The Ordway new era. (Ordway, Colo.) 1902-1927, 1913-02-14

AI$aAeJ e e. near hssn ofI n",1; hv
~ dorado Taft, the sculp-
tor, with every care that modern en-.
cheering can take to make It as per
manent as the Pyramids and other IA
nous landmarks of the ages. BY his
method of applying the concrete MI.
Taft bids fair to 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 10 Of
noble proportions. being nifty feet in
height, and crowns the top of blun
$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 1t 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 1.-THE Pilgrim" on the
New England coast.
Its third and greatest claim to fame
is that 1t is built to be permanent.
and it is believed that it will outlast
the sphinx. the Pyramids and the
stones erected by the Druids.
l.
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 a 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 been
attempted with this material. 1t was
a labor of love with the sculptor. who
bore all the expense himself.
Behind the building of the Black
Hawk statue lies an interesting story.
A few years ago Mr.. Taft was watch.
ing some workmen build concrete
chimney at the Chicago Art Institute
and there came to him his great idea
of the means for making an enduring
statue. With the process in mind II
was not long until an adequate sub
tect presented itself.
For fifteen years Mr.. Taft has had
his summer home and studio al
Eagles Nest Camp, near Oregon. the
summer seat Of the Chicago art col
ony. Standing for the hundredtt
time at the highest point Of the cliff
he never failed to remember that II
was from here that Black Hawk wal
finally driven out Of Illinois. So he
decided to bring back the famous In
dian chief. and now in concrete Black
Hawk again surveys his former do
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
1912. He saw sooner than othe
chiefs that the whites would take al
the Indians hunting grounds from
him. He tried everything from wa
. to treaties 20 check the whites ad
vance. AS he grew old he becam'
more attached to his home along tn
Rock river and fought against re
moval to the Iowa reservation by tn
government. He even tried living II
peace with the whites. but he ha'
achieved such a reputation that an,
depredations that any Indians com
mitted were laid at his tepee door.
Finally he and his people were dris
en- across the Mississippi by INCL
Sans soldiers. After that, as an Of
man. he petitioned the government
that he might come back and vieI
his old domains on the Rock river
Many members of the tribe wer
brought with him, and suddenly Their
was panic among the whites. Whetf
er 1t was intentional from the first O
the part of the Indians or the resul
of suspicion, war was precipitatet
Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson d.
Wis both fought with the whites an
Black Hawk was made a prisoner.
1t is characteristic Of Mr.. Taft tha
when he went about what he hope
will be his most enduring work in
material way he started with as II
tie fuss as II 1t were a small matte
Silently and surely the work advan'
ed as BELTS in character the approac
Of an Indian. Even the sculptc
smiles at his work as II 1t were
conceit Of the moment instead Of tn
project Of lifetime, and succeed
partly in hiding his pleasure in tn
work.
Mr.. Taft did not study any one tyr