Evening star., 1935-02-17

in oil of all the Presidents look down
upon the guests as they pass to and
from the east room to the conserva-
tory. The library Of the White House,
which Is seldom seen, has a "Jeffer-
son" by Stuart, a Madison" "Harri-
son." Taylor" and johnson" by Mr..
Andrews and other pictures by emf
nent artists. In the cabinet room
there is a portrait of the English
statesman, John Hampden. said to
have been painted by Van Dyck him
self, while nearby there is q plaster
copy of Abraham Linooln's head,
taken from life. Mrs. Hayes fine
portrait with its beautiful frame is
open to the view of the ordinary
sightseer on reception days only, and
you cannot discover how Mrs. PreSi-
dent Tyler looked unless you go to
the second story of the White House
and, by the manipulation of lot of
red tape. get view of one of the
private corridors there.
Every one knows of the numbers
of men in bronze and marble who,
some on horseback and some on foot,
stand in the public parks of Wash
ington or in Statuary Hall at the
Capitol. There are numerous other
statues and busts which are seldom
mentioned in newspapers. Who
writes of the head of Washington ex-
ecuted in bronze from Houdon's plas-
ter cast which stands in the library
of the White House? How many have
ever noticed the bronze heads of
Washington and Lafayette in the re-
ception room of the State Depart
ment? And how many know of the
curious heads of Indian chiefs which
you may find in the marble room Of
the Capitol. There is bronze bust
of Abraham Lincoln in one of the
Senate vestibuleS, and in The House
committee room, where John Quincy
Adams died, you will find his marble
bust looking down at you from the
west wall. In the robing room of the
Supreme Court, where the judges put
on their gowns, there are number Of
fine portraits of the chief justices. and
at the foot of the Senate staircase you
may see statue of Benjamin Frank
lin made by Hiram Powers.
Statuary.
Washington City has a great deal
Of money invested in -Statuary, and
some Of it may be looked upon as a
mighty poor investment. Liberty away
up there on the Capitol dome cost
$4,000. Clark Mills, the sculptor,
received great sums from the Govern
ment, though he died comparatively
poor. Fifty thousand dollars was the
price paid him for Andrew Jackson,
who sits upon rearing horse opposite
the White House; he received another
S50,000 for his equestrian statue OF
Gen. Washington in Washington Cir
Gle A third $4,000 statue is that Of
Gen. Thomas in Thomas Circle, and
it must make the taxpayer happy as
he looks at 1t to remember that Con-
gress paid $25.000 for the pedestal
and that the bronze lamp posts
around the base cost $4,000 apiece.
Away of the east of the Capitol, in
Lincoln Square. 5000 pounds OF
bronze represents Abraham Lincoln
giving freedom to the Negro. The
statue cost $4,000, but 1t was paid
for by contributions made up by the
freed men of the South.
In addition to these and many more
there are the statues of Prof. Henry
in the Smithsonian grounds, which
cost a small fortune; that of Admiral
Dupont in Dupont Circle, which rep
resents q large enough sum to pay
several times a Congressman's sal
ary, and the beautiful bronze statue
Of Martin Luther in front Of the
Lutheran Memorial Church on Ver-
mont avenue, which cost but $4,000
and which is as fine a piece of statu-
ary as you will find on this side of the
water.
The rage for equestrian statues
which prevailed few years ago seems
to have died away, and the more SEN
sible custom Of picturing men and
not horses Is being adopted. It is
well. For the day will come when
people will laugh at the idea of trying
to honor man by making q bronze
irnaCe ~ his ia avorita forSe