The border vidette., 1932-04-30
FIRST STATUE OF LINCOLN AS
A YOUTH OF 2t

Abraham Lincoln as a Youth
will be shown to the world in a
beautiful bronze statue depicting
him as be looked at the age of
q, just before be left Indiana.
where be spent IA years of his
boybood days. This Hoosier
tribute to the memory of the
emancipation will be erected on
the plaza in front of the Lincoln
National Life Insurance Com
pany here.
Paul Manship. noted sculptor
of New York and Paris. has been
four years on the project in re
search and the mechanics of
modelling the statue that it might
give a realistic picture OF the
youthful Lincoln. He collabor-
ated with Dr.. Louis A. Warren,
director of the Lincon Historical
Research Foundation, which is
the sponsor of the monument.
The statue represents Lincoln
as a youth of 21 leaning easily
and naturally against stump in
the simple costume of the from
tier. AS was his custom, he has
a dog by his side, typyfying his
love for humanity. an Ak model
ed after his own particular one,
symbolizing him as the rail-
splitter, and in his hand a book
signifying inspirational thought.
On each face of the pedestal is
to be group of heroic figures in
medallion form, done with typi.
cal Manship technique, repre-
senting some of the qualities for
which the name of Lincoln stands 8
patriotism, justice, fortitude
and charity. The heroic statue,
classical in feeling, will rise on
it's pedestal and plinth to a
height of 20 feet six inches.
When MIR. Manship was given
the task foureyears ago be was
told by the Lincoln Historical
Research Foundation to produces
an outstanding creation of art
which would be one of the recog
nized monuments of the world.
With DR.. Warren Of the Founda-
tion, Mr.. Mapship made a long
trip through the country of Lin
coins youth. The Ohio river
and reminders of the old ferry
boat days and Rlimpses of the
Kentucky homestead of his child
hood excited the sculptor's i'm
agination. He read every au
thority of note on Lincoln.
The desire to represent the
young Lincoln as q dreamer and
poet, said Mr.. Manship, rather
than the rail splitter was upper
most in my mind. These quail
ties were selected as being most
important in view of the great
ness of Lincoln's later accom-
'plishments and without which
the idealism and clarity of his
future would never have been
possible. The stories of his
youthful physical prowess and
his active backwoods life gave
him a magnificent physique. His
ak tells the story of his rail split
ter days. The book symbolizes
his intellectual faculties.
I'VE know of his friendship
for animals and the story of his
going back across stream to
carry his dog across the water
when the animal had hesitated
to follow the wagons on that
memorable journey from Indiana
to his future home in Illinois.
But here his relationship to the
dog would symbolic rather a
greater feeling of human sym
pathy and protectiveness. which
were among his compicuous
characteristics through life. His
clothes I decided to make to re
present Lindsey Woolsey home
made shirt. buckskin trousers
and boots.
"On the base of the statue it
seemed appropriate to represent
in four small reliefs some Of the
major qualities which Lincoln
possessed = patriotism. justice,
fortitude and charity-and these
have expressed in the conven
tional manner, with the excep
ton cf patriotism. which goes on
the front pedestal and which /
have characterized by the Amer.
lean eagle, holding the olive
branch and the bunch of arrows.
The unity Of his country sym
boized by the eagle was his
great patriotic ideal"
After completing all his re
search, Mr.. Manship started
actual work on the statue in