Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1916-10-07

! his breast, grasping the lapel of his
coat. He wears his customary soft,
wide-brimmed hat ana his face bears
the expression of earnestness that
was a dominating mark of his char
acter.
The high school glee club sang
softly an appropriate selection and
benediction was asked by Rev. Mack
intosh. The ceremonies concluded
with a medley of patriotic airs by the
Homestake band.
Mrs Grier, surrounde by old
friends, was present, sat through
the ceremonies in silence, and with
a wonderful fortitude controlled her
emotions, for everything must have
again been recalled TO her of the
happy days of their lives together,
the joys that had been theirs, the
plans which they had made and
which they had seen become fruit
full of Joy and benefits to others, the
sudden termination of their life's
partnership, and the days of sorrow
and loneliness which followed. All
must have come back to her as she
sat through the ceremony and list
ened to the adress OF Superintendent
Blackstone. After the unveiling Mrs.
Grier repaired to the assembly room
Of the Recreation building, where
she held a short reception, during
which hundreds of her old friends
greeted her.
Superintendent Blackstone was
the only speaker, and he gave an ac-
count of the inception of the plan to
perpetuate in marble and bronze the
memory of the man who had done so
much that was of good for the city
and the black Hills. He said;
I'VE are met here today to unveil
to your view and for your approval
and satisfaction the bronze statue OF
the late Thomas Johnston Grier.
THE idea of a memorial to Mr.
Grier originated with the Hcmestake
Veterans, and at a meeting held on
the 14th of October, 1914, a motion
was passed that the president ap-
point a committee to devise ways and
means whereby a popular subscrip-
tion could be taken up and to select
a suitable design, location, etc for
the memorial
A committee of fourteen was ap-
pointed, consisting OF the following
members: Blackstone. Spargo, Voigt.
Huntley, Royce, Magnusson, McQuil-
len, Lang, Cavanaugh, Peterson,
Dunlop, Freeman and Robinson.
"The first meeting of this COM
mittee was held on the evening of
October 18th, 1914, and subscrip
tions to the fund were opened, the
amount being limited to s1,00 each.
A few months afterward the amounts
WcIb uldOS uHlILullCu. llbSSh oOSAS-
ties, twenty-nine business firms and
2.027 individuals subscribed.
Eleven firms and sculptors sub
mitted bids and models. several firms
sending personal representatives.
The design of ]. F. Bloom & Com
pany of Omaha, Neb.. meeting the ap-
proval of the committee and on
August 8, 1915, the contract was
let. Mr.. Allen G. Newman of New
York City, being the sculptor who
came here and worked two or three
days under the direction Of the COM
mittee.
"The granite is what Is known as
l,alfour Pink Granite and Is mined
in North Carolina. The total height
of the granite work is 9 feet 8 inches.
The statue proper is feet heigh and
with the bronze base Of four inches
makes the height Of the bronze work
7 feet. 4 inches and the total height
of the entire work II feet and ! inch.
1.-THE cost of the memorial exclu-
sive of the concrete foundation was
sE,31O"
He followed with short personal
history of Mr.. Grier, told of what he
had accomplished as superintendent
of the Homestake Mining company
to make available all of its resources,
how he had worked every way for the
tenefit, not only OF the corporation,
hut for that of its employees; told
how ne had improved conu.dons OF
labor and made It easier for the men
employed above and below ground.
His work 10 improve lniiling and
mining methods and the success
which followed all of his attempts In
these directions, and OF the wonder