, 1923-01-31
SCULPTOR WANTS
BUFFALO BILL TO Be.
HER GREATEST WORK.
Tells New York Reporter That
Statue Of PIaInsman is Most
Interesting She Has
Ever Done

"Uu Llt "a - A4oS NAS
wyoming prairies. silhohetted against
the sky, a man bends eagerly from a
nlunging pony to scan the tracks in
a creek below him. Evidently he
finds the footprints hat he is seek
ing. for one hand, in a sweeping
gesture, beckons those who ride be-
hind him to follow. His sombrero.
his fringed leather shirt and leather
breeches identify him as a scout of
the early West. A close inspection
Of the keen. alert features tells more
for this is buffalo Bill, the Scout
OF Scouts, whose record OF daring
snd heroic ache vement is to be pre-.
,ervc,i n a statue now being COM
pleted."
A writer in the New York Sun gave
the above description of the Buffalo
Bill memorial, after which he inter-
viewed the sculptor. Mrs. Harry
Payne Whitney, in her studio. He
found her in yellow Chinese trousers
and blouse with a brilliant red banker
; chief keeping back her hair. hard at
work.
In response to his comment that
she had chosen an unusual subject
for a woman. she replied:
Well, perhaps Buffalo Bill is but
he is the nos interesting l have
ever done. In a way he is the achieve
ment OF my ambitions because I have
always wanted, more than anything
else, to have my work distinctly
American, and he Is certainly the
one man whom we think OF as repre-
senting the most romantic and ad-
venturous period In the history Of the
West.
1T is a great responsibility to be
the first person to sculpture Buffalo
Bill When l was in Wyoming last
Summer l realized that. to represent
the real spirit of the West, his statue
would have to be on great and. simple
lines. In that country nothing can
be small or elaborate. so l have work
ed with that In mind"
Mrs. Whitney paused. looking into
the face Of the young scout. then be-
gan to explain her idea Of the statue.
the idealism of the artist blending
With the practically Of the creator.
Il have shown him here AZ q young
man Of 30-about the time of the
Custer massacre-when he was at
fe height Of his glory as a scout.
as later DAYS as a Snowman will
lade as time goes on. but his early
EXPLOITS will ALWAYS go down through
history. Here he is the scout leading
a party, perhaps against the Chey-
ennes or other hostile tribes. He
snveys the ground and tells the in
visible men behind him that they are
on the right trail.
AN glad hat Buffalo Bill IL to
peiong to Wyoming. The place chos-
"a ior the memorial is Buffalo Bill
Park. which is the eastern entrance
70 the Yellowstone and just outside
Tue town Of Cody. It Is especially
USED ty motor tourists as a camping
ground.
Their first glimpse OF the memori-
u VIII be when they see horse and
i'aer ~silhouetted in bronze against
me sky. Beneath the horses hoofs
VIII be, Instead OF the conventional
pase. a slab Of native granite. upon
waich will be cactus and wild sage.
nope for a real stream at the base
VI the statue, and this for two res
sons First, because 1t would COM
p'e,e the design OF the rider looking
soNn nto the water and. secondly, II
Ie stream were planned for the mo-
wrists use the memorial would have
practical value. Col. Cody was the
Ms. person to urge and take measur-
: LOT the Introduction Of irrigation
wyoming. and because OF this
seat service to the State such a
ure Tor his memorial would be
most appropriate.
II has seemed strange to me. that
NV have found artistic inspiration
buffalo Bill and those few chiefly
~. en- Rosa Bonheur painted him
! know Of no one who has scuip-
~ him before. It is n privilege
= which I am proud to be the fir
N. record In bronze the memory OF
sa. scout and pioneer. for no one
s ~a, left the West, and the East as
sra a better heritage OF gallantry
uaring than Buffalo BILL"