The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-10-21
PILLARS GETS
CONTRACT FOR
GORRIE STATUE
AWARDED CONTRACT FOR $4,000
STATUE OF eoRRIE-JAcKsoN-
VILE MAN is UNANIMOUSLY
CHOSEN BY coMMIssIoN-THE
STATUE TO BE OF cARARA
MARBLE.

The Jacksonville Times Union says:
Charles Adrian Pillars, the sculptor,
who recently secured the award Of the
heroic statue of the late DR.. John
Gorrfe. has returned from Tallahassee,
where he met the special committee
and competitors last Sunday. The
meeting OF the special committee,
which had been appointed by the leg
tsIature to make the award, was held
at the Hotel Leon and was open to
the public. The session lasted from 10
o'clock in the morning until o'clock
In the evening, the several members Of
the committee giving the fullest at
tention to the claims Of sculptors and
most carefully considering the models
presented. The contestants for the
award were allowed all time desired
to give their views regarding the
statue and when the choice was made
Mr.. Pillars was told that Il was on
account of the absolute accuracy OF
the proportions, naturalness and ease
Of poise, in the model submitted. The
excellence Of Mr.. Pillars model so
appealed to the committee that an
unanimous vote was recorded in his
favor at the first ballot. The COM
mittee then assured Mr.. Pillars that
it was pleasure to be able to award
the contract to a Florida sculptor.
Naturally Jacksonville may take pride
in this success also, for Sculptor Pill
lars has resided here for the past
eighteen years and is identified with
the growth and progress of the Flor
Ida metropolis. Born in Illinois Mr..
Pillars was early studying art and
after nine years spent in the studio
Of one Of the foremost American art
lists, he spent some years in Paris and
afterwards came to the south. He has
been under favorable consideration nj
- L. ,r-g-.
submitting splendid designs and
models in the competition for the
Davis memorial at Richmond, the
Sheridan equestrian statue at Chicago,
where his model was one of FIVE Sc
lected from half a hundred for final
Judgment, in a competition valued at
$50, 900, and the equestrian statue Of
Forest, at Memphis.
The statue Of DR.. John Gorrie was
authorized by the state legislature at
its last session, to perpetuate the
memory of the distinguished Florida
physician, who in endeavoring to al
ieviate the suffering Of fever patients,
worked out the plan of artifcially
congealing water; the problem OF re-
frtgeration that is now universally ad-
mitted as solved. The statue is to be
one Of the two allowed to Florida in
StatQary ball washington d c. ana
VIII be cut by Sculptor Pillars from a
single block Of Carara marble. The
figure will be seven feet high and rep
resents DR.. GorTie standing in an easy
position and wearing the frock coat
and loose-ftting trousers of the aver
age practitioner Of his time and To-
cality. The figure is to stand upon a
dignified pedestal about three feet,
eight inches in height, made Of poll
ished, pink southern marble or gran
lite. The total height will be about
eleven feet
The pedestal will be carved, also.
from single block and the inscrfp-
ton will be on a tablet at the front
At one side there will be q bronze me-
dallion on which the coat Of arms Of
Florida will be represented in relief
This medallion to be surrounded by a
wreath. On the other side of the Pc
destal there will be a medallion on
which will be represented, in relief.
DR.. GorTie demonstrating the opera
ton of his machine before a commit
tee at the Mansion House at Apalachi-
cola in 1850. These medallions will be
twenty nine by twenty-four inches and
the scene mentioned will be duly ex-
planned on a pennant or ribbon be-
meath.
The statue Of DR.. Gorrte was made
possible by the securing by Capt.
George H. Whiteside OF the only
known existing portrait Of the distin-
guished Floridian. who was born in