Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1910-09-15
THE BEADLE STATUE

THE BEADLE STATUE
Some Interesting Details of Building
Sculptor'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 sculp-
ture the first form or model was as it
now is, made in clay. This substance
can be easily shaped and changed IN
til it represents more or less perfect
ly the subject of which 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. H. 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 part Of
the basement of the high school build
ing as his studio. There he construct
ed two movable and revolving plat
lOlll DtlWCth LII hl1o 1ooA INV
square and about eighteen inches
high, the stronger 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 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 builds up
| firmly and compactly the mass OF the
! body and limbs; 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 o.
the model and the sculptor at work
The model naturally tends to dry out
though nightly clad in wet sheets anc
cloths. So Mr. W Webster began in the
afternoon another important step by
covering the model with plaster O
paris, colored blue. This forms thu
mould in which he will little late
cast white plaster copy of the model
AS this will have a finer appearance
than the clay it probably will b.
placed on exhibition for short time
AS compared with clay the plaste
cast is firm, hard and not heavy AM
will be shipped to Mr.. Webster
, home. There the marble form will
be cut from a single block of Tennes
see marble and the plaster cast will
be the guide. This marble has gra
: and slightly pinkish tinge. The pur
white stone IS little used for huma!
: statues.
) The final work will be competed l
: some ten or twelve months when
l will be shipped direct to Pierre
| placed in the niche and unveiled at tn
V fall session of the State Educations
5 association in 1911.
t The statue is perfect portrait
J, Upon the front base of the mont
t ment the inscription IS as follows
1 which will probably so remain as Gel
Beadle wishes no blazonry of title
Y and sentiments The two lines are
q VIM. H. H. Beadle, Educator.
: He Saved the School Lands.
n Back into the box goes the ella
y while the whittier form goes east to
there exchanged by the skilled an
: already famous artist to the marb
n statue. All who have seen the mod
J. praise it warmly. On Roosevelt da
e the committee met, examined ar
e warmly approved the model. To tho'
to whom this seems so good there wi
Z be delight when the marble shows II
$ artists splendid ideas in the sign
n beauty his chisel always gives.
o Aberdeen-On the third day of filir
lie for Cheyenne River and Standl1
d Rock reservations lands, when nun
l. bers S,2O1 and $500 were called, b
Is eleven responded to their names, ma
a, ing a total of but SO filings out OF 3
v names called. Milwaukee officials he
at say that road will resume throu|
Id train service to the Pacific coast l
Of terrupted by the recent forest hrf