Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-09-06
dorado Taft's "Foun.an of Time"

' dorado Taft's "Fountain Of Time"
Chieagos great project for the per-
manent Identification of the Midway
Plaisanee of Worlds Fair fame takes
tangible form in the published repro
auctions of dorado Tafts Fountain
of Time" which is planned for cree
ton at the western terminus of the
boulevard. now a grassy plot a mile
long by one hundred feet wide con-
Meeting Washington ard Jackson
, parks. The midway. which. for
tunately for that institution ad-
joins the campus of Chicago Univer-
sity, is to be treated as a canal, How
ing from the small lakes of one park
into the lagoons of the other. Three
white marble bridges-The Bridge OF
Sciences, The Bridge of Arts. and the
Bridge of Faiths-are to span the
canal. At intervals, along elevated
strips of land fianking the midway
! one hundred bronze statutes of the
worlds greatest idealists are to stand
The Fountain of Time is TO oc
cupy a position in one of the lagoons
at one end, and a Fountain of Crea-
/ tltH d SIllilidi poSitibii dt NiIt olHti
. end of the midway The central
, bridge-The Bridge of Arts. larger
, than the Bridges of Sciences and
Faiths is To bear elaborate orna-
mentation in the form of statues of
such great artists as Raphael and
MicheIangelo. Georgia marble,
close grained and very hard material
is to be used for many of the statues.
The sculptural program for this
great work, which is known as the
marble dream" of dorado Taft the
, sculptor of the west" already famous
for his Columbus Monument and his
I group of THE Blind" is to be ear
ried on with fund provided by the
late Benjamin F. Ferguson, which
yields some 100000 a year. 1t is ex-
pected To finish the work without re-
, course to public subscription except
for the funds necessary to complete
certain details of the bridges. The
. sculptor Taft offers TO devote the
balance of his life to the work, an
offer which anticipates advantages
such as fall to the lot of few seulp-
tors. The public character of the
1 work. the assurance of employment
and the certainty of favorable repre-
sentation of posterity are consumma-
F, tions devoutly to be wished by all ar
g. fists. Mr.. Taft's qualifications for
the task are considerable. His "F'oun-
, tain of the Lakes" soon to be un-
yelled, is the first finished contribu
ton to the realization of his marble
dream of beautiful midway. Mr..
Taft's symbolism is clear and simple
much like that of the late Louis Pot
| ter. There is no mystery in it, no
obscurity, nothing abstruse or com
pick. The lakes are fine robust wo-
men holding basins of sea sheet, five
matrons of familiar classical type
1. whose genesis may be traced
| through Thorwaldson to Brnini
and Giovanni de Bologne. The
design of the Fountain of the
Lakes is interesting. Superior
stands above and turns the water aris-
ing in her shell to that of Michigan.
from Michigan the water descends to
;. Huron. to Erie, to Ontario, thence in
to the st. Lawrence river. The de-
sign as a whole is effective. Unity
of parts and completeness of execu-
ton distinguish the group.
of which is now ready, is the largest
. proposition with which Mr.. Taft has
, yet had to deal. Like most of his
| works this one is strikingly effective
in general plan though inadequately
| characterized in the details The
idea is again expressed simply and
clearly A procession of human be-
ings bound together and moving for
ward in the form of a wave IMPLYING
the unsubstantial and ephemeral ma
ture of human life passes in re-
view before Father Time, "crag-
like" figure towering twenty feet high.
In the center of, the group rides an
| armoured figure on horseback. Many
stages and conditions of life are rep
resented in this wave of humanity.
Old men. young men, beautiful wo-
men. and children fulfill the law sug
gested in Dobson's motto-''Time
stays, we GO" Some going willingly,
: some reluctantly, some struggling,
some submissive, some together en-
bracing others solitary, sadly alone
some bravely with heads up. others
trembling, crouching with heads
, lowered. on the center. in advance OF
!, the horseman, beautiful woman looks
upward with a rapt expression, con-
: fident of her eternity. To the left
;, forward of the procession, creature
seems to set himself to stay the move
:, ment Does he typify the burdensomt