Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-19

doubted that any artist could be found
who would make an equestrian statue for
that sum. and, indeed. it was doubted
whether a creditable equestrian statue
could be made. In 1S4S, however. when
the committee was looking for an artist.
Clark Mills of Charleston, s. c.. who had
from his trade. plasterer. become some
what Of an artist, proposed to make an
raised, and soon after produced the mod
ell. He knew that this amount would not
remunerate him, but he was working for
the future and. his model being approved
Old Cannon Used.
The government furnished the material,
old brass cannon. some of them captured
by Gen. Jackson at New Orleans, and he
erected on 18th street and the Avenue a
frame building which he used as work
shop. foundry and residence Then. buy
ing horse named Olympus, which was
kept at Majors stables, on the site of
the Municipal building, he trained it to
assume the attitude he desired. and faith
fully that attitude was represented in the
statue. The horse was known as the mod
Ell horse about Washington and was rid
den by him when an officer Of the Presi-
dents Mounted Guard Of this city. Mr..
Mills clothed the hero with every minutia
OF uniform. saddle. holster and bride,
etc. and carried about with him small
model of the statue he was going to
make. But few Of the community ex-
pected him to succeed, and they laughed
at his claim that he would furnish this
statue which would stand in position
without some proppfng.
Carried His Model
Mills was in the habit of carrying this
model about with him, and number
of incidents are recalled when
doubt was expressed that he would
accomplish his work He would take
the model, six inches high, from his
pocket and set it on it's hind legs on an
incline and let it slide down to the floor
While the statue would stand alone, he,
of course, would not trust it for fear the
winds might cause it to lose its balance,
and in casting it he placed in the hind
legs a heavy iron shaft extending into
the body and forming tenon to insert in
the stone.
The casting was after many attempts
completed. Mills being occupied from
October. 1852, to January, 1858, and on
this spot within an Enclosure he put the
parts together, and in less than three
months it was ready to be unveiled. The
occasion of the unwilling was on the
anniversary of the battle of New Or
leans, 1853. and there was great pro-
cession The unwilling was in the pres
many members of Congress and over
1000 people. The Grafton that day was
delivered by Stephen A. Douglas. and
it may be imagined 1t was proud day
priated 5000 for the pedestal in 1852.
and the following year 1t also appropri-
ated the sum of $4,000. An iron fence
was provided and put up about the same
time as the Statue. Roads and walks
also were made in the square, and
nio1 lot IA
it in order. There was no pavement
along the south side Of the square until
1866, and the following year settees and
lamps were provided, and the square
thoroughly drained. And when the inn
ported English sparroWs were liberated
by Gen. Babcock. about 1870. the trees
here were soon their homes.
Other Buildings Near Place.
The house at the corner Of Vermont
avenue and II street was hosiery
owned by r. S. Buckley. long a depart
ment clerk. and subsequently by John D.
Barclay, a prominent resident of the
first ward, the author of Barclays Di-
gest of the Constitution. and we'll known
in municipal affairs. The old building
disappeared many years ago and was in
cluded in the Arlington Hotel site. on
which new building is projected. West
of this place lived George Hay. prom
nent member of the bar in the twenties.
and Matthew st. Clair Clarke, who was
clerk of the House of Representatives
later, and north of st. Johns Church
was the schoolhouse of Haskell, for
years the leading school of that section.
On the site of the Corcoran house at
the corner of Connecticut avenue. now
known as the Corcoran property. in the
early part of the century. lived John
Breckenridge. senator from Kentucky.
and for a short time, under President
Jefferson. Attorney General of the United
States. Subsequently, this property was
occupied by Thomas Swami, a proini-
nent lawyer of his day, and it was i'm
proved by Mr.. Corcoran and occupied