The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1926-12-17
VIRCINIADARE
STATUE STIRS
lREOF CRITICS
Traversty on Memory of First
White Child in America Gets
Set Up in Raleigh
BY ID. v. MEEkINS

y storm OF dlSapprOval has
arisen over the statue recently
set up in the Hall OF History
at Raleigh. and tagged with
the name Virginia Dare" 1t
takes quite a stroke OF the
imagination to couple this piece
OF Carrara marble. carved in
| Italy into the likncSS OF very
plump Roman woman, with
the babe born in the first colony
Of EngliShmen over three cen
turicS ago on Roanoke Island.
Its the biggest. clumicSt, ILL
formed old fat thing | ever saw,
, declares Dr. Richard billiard. the
Edenton historian. who attended
the presentation Of the statue III
Raleigh the other day. 1T ought
never to hr called Virginia Dare.
Carl Goerch. the original scribe
ot Washington. North Carolina.
makes fun of it. laughing at the
ria,,rc ",irapcd in Il fish net. Nell
Battle Lewis. heaps oil on the
flames with her clrlStic review III
the news & Observer.
The presentation "f the statue
WAS made in Raleigh ut recent
mertim. nf the State Literary ana
Historical Association. 1t waS cary
cd many years ago hy Miss Louise
Lander. Il native of Massachusetts
. who hequeathcd it to the state "t
North Carolina. Miss Lancer
, cot the idea of carving the statue
in London. Ii was carved III Italy
the birthplace. of ColumhlS. At''r
leaving Italy. il was Shipwrwk"d
ION the coast of Spain. and finally re-
Shippcd from PalnS. the port oi
,mharkation of Columbus.
While historians of the state
recognize the motives that pr"hH'-
cd the beIueSt of the statute th''
feel that it clearly does not Il"
iuSricc to any reasonable conception
of Virginia Dare, and think II l.
clearly up to the state I" proNlde
= real one AT this late date. that
will do Justice to the little cir! WI"
wos the first horn and the ilrSt |"
receive Il Christian baptism on
american. soil. and who wis lost
ia the wilderness only Il few days
after her birth.
Clearly. ii is MP {" Dare County
newly organized historical society
10 raise ut the county seat or S'ih'
other suitable place. Il statue OF the
little girl that might picture h''
oS she lived in the forest. i'll Keeping
,,.i,h tho romantic and delightful
legends and traditions that nave
hrt.n handed down.
That versatile writer, Ben DlNoi
NI,cNcill of Raleigh. himself Il
mnmlcr of the State lllSt"rlca
Commission isn't very complimen
fairy toward the statue. ana Wrli'S
the following entertaining plec'
about il:
| Lacking any lurid and fable"
lady of its own whose valiant
amourS are worthy OF mcmoriah
zation in marble. this province
nirbt very we'll afford to be neigh
,horIv and contrivc IL monument &c
somc more daring sister over III
Virginia. We might celebrate Inc
renowned Peggy Hopkins Joyce
WHOSE marital exploits pcriodlcal'!
cnlivcn the pages Of this ana othci
. journals.
II is not that we have no s>lt
able Statuary ready To hand loi
Qualification Of the Sprightly Peggy
We have. / can think of no moro
.uit,blc use for the piece of marble
recently conferred upon the Stat'
and labeled Virginia Dare W.
might set up the piece somewhere
hcycud the Albcmarlc sound r:Hn
ably on tn" line between r'',"
ahrth City and Norfolk. We c''if'
have considerable ccrcmoh'
: about it.
The only thing l have asal'l$
tho statue is that it isn't Virginia
(Continued on Page Three