Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-06-19

and actively engaged III ~oIh- al
though he has maintained a suite or
Offices uptown. part of each day
since he has been in Rock Island has
seen actual service at his own hands
in modelling and painting and in
lesser connoted work. He is not a
| broadcloth artist, dependent upon
walking stick. eyeglass and shiny
| hat. He is a maker-a doer of things
an actual take-a-hold worker in his
chosen field-and labors with the
ecstatic enthusiasm of the aspiring
coed who has just donned blue ging-
! ham in an art school. Enthusiasm
the quality that knows no age. En-
thusiasm, that attains the impossible
and makes its capture follow meekly
where it wills.
It's living, breathing story of a
hundred years of progress as Mr.. Ben
son has hewed it into shape and none
| of the eyes that turn upon its wend-
ing will have any of the criticism
with which he views his weeks work.
for like all good creators he is modest
and finds it wanting. Great things
may be expected of great interest. and
|
and breadth of his material and used
the corners as well.
The heart of Black Hawk. the In
dian that still f1ys his spirit in the
beautiful valleys or stands abreast the
hilltops and gazes into the unknown
in the character of Black Hawk Rock
Island has a story that as yet has
not been written to its proper valua-
ton. The great American novel, such
as Hugo's gift to France, has yet to
be written. You will see this as you
catch the import of what Benson has
put into his portrayal by pageantry
of but hundred years. That early
history of endurance, of religious sac
rifice, of the Catholic missionaries who
planted the seeds of Christian con-
duct, the mission of the empire builder
starting a world in log hut in the
forest there is so much of it it seems
a pity it is not bound up in readable
form to inspire with the intoxicatior
of effort-the effort of forging ahead
if but to yield the ak in the forest
Taking the current out of mans life
that's ease. There was no lack o.
current in the time of Father Mar
quette and Joliet.
You see," said Mr.. Benson, getting
back to the pageant of beautiful cars
while subjects for night pageantry
are always treated allegorically,
have attempted to keep the story sim
pie enough that it will at once be reac
by even the least informed of the
thousands of visitors who will NJ
doubt witness this pageant Surel!
no man is more at home in this kint
of work. Everything in the workshop
. spoke of attention to detail, and whe1
: you see the exquisite modelling of thu
American eagle, of the birds and tht
lions, of the waves of the water ant
the grasping of high sense of dig
, nifty throughout the production, yol
/ will feel that it was fortunate tina
f Mr.. Benson was selected to put OF
: the pageant
2 Among the other beautiful thing
Mr.. Benson has created is the COur
e of Honor. which will be placed on tn
/ island This is made up of number
n of large tall pillars, some having hug
k golden baskets of twining flowers a
= top and others decorated with tn
Y large golden spread eagle, all he'll
: together with garlands of flowers an
r vines stretched from pillar to pillar
e 1t is wonderfully pretty and effectiv
= and must be seen to be fully appreci
t ated
t Here is a general survey of wha
n you are to see in the pageant as de
scribed to the reporter by Mr.. Ben
a son:
e The great white bird spirit of tn
t red man is shown on car /. This i
d a Legendary creature unlike any bir
d known. AS the legend goes, it TO
r ages homed in the caves of the islam
t and was frightened away by tn
:, thunder sticks" and many other IN
= ventions brought by the white mar
e 1t is seen leaving the cave, takin
with it good luck" or the protect
e ing angel of the tribes. This fairy
s like spirit, in a gorgeous shell chario