The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-14
Chicago Fitting Place
 for Statue of Lincoln
nr HOLLAND


 ny HOLLAND
 New York. July 1S.-(Special)-In one ! of the larger art stores of New York ctty I there appears on a convenient shelfsor counter a reproduction in reduced size of all or nearly all of the statues of Abraham Lincoln. The workmanship is excellent in each case, because it has been done by skillful and experienced ar tisans. Until recently there was con tained in tLis collection reproduction of the St. Gaudens' statue of Lincoln The orisiDai statue as modelled by St. Gaudens fs reported to have been placed upon an appropriate pedestal at Chicago. Whatever the reason was for the choics of Chicago as the place wherein the St. Gaudens statue was to be established in permanent form. there has always been belief. especially among those who have studied some of the incidental fea- lures ot Lincolns career, that in no other
 place except Washington. or possibly
 Springfield. H., could a more suitabis choice be made for erecting a statue of Lihcoin, FoI it was in Chicago that Lin- con was nominated for the presidency m 1860. and it was in great hall in tha. city that he made a political address which has become historical There have been many copies of the St, Gaudens statue, but the one that has teen on exhibition and for sale ill New York has been judged by the experts to be the best. A few day. ago man of large means, n rtr1t coins career and personality. called at this art store, saying that he understood that copy of the St. Gaudens statue was there exposed for sale The statue Was shown to him. He became deeply interested in it, He looked casually .it the other statues, but said he cared tor none Of them, reserving his praise for the reproduction of the original St. Gau- dens statue. He was not dismayed when [ he was told what the price asked for this statue was. He paid the price, took pos- session of the statue and gave orders that it be shipped to Washington where presumably it now is, He named ons condition which he asked the art dealer l to observe, and that was that there he ! no mention made of the name of ths | purchaser of the statue.
 1 This action tends to confirm a report l which has been in circulation for some | time but which has been of a confiden. I tial nature. For the purchase of the | statue and the shipment Of it to Wash 1 ington make it no longer necessary ,o maintain confidence.
 LINCOLN STATUE IN LONDON l Wn--- the criticism was publicly ex4 pressed of the purpose to place a statue
 of Lincoln modelled by ;tn American sculptor in Westminster abbey in Lon- | don, it beins understood that the statue
 was to be presented by citizen of Gin cinnau, there began much discussion among admirers of Lincoln, who were also qualified as art experts, the discuss sion having for it's purpose the creation I of an organization of men of wealth l whereby sufficient money could be se- cured to pay for an acurate reproduction 1 of the St. Gaudens statue of Lincoln l The presumption was that this could te 1 done if something like $5o,t0o was raise1 | Having in this way secured reproduc- l tion of the St. Gaudens statue, it was 1 further proposed to offer il to the author ! ities in London, so that in case the | Cincinnati statue was not received and put in place in Westminster abbey. then
 the St. Gaudens statue might be accepted
 and substituted at Westminster for tho statue which it was originally planned 1 to place in the abbey.
 l But in case this could not be done, then 1t was further purpoeed to offer th's 1 reproduction of this St. liaudens statue 1 to the proper London authorities in the 1 hope that F convenient and conspicuous l site might be selected wbereon to place | the statue. In fact, some thought that
 it might ever be more desirable in view of the modern appreciation of Lincoln, which in England has been occasioned l by the war. if the St. Gaudens statue were so placed as to be easy of observa- 1 tion and locked daily upon by the mu.- titude which passed by the site.
 This morning information was received from one who has been in the confidence of those who have undertaken this prop- osition showing that considerable par, of the proposed fund has been rasei, and intimating further that there will be no difficulty in securing the entire amount needed.
 The matter has presumably been
 broachen to some who are in high au-
 thority in Washington, and very likely
 it was for this reason that the reduced
 reproduction of the St Gaudens statue
 which was bought the other day in this city was sent 10 Washington so that
 there might be reservation of it by those who have not seen the original statue.
 For yeS~ or more word has been
 brought to the United States from Lon don, and in fact from all England, that
 the name and career of Lincoln have been the subject of interesting and even enthusiastic comment. This Undoubtedly is due to the alliance of the United States with Great Britain and IFra..ce, as op- ponents of Germany, in the war when is now raging. It may be therefore that in due time two statues of Lincoln will be put in conspicuous places in London. one in Westminster abbey. and the other somewhere ir the city of London