The Columbus commercial., 1913-02-23
As America created a

er near Oregon. III.
has been built b.
Lorado Taft. the sculp
tor. with every care that modern en-
cheering can take to make Il as per-
manent as the Pyramids and other f.
nous landmarks Of the ages. BY his
method OF applying the concrete Mr..
Taft bids fair 70 accomplish his pur-
pose.
The statue. erected to commemo-
rate the American Indian. represents
Black Hawk. chief OF the Sacs and
Foxes. standing with folded arms.
looking down the picturesque valley
OF the Rock river. The figure Is Of
noble proportions. being fifty feet 10
height, and crowns the top Of a bluft
$50 feet above the swirling waters Of
the river.
The claim Of the statue to fame
rests in three things: First, any one
who runs-even those who run In
automobiles-may read its message.
AS those who are rushing by in autos
and steam cars and motor boats stop
or turn to look II inevitably recalls
the former occupancy by the red men
OF the places they are now In.
Then the statues great size places
It on a scale with the Goddess of Lib
erty in New Pork harbor and the
great statue of The Pilgrim" on the
New England coast.
It's third and greatest claim to fame
h that II is built to be permanent.
and II is believed that it will outlast
the sphinx. the Pyramids and the
stopes erected by the Druids.
II Is utilitasian concrete which II
is hoped will make the statue OF
Black Hawk overtake the Sphinx In
age by enduring after time has ef
faced that grim figure. The statue
was three years In process Of making
and represents new era in concrete
construction as applied to the art OF
sculpture. While fountains and per
golas and temporary figures for exhi
billions have been made of concrete
in the past. nothing approaching IN
magnitude or purpose the present
piece of work has ever before beer
attempted with this material. II was
a labor Of love with the sculptor. who
bore all the expense himself
Behind the building of the Iaci
Hawk statue lies an interesting story
A few years ago Mr.. Taft was watch
ing some workmen build concret,
chimney at the Chicago Art Institute
and there came to him his great idet
Of the means for making an enduring
statue. With the process in mind 4
was not long until an adequate sub
ject presented itself
For fifteen years Mr. Taft has hat
his summer home and studio a
Eagles Nest Camp, near Oregon, th'
summer seat of the Chicago art col
ony Standing for the hundredtl
time at the highest point OF the clif
he never failed to remember that l
was from here that Black Hawk WA
finally driven out OF Illinois. So h
decided to bring back the famous In
dian chief, and now In concrete Blacl
Hawk again surveys his former dc
main with an air OF "immutable dis
dain," as one artist has put 1t.
Black Hawk and his tribes tough
on the English side in the War O
1872 He saw sooner than othe
chiefs that the whites would take al
the Indians hunting grounds fror
him He tried everything from wa
to treaties to check the whites aC
vance AS he grew old he becam
more attached to his home along tn
Rock river and fought against r.
moval to the Iowa reservation by tn
government. He even tried living l
peace with the whites. but he ha
achieved such a reputation that an
depredations that any Indians con
mitted we're laid at his tepee door.
Finally he and his people were dri'
en- across the Mississippi by Uncl
Sans soldiers. After that, as an oil
man, he petitioned the governmer
that he might come back and vie
his old domains on the Rock rive
Many members of the tribe wei
brought with him, and suddenly thel
was panic among the whites. Whetl
er II was intentional from the first @
the part of the Indians or the resu
Of suspicion, war was precipitate
Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson D
Wis both fought with the whites ar
Black Hawk was made prisoner.
1t is characteristic of Mr. Taft TIL
when he went about what he hop,
will be his most enduring work In
material way he started with as |
tie fuss as II 1t were a small matte
Silently and surely the work advar
ed as BELTS Ia character the approa,
Of an Indian. Even the sculpt
smiles at his work as II It were
conceit of the moment instead OF 4
project of a lifetime, and succee
partly in hiding his pleasure In I
work.
Mr.. Taft did not study any one ty