The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-04-06
WASHINGTON LETTER
fspecial correspondence.l

Especial Correspondence
The right ear and one-half of the
nose of the Goddess of Peace and
Plenty are missing from her classic
marble features. The marble lady's
right hand, full of peoples and corn,
is also on the lost or stolen list. The
goddess is part of one of the colossal
groups of statuary ON the main east
porticO of the capitol She is regarded
as one of the silent sentinels that
guard the approach to the big white
building through the rgtunda. But, as
a capitol official expressed it, she must
have been asleep at her post March 4,
when some vandal, with hammer or
ehisel, stole parts Of her stony anato-
my.
VandaIs Work Havoc.
At this point there are groups in
marble OF Persico's Discovery of
America" and Greenough's settlement
Of America with heroic statues of
war and peace. Because Of their gi-
gantic size these figures have been
practically immune from the vandaI-
ism of so called relic hunters, but i'm
arranging for the inauguration events
at the east front of the capitol scat
folding was built close to the desc
Grated goddess.
The vandals, who robbed her Of her
hand, her ear and nose no doubt
climbed upon the scaffold in order to
| commit the act and thus, at great loss
to, the government, secured souvenir
! Of the historic occasion.
Similar Acts Recalled.
| The spoliation of the Goddess OF
Peace and Plenty recalled to capitol
officials similar acts of vandalism in
the past, including the stealing of
George Washington's big toe from the
! Greenough statue that once posed ,ep-
posite the east front of the capitol.
In the aftermath of the Inaugural
ton it is. expected that other acts OF
vandalism at the hands of the un-
scrupulous relic hunters will be
brought to light. The vandals are al
ways in evidence when great crowds
are assembled in this city. One of the
favorite places for the commission Of
such deeds was the interior Of the
| Washington monument until the au
thorities arranged to have the place
carefully guarded, and depredators
when arrested were severely punished
in the police court.
4 Taft Kissed Solomon's Prayer.
Through James H.. McKenney, the
veteran clerk of the supreme court O.
the United States, has come to ligh
the fact that President Taft's lips fel
upon a significant passage in the Bibl
when. after taking the oath of office
he kissed the sacred volume. Mr.. Nc
Kenney held fer the chief justice tn,
, book used in connection with the ad
ministering of the oath. He presented
it to Mr.. Taft, who reverently leanet
over and touched his lips to the opel
book. They fell upon the third CHAP
ter of Kings, at the point beginnin
{ 'sGiye. therefore, thy servant an un
: derstanding heart to judge thy people
that i may discern between good an
Q bad, for who is able to judge this tn
/, so great a peopleT'
This was the prayer Of Solomon q
! the beginning Of his reign, and tn
passage closes with the statement tina
the prayer was answered because G
: its nnselfish character.
The Mace Of Congress.
The American fasces. as the mac
Of congress might be termed, is mad
up Of thirteen ebony sticks-one fl
each of the original states bound Il
gether by a silver band and surmoun
ed by a silver eagle on a silver glob
1t weighs about twenty pounds an
bears the date 1S41, though 1t Is sal
to have been made In 1884. Betwee
sessions the mace Is kept in the oftic
Of the sergeant-at-arms. While Il