The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-09-16
THE BEADLE STATUE
Some Interesting Details Of Building
SCuIptor's Clay Model

SOm6 interesting CetaIlS OF DuiiuiHS
Scuptor's Clay Model
Sioux Falls-Very few persons in
the general community are more than
slightly acquainted With the work of
the sculptor, though occasional lee
lures give us a few features of it. Our
children in the city schools work
little in fashioning soft clay into
forms. From the beginning OF scnlp-
ture IL, first form or model was as it
now is, made in clay. This substance
can be easily shaped and changed un-
til it represents more or less perfect
ly the subject Of viii h the marble or
bronze Statue is intended.
We can best report the process by
a description of the work of Mr.. H.
Daniel Webster, who Is making the
statue Of Gen. w. H. II. Beadle for
niche in the rotunda OF our state
capitol at Pierre He secured, through
the courtesy of the board and super
intendent, Prof. Mcdonald. a pa t of
the basement of the high school build
ing as his studio. There he construct
ed two movable and revolving plat
forms between three and four feet
square and about eighteen inches
high, the ronger and frmer one for
! the model, the lighter one for the
subject to stand or sit upon in posing.
! The model being mainly of moist clay
must have some iron and wood inter
nal supports to prevent the clay from
/ settling down and losing form. So
| iron rods pass up through the limbs
/ and body, neck and head and are re-
/ inforced with wooden braces: two
| iron rods connect from each shoulder
through the two arms and into the
hands. In addition a strong outside
iron rod, with branch into the body
where it is braced to the platform,
supports and helps to hold plumb the
entire structure.
The clay must be thoroughly ground
and moistened and worked over. With
a box full Of this the artist using botn
hands gathers it up and with force
throws it in place and thus build up
firmly and compactly the mass OF the
body and Ambs: thus the model grows
outward from the central line to the
general form, and the work Increases
In care and delicacy until the last
| touch is given to features and cloth
ing. When completed the model and
supports together weight about eleven
hundred pounds.
Yesterday morning the last finish
was given to this part OF the Work
and then two photographs were taken,
one of the model alone and the other
of the model and the subject. Gen.
Beadle in a standing pose like that OF
the model and the sculptor at work.
The model naturally tends to dry out,
though nightly clad in wet sheets and
cloths So Mr.. Webster began in the
ctn
covering the model with plaster of
paris. colored blue This forms the
mould in which he will a little later
cast a white plaster copy of the models
AS this will have a finer appearance
than the clay 1t probably will be
placed on exhibition for short time.
As compared with clay the plaster
cast is firm. hard and not heavy and
will be shipped to Mr.. Webster,s
, home There the marble form will
he cut from a single block of Tennes-
, see marble and the plaster cast will
he the guide. This marble has a gray
and slightly pinkish tinge. The pure
white stone is little used for human
statues.
The final work will be compelled In
some ten or twelve months when it
will be shipped direct to Pierre
placed in the niche and unveiled at the
. fall session of the State Educational
association in 1911.
The statue is a perfect portrait.
Upon the front base Of the monu-
ment the inscription IS as follows
| which will probably so remain as Gen
Readle wishes no blazOnry OF titles
and sentiments. The two lines are:
VIM H. H. Beadle, Educator.
He Saved the School Lands.
Back into the box goes the clay
while the whittier form goes east to be
there exchanged by the skilled anc
: already famous artist to the marble
l statue. All who have seen the mode
4, praise it warmly On Roosevelt day
the committee met, examined ant
? warmly approved the model. To those
to whom this seems so good there viii
: he delight when the marble shows the
: artists splendid ideas in the sigma
4 beauty his chisel always gives.
D Aberdeen-On the third day Of films
e for Cheyenne River and standing
q Rock reservations lands. when num-
: bers s.201 and $500 were called, bu
S eleven responded to their names, max
!. ing a total of but 53 filings out o. 3O
Y names called Milwaukee officials herr
t say that road will resume thro 81
d train service to the Pacific coast In
f terrupted by the recent forest fires
: on September 8.
~J.o NJ -;