Evening star., 1924-03-02
Worlds Biggest
Monument at Stone
Mountain, Near At ,
lanta, Will Repre-
sent Army of the
ContederucyM yMouing
Over Surface of
Mammoth Granite
Cliff With Group of
Fiue Leaders.
BY GrTzON BoRGLGM.
As interviewed by o. NJ, kile.

/ stood beside Gutzon Borg
~ lum In front Of Stone noun
- tain, gazing UP at the score
4 n or more of stone cutters carv-
ing out the rough outlines of the
gigantic head of Robert +. Lee-the
Workmen appearing to be mere
epecks on the face of that thousand
foot granite cliff could not escape
a tremor of something like awe
stricken reverence, or possibly it was
terror, as / reflected that one day
this monument alone of all our works
would remain to remind some future
civilization of a once grand and mag
nificent America.
Five thousand years hence, ten
thousand, perhaps twenty thousand
ten times as far into the future as
Tut-ankh- -Amcn's tomb reaches into
the past--the story that Gutzon
Borglum is carving In figures as high
as a sixteen-story office building will
remain to puzzle. if not to instruct,
the inhabitants of that day.
The much advertised Sphinx is a
mere pygmy beside this gigantic
monument, scarcely larger than the
head of a single figure in this pano-
rama which is to include a main
group Of five figures. second and
larger group made up of lieutenant
and major generals, third group of
fifty to sixty mounted cavalrymen, an
artillery group and finally an infan-
try group-in all, some 1900 men.
All the more prominent figures are
to hn foif fr,l Of Il
known officers in the Confederate
Army.
"See the outline of Lees hat" said
Mr.. Borglum, pointing aloft. We'll,
that hat brim Is nearly "a feet across.
From the tip of Lees beard to the
tip OF his nose is s feet, and from
the coat collar up to the crown of
tho hat measures Just about % feet.
The entire figure of Lee from the top
Of his hat to the hoof of his horse
reaches approximately 1s5 feet. That
is as high as a 16-story Office build
ing"
x X II x
ITO get an idea of what this amaz-
l. ing memorial will look like and
the work involved in its production.
think first of a great loaf-shaped
mountain Of granite, 5000 feet long
and 500 feet high, rising from an
almost level plain eighteen miles east
of the city Of Atlanta. One side of
this mountain is practically per-
pendicular cliff, slightly grooved by
centuries of rushing waters, but
without material flaw or crevice.
Then, with a picture Of this colossal
stone surface in mind, give your i'm
agination full play and see moving
over the face Of this mountain a
great, silent gray-clad army, with
mounted officers. cavalrymen. artil-
lery, trains and foot soldiers. standing
out in high relief and in scale with
the mountain, giving an effect for all
the world like a closeup view Of a
real army in motion.
This Is, indeed. magnificent con-
ception. and when completed this
work will entitle it to be ranked as
the eighth wonder OF the world.
Wrought out OF imperishable mono
1ithic granite and situated south OF
the frost line. there seems to be no
reason why 1t should not endure through
thousands Of years. At least one
great event in the national life Of the
American people will be here depicted
for countless generations to come.
Naturally this idea did not spring
full-blown from any one mind. Back
in 1915 John Temple Graves. the
brilliant Georgia writer. penned an
editorial inspired by the gigantic
bulk Of Stone mountain and by the
desire to see some visible expression
Of the story OF the "lost cause"
This editorial was written in the
course Of a days journalistic grind
and the writer little dreamed what
mighty results would follow.
It chanced that this editorial came
to the attention Of Mrs. C.. Helen
Plane Of Atlanta, a daughter of the
Confederacy, who had lived through
the trying days Of the civil war
She presented to the Atlanta Chapter
Of tho United Daughters OF the Con-
federacy the idea of carving on Stone
Mountain some sort Of fitting memo
rial to the heroes In gray. They, too
were thrilled with the thought OF
carving an imposing memorial on the
awe-inspiring face Of that great
granite ledge. They decided to in
vite some outstanding sculptor
worthy Of the project to come to the
E. mountain and report upon tho possi-
bilities,
In casting about for a man big
enough in artistic ideas and grea,
enough in actual accomplishment te
do Justice to the undertaking, their
attention was drawn to Gutzon Borg.
lum, perhaps Americas creates,
sculptor. His then recently COM
Dleted gigantic head OF Lincoln
which stands In tho Hall Of Fame
IN the Capitol here, had engaged thu
attention OF the whole world OF art
HIS magnificent bronze group, "Ths
Mares Of Diomedes," had been accord
ed the place OF honor at the entrance
to the grand stairway Of the Metro.
politan Museum Of Art at New York
He has since completed the larges,
single bronze casting ever madevthe
Amagniicent memorial. comprising
'forty-two figures. In the city of New
ark, N. J.