New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-22
Sculptor1 Thrills,
Others Wink ait
Buried Goddess
Callers Denied Even Peek
at Greek Statue Dug Up
on Untermyer's Estate;
Big Find, Insists Konti
Can't Forget Old Hoax
Barnum's Cardiff Giant Is
Still Fresh in Yonkers's
Memory, Hence the Doubt

Up in Yonkers opinion Is divided
over the finding of statue of Ceres,
the Greek goddess Of all things that
grow, by workmen digging for water
of Samuel Untermyer. From one side
one can get nothing more than a know
ing wink. Others, include Isidore
Konti, the sculptor, consider the statue
one of the greatest art finds ever made
In this country.
1t is evident that some people of
Yonkers have not forgotten Barnum' s
Cardiff Giant--the fake mummy Of a
puzzled scientists while the late p. T.
Barnum proved his one-a-minute the
DRY. ''The Yonkers Herald" has printed
streamer across it's front page an
nouncing the find. "The Yonkers
Statesman evidently considers it
sometimes is wise to be silent.
Last Wednesday workr ans pick
hit Ceres's head. A few minutes later
the left hand of the goddess was To-
Gated and then the remainder. The
800-pound statue was carried to the
shade of nearby tree. More digging
revealed the leaky water pipes, and
after fixing the leak the earth was
filled in before any outsiders had
viewed the statue.
Margaret, servant in IRE home of
Rsdolph Eickemeyer, an authority on
art, heard Of the discovery of Ceres.
Margaret told her employer about
(eres and Mr.. Eickemeyer sent for Isl
dore Konti, the sculptor, and Yonk-
ers newspaperman, and the trio set ont
Thursday morning to see the statue.
Peek at Goddess Denied
Mr.. Konti, after inspecting the
statue, advised Albert Willard, superin-
tendent OF Greystone, to put Ceres
away until Mr.. Untermyer returned
from Europe. He impressed the value
of the statue upon the superintendent
to such an extent that newspaper men
who iourneyed to Greystone yesterday
were refused any information concern
ing the find Of the statue. Willard
considered peek at the Greek beauty
an unheard Of thing. He admitted that
Ceres had been found and that he had
moved her three times so as to be
certain she would be In his possession
when Mr.. Untermyer returned.
But Mr.. Konti was perfectly willing
to give description Of the statue He
said:
az think it is very fine example of
Greek art. think it was done before
the time of Phidias, who was the great
est sculptor of ancient Greece. The
drapery is beautifully carved and the
whole figure is very fine. The treat
ment of the hair and toes indicates it
was done before the time Of Phdias"
Ceres's feet, according to Konti, are
not fully worked out, and indicate the
statue was done before Pericles, but
the drapery being "handled freely"
indicates late Greek period Konti
said down near the base Ceres was
more severe, and this tended to indi-
cate later period.
Eickemeyer has formed a theory as
70 how the statue reached it's grave.
He says:
Used as Road Ballast
81 have feeling that those to whom
this work passed by inheritance were
so lacking in the knowledge of what
constitutes beauty they considered it
rubbish, and with its head and hand
broken off used it finally to fill in a
hollow in constructing road.
"A mere verbal description of il
must answer until Mr.. Untermyer re.
/ hope, he will permit the statue to be
exhibited where every man, woman anc
child in Yonkers may profit by the
sight of it,
The water pipes which lead to ar
old farmhouse at Greystone were laic
In 1884. The statue was evidently
placed in the ground after the pipes
were laid and could have been buried
while Greystone belonged to the late
. Governor Samuel j. Tilden. Samue'
) untermyer bought Greystone from the
Tilden estate.
Governor Tiden died about two years
after the pipes were laid. If Mr.. Unter
myer can throw no light on Ceres il
! Is probable that the Greek goddess was
turned into her grave during the time
the Tilden estate was being settled
and Mr.. untermyer made the purchase
caretaker Of the Tilden estate livec
IN the old cottage at that time. One
theory advanced in Yonkers is that this
caretaker, whose name is not known
took Ceres from the Tilden home while
several court actions were pending dur
Ing the settlement of the estate anc
buried it for fear the statue woulG
pass from the Tilden family.