognition by
the foremost artists of this country
and Europe has been extraordinary.
1t was not so very many years ago.
not even a decade ago, that he was
young STRIPPING at Creston, iowa.
who had never been without the con-
fines of his county. But there was IN
him a. genius for modelling and
sketching that asserted itself long be-
fore that and which whispered TO MIN
that he must do things, big things. he
heard the call and the first real op,
portunity came to him at the time OF
the Trans Mississippi exposition when
he secured work with the decorators
OF. the exposition buildings. He EN-.
ployed himself industriously there and
saved enough money to go to Chicago
where he entered the sculpture class
of the art institute under the instruc
ton of dorado Taft. Then he went to
New York City, where he was "a stu
| dent under Saint Gaudens. Still on MS
own resources he went to Paris and
Florence, where he studied under oth
err masters. In Paris year ago nc
met Mr.. Edmundson and then recelv
ed his commission for the Mahaska
| statue. 81 sa.. s... -. ..@r.
| Unborn Genius.
He exhibited this statue in the sa
lon this year. and from every quarter
came an immediate recognition OF the
Unborn genius Of the young Iowan ant
4 unstinted praise. Since then numer
GUS honors have come to him, bu
those he prizes most are the recogni
j ton of the National Sculpture Society
and of the great-International Society
of Men of Arts and Letters.
| "There is no nationality or favorit
ism in the field of art. said Mr., Fry
last night, in talking of his experience
abroad, and his own career stands as
an exemplifcation of that fact. He
went to Paris a poor young man, ex
| cept in the riches of his natural gifts
and without influence save that Of hi!
own self. No barriers were raise
against him, however, he was taker
| for what he was worth and recognized
4 upon his own merits. w
4 "The great art societies of EiirOpt
are cosmopolitan" continued Ma Fly
"They merely ask that a man d.
something; that is the key to admis
sion. No matter what a mans ma
tionality, his position, or his wealth
he is recognized if he is entitled t.
recognition. The American in Pari
is treated as graciously as a French
man. There is remarkable absenct
of clannishness.
american artists have won mucl
distinction abroad and they stant
high / think 1t can be said that thi
country has made great progress II
art and each years salon contains
4 the work of American artists tina
ranks with that of the artists of an!
country. There is fine sincerity
too, in all this, thorough honesty o
purpose to let no false standards gov
ern"
Planned for a Year.
Mr.. Fry spent the greater part of
year in planning and executing hi
statue. When his commission wa
received he began study of the his
tory pertaining to- Mahaska,. learne'
what he could of his personality. ant
then sought out his descendants AM
the remnants Of his tribe on tn
Tama reservation. He secured ais,
as much as he could of the attire act
ually worn by Mahaska and amoni
the things was a silver band worl
about the head at the time of the not
able chiefs visit to President Monroe
1 I \ 4. - l.,