The Washington herald., 1910-03-27
terpleee and the goddess is said to be

On, ID. e, oU ~ Ia I, III d NJ.
terpIeee and the goddess is said to be
satisfied.
Liberty Gets n Bath.
It was five years ago that Liberty was
given a much-needed bath. Exposed to
the elements as she is and made of
per than 1t should, the figure becomes
much furnished as time passes. This
fact has given the solons on the hill
no little worry, and various proposals
have been made to improve the appear
snce of the statue.
At one time a bill passed the Senate
providing that it should be overlaid with
a gold plating, as is the dome of the
Library of Congress, across the square.
But the House failed TO concur. Other
proposals were made to paint the god
dess as the dome OF the Capitol is
painted. But these likewise failed to
meet general approval.
This once was the goddess given a
bath. Al Porch erected scaffolding
about her that enabled the workmen TO
perform the task Once in a decade she
is given new trimmings for her bonnet,
the most recent intrusion being that of
the present season. Otherwise she stands
in solemn secluson looking down on
petty men below and holding her place
above that body OF individuals who rep
resent the thing for which she stands,
and who deal out to their fellow-crea-
lures her gifts as they see them. though
led somewhat aside on occasion by so
small a thing in so great company as
personal interest.
The statue itself is 10 feet 6 inches in
height. It's face is. roughly. three feet
long. There is a very much widowed
joke which keeps drifting about the
grounds of the Capitol TO the effect that
one Senator once said TO another:
do you know that the hand Of the
goddess is eleven inches long?"
us that an?" responded the other.
Certainly" was the reply" If it
were twelve inches it would be foot. ="
Final Landing Place.
Visitors to the Capitol are not able TO
ascend to nearer than sixty feet Of the
statue. This last stopping point is
reached after climbing many fights Of
stairs above the ultimate reach Of the
elevators. for the Capitol is a mOnstrous
pile. The last landing is that which runs
around the top Of the dome itself. Here
visitors come for a view OF the city be-
low. From here a man once committed
suicide by leaping TO the roof beneath.
and the mystery of his identity has never
been solved.
Inside. the dome is practically the last
stand Of the sightseer. The ceiling Of it
crowns the great shaft that mounts 200
feet above Statuary Hall on the ground
floor Its ceiling boasts some Of the
finest interior decoration that America
has known The concave of It's dome
does strange things in the way Of mag
nifying and throwing sounds. Here for
amusement the wise ones come and sit
on benches, while lovers tuck themselves
away In hooks fifty feet distant and
talk in whispers. Yet their secrets may
be heard by any lounger in all the cir
Gle that surrounds the great shaft.
The Goddess of Freedom las held her
place here since December 2, 1853. She
was modelled by Thomas Crawford. who
received 5000 for that service. Then the
model was turned over 10 Clark Mills
who lived just outside Of Washington. to
be cast. 1t was made in five different
pieces, which aggregated a weight Of
1885 pounds These pieces were fitted
together and bolted. Then every device
possible was resorted to to obliterate the
marks of the joints,
Finally. the task was so thoroughly
accomplished that no man could say
where the joints were except he who
had done the joining This individual
was a very clever Italian. It was nee
essary that the statue be again taken
to pieces that Il might be hoisted 10 the
top of the Capitol. The Italian refused
to reveal the joints unless he were given
certain very excellent government
position with a guarantee Of its perma-
nence. He attempted in this way to hold
up the government
This was toward the close Of the civil
war, but Mr. Mills, the caster. was still
doing government work with slave labor.
Among his other men he had a certain
light-coiored negro of great intelligence.
He directed this man to find the joints
in the great statue. The negro attacked
it with block and tackle. He stretched
and wracked and pulled it, The joints
began to work with the straining. the
bolts were discovered, and the statue
was taken to pieces. So did a slave
render direct service to Freedom.