Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-04-26
VANDALISM AT FISK MONUMENT.
Senslbilities Of Funeral Party-Respect
Shown by Rivermen.

A two-column picture of the Fisk
monument in Prospect Hill cemetery i'll
Illustrated a story in the Boston Sunday
Globe, relative to the mutilation of the
monument. While some of the vandal
ism has been committed the past year,
as stated in the Globe, most of it was
done earlier, in fact it has been going on
Is years or more. 1t is confined prin-
cipally to the statues of four women,
one on each corner of the monument,
fingers, hands and toes having been
broken off by relic hunters. The Globe
article said
THE imposing monument of marble de-
signed by Sculptor Larkin c. Mead,
which stands over the ashes of the
spectacular financier of a generation ago.
James Fisk, jr., has been made an OBJ
ject of vandalism within the last -
months and many visitors to Prospect
Hill cemetery have carried away bits of
marble as souvenirs of the final resting
place of Fisk.
known to the public until a few weeks
ago, when Fisks widow died in South
Boston, Mass, and her body was brought
here for burial. The work of souvenir
hunters in breaking off the fingers and
toes and even the hands and feet of the
life-size figures on the monument was
particularly noticeable as the funeral
The sexton believes that much of
the vandalism has been done by tourists,
thousands of whom visit the Fisk lot
annually. Hardly a theatrical company
comes to Brattleboro which does not send
a delegation to visit Fisks grave.
Much of the work of desecrat ton is
of recent date. In striking contrast to
the acts of souvenir hunters may be
mentioned visit paid this burial place
ago.
During the night they camped on the
banks of the Connecticut river on their
annual pilgrimage from the headquarters
of the river to Massachusetts cities with
a drive of logs. During the night they
visited the cemetery, removed their
spiked shoes and stepped softly across
the grass plot to the monument, which
they studied under the glimmering light
Of a lantern, each man with his hat in
his hand"
The following story of the vandalism
was published in The Phoenix April %,
1898:
About the base Of the shaft are four
figures of women. One, with a steam
brow, represents the Erie railroad;
another is Commerce, symbol for the
Fall River line of steamboats,; a third is
the Muse of Music, emblematic of the
Grand Opera house, and the fourth is
typical Of Commerce in its broadcast
sense. In the figure representing rail-
roads the first three toes on the left foot
have been broken off, and all the toes on
the right foot are gone. In the figure
of the Muse the hand resting on the
Tyre has been broken off nearly to the
wrist, three toes on the right foot have
been knocked off as with hammer, and
nearly half Of the left foot is missing.
The right foot of the figure representing
Commerce has been badly mangled, all
the toes being gone, and the left foot
is broken back nearly to the instep. The
Steamboats, statue has been similarly
disfgured. The top of the Tyre of Music
has been Clipped off. Above the figures
is medallion in high relief on the face
Of the monument, with portrait of Col.
Fisk. One side of his niustache has been
Clipped Off"