Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-17
Capital Sidelights.
BY WILL r. KENNEDY.

BY WILL r. KENNEDY.
The Federal Government has just
paid a most fitting tribute to one of
the outstanding scientists who during
his lifetime contributed generously to
improving the condition of his fellow
man. Just the sort of q memorial he
would best appreciate has been set up
In the poSthumouS publication OF "A
History of Agricultural Extension
Work. covering the development OF
by Alfred c. True, noted educator
and editor, who for nearly 40 years
was q specialist and director of States
relations work for the Federal Depart
ment of Agriculture.
This book, which will continue the
work to which DR.. True devoted his
entire life, Is q record Of nearly a CEN
fury and q half Of agricultural extern
sion work. Starting with the organiZa-
ton of the Philadelphia Society in 1875.
DR.. True traces the development from
those early agricultural societies ana
State board of agriculture on through
the rise, rapid development, and decline
of farmers institutes to the efncient,
Nation wide, cooperative educational
system which came into existence under
the Smith-LeVer act and which was
the elimination of almost q century
and q half of experimentation In meth
DDS of popularizing and making ef1ec~
tive agricultural education among farm
ing people. 1t Is q scholarly and COM
prehensive work with wide scope of
interest for every State in the Union.
There Is no other book like 1t, and 1t
is Q real contribution of permanent
value to farm literature and the history
Of education.
DR.. True was one of the greatest
scientists in his line in the world. He
was q native Of Middletown, Mass, and
was educated at Wesleyan and Harvard
Universities He was an instructor in
the State Normal School, Westfleld.
Mass, and In Wesleyan University and
at one time was dean of the MasSachu-
sets Agricultural College and other
agricultural institutions. He was agri-
cultural editor of the New International
Encyclopedia and Year Book and other
important publications. At the time of
his death he was a trustee OF American
University, Washington.
Answering O controversy as to "the
most important commission for q single
piece OF statuary to any American
SCULPTOR" Charles Z. Fairman. curator
Of art works in the Capitol, says that
it resulted from an act Of Congress,
July II, 1892. enabling the President
to contract for q pedestrian statue of
George washington, to be placed in the
center of the rotunda Of the Capitol"
The contract was given to Horatio
Greenough, then but 81 years Of age.
son Of a well-to-do Boston merchant
and educated at Harvard University.
Solomon Willard of Boston gave him
some instruction In modelling In clay.
Alpheus Cary, a stonecutter, interested
him in carving marble. A French
sculptor, Binon, then residing in Boston,
gave him daily instruction in modelling.
He later studied q short time under
Thorwaldsen. Among his earlier works
are busts of President Adams and Chief
Justice Marshall.
This statue was 10 feet inches in
length. the same in height and feet
in width. 1t weighed nearly 20 tons.
1t cost $7,700 to have 1t transported
from Leghorn, italy, to Washington.
Exclusive Of the contract price Of $4,000
to the artist this statue cost S21 900
before 1t was set up in the rotunda in
August, 1841.
Then its position In the Capitol was
not satisfactory to the artist. and. in
January. 1843. he presented memorial
to Congress asking that it be removed
to the Capitol grounds. Another $4,000
was appropriated for the costs of re-
moval, and for many years the statue
was located in the grounds east of the
main entrance. In earlier years there
was q temporary structure to preserve
the statue from the weather but in 1S47
another 81 900 was appropriated to re-
move this shelter and put an iron fence
around the statue. Winter housing OF
the statue was continued for some years.
Finally, in 1908, when 1t had become
badly damaged by the weather, another
appropriation of $4,000 was made under
which 1t was removed to the Smith
sonian Institution.
cit is probable that but few statues
have ever received as much adverse
criticism as this one of washington by
Greenough," says Curator Fairman.
Charles .Bulfinch, writing from Boston,
when the statue was FIRST set up. com
pared it as an instance OF unsuccess-
full modern statuary' with that of the
Duke Of wellington near Hyde Park,
London.
There Is another side to Senator j.
Thomas Helm of Alabama that show
he has q sense Of humor. He Is one of
the best story tellerS In public life.
During debate the other day he told
this one:
Il am reminded Of q sermon preached
Dy q cOlOre0 pBHOp uoWH ia OdAFhC,
va, just before Christmas. He told
the colored people that Christmas was
coming. He said: Many Of you will
pass out with fermented millet Juice,
crap shootin' games and the like.
wish there wasn't no liquor in the
world. I have wrote a letter to the
President to give me the key to the
whisky warehouses and all the drug
stores and to turn over all the liquor
to me. / am going to knock those
kegs and jugs and barrels In the head
and pour that liquor all in the river.
and on Christmas morning you will see
that river flowin' red with liquor That's
all I got to say. Let the choir singP
The choir leader said: Let us sing
HYMN No. 442, Shall We Gather at the
River?'"
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