Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-03

uda moIheHtafliy seen through the
street car window.
Says Art Artists Life
Money does not count with the true
artist" he said. The life of an artist
is devoted to his art. He endures all
things for his art-joyfully. He is the
same as the man who went over the
top. In Paris / once knew a man who
was working out q great idea in one
of the poorly heated places that are so
frequent in The Quarter The clay is
useless once it has been frozen, eve
though it already is nodded. To save
his figure this artist arose in the night
and placed upon it the clothing from his
bed, and in the morning they found him
there-his own body but a statue. He
had given his life for his art"
Partridge was introduced by Mitchell,
who referred to the sculptor as being
without a peer in American art.
No matter what monument Great
Falls may erect to Senator Gibson
said Mitchell, the city itself always
will stand as the greatest memorial to
its founder. The city was his concep-
ton, and his vision and courage and
optimism advanced it to its present
status.
at is my desire to say something
at this time of Gibson. the man. ]
knew him intimately during the last
% years Of his life. Carlisle said that
no lover of nature cannos but be a
man, and Senator Gibson loved nature.
He loved everybody. he loved nature
everything about him. 1t was be
cause of his love of the beautiful in
nature that the city has its parks
and its boulevard system. I have
walked many times with him through
the parks and always it seemed that
he knew every individual tree. If he
found Il tree that had been misused
he spoke of it as q tragedy, as to him
it truly was.
All Loved Senator Gibson
Nobody could know Senator Gibson
without loving him for the mar he was.
Now has come the time when a memo
rial is to be erected TO his memory
and the committee has decided that it
shall be q bronze statue of heroic size.
1t will not be so much of a memorial
as is the city itself, but it has been
the desire of the committee to erect
something that could be characterized
as personal to something essentially
personal in nature-s0mething that
would inspire us to say, There is the
mani"
A brief eulogy to Senator Gibson
was given by Boorman, who also gave
an account of the work of the com
mittee.
Six years ago he said. in this
room I heard Senator Gibson say that
when he was born. Sc years before the
date I have in mind. there then were
no railroads. Chicago then was q
hamlet. He lived in a wonderful per.
iod. Nearly all of the industrial pro-
gress of which we know was measured
in the span of one mans life.
Man of Vision
And Senator Gibson was no ordin,
airy man. Those with whom he came
in contact felt that a benediction haC
been pronounced upon them. He was
Il man of vision. He concerned him.
self seriously with the welfare of 9th.
ers, Today there are many successful
men who would not have been success.
full had it not been for his wise coun.
sci. His life indeed is q living monu-
ment. Always he was doing gracious
things. His ideals will live on and on
1t is his memory we cherish tonight
Boorman said that it was with {
full consciousness of duty that tbs
movement to erect a memorial TO Sen.
ator Gibson was begun. In giving the
personnel of the committee he told oil
the art of Charles NJ. Russell. his CO.
worker, and the artist was given s
round of hearty applause.
In selecting Il sculptor. he said, the
committee considered the applications
of a large number of candidates. Part,
ridge wa selected with the concur.
renee of former Senator ". A. CLARK
of Butte. whose personal contribution
TO the statue will be a gift of the
bronze and the casting of it. The CLARK
donation is considered to have an in
%trinsic value not less than $1,000,
Plans for the statue call for a figure
not less than eight feet in height, rest,
ing upon q historical bronze base. Base
and statue will sit upon a foundation
of Montana granite.
Great Sculptor
Boorman said that in Partridge tht
committee felt. there had been pro.
cured one of Americas greatest scflp.
lege to have served on the committee
citizens of the city in continuing the
work to maturity.
During the dinner solos were sung
by Miss Sylvia Hickman and Waltei
Halyorson. Plates were prepared for
200 guests and only a few chairs were
vacant. Among the guests were many
of the citv's pioneer residents, who
knew Senator Gibson for a quarter oil
u century or more prior to his death
in 1920 .