Evening star., 1935-05-12

youth is a few steps behind that on
which the general rides. but the two
move forward with rythmical unity.
The head of the second horse is low
cred so that there is no conflict in sill
houette. The boyish figure Is sub
servient, but an entity. The young
man holds himself with courage and
dignity. but also QuletneS. In TACT,
with all the spirit so remarked in this
group. it possesses that amazing quiet
to which only great works attain.
Cast in bronze, Is feet in height,
mounted on a pedestal, it will dis
distinctly enrich the city OF Dallas TO
which it will be given by the Southern
Woman's Memorial Association and.
what is more, it will through the years
that are to come memorialize not mill
tary achievement primarily but no
bility of character. achieved in one
generation. inspired and passed on to
the next, great heritage.
A Phimister Proctor is best known
in this city by his tigers on the Piney
Branch Bridge and his buffalos on
the @ Street Bridge, and he has, it is
true, made something of speciality
Of animal sculpture. but in recent
wears he has introduced figures as
decorative features" in his groups,
making them features of chief impor-
tance. Kansas City has his superb
Pioneer Mother" group in which is
pictured the brave young mother with
her child IN her arms riding slow
stepping horse while her husband. a
bearded pioneer strides by her side.
Two of his Western subjects. "Broncho
Buster" and "On the War Trail" stand
in Denver'S civic center. The State
of Oregon has no less than four of his
monumental works. Theodore RoOSe-
welt equestrian in Portland, Pioneer
Mother" a seated figure. at University
of Oregon; Circuit Rider" at Salem,
and It'll Taylor, Western Sheriff" at
Pendleton. We hear great deal to-
art, but the fact is that few have so
correctly and vigorously set forth
typical American subjects and given
them artistic expression and beauty as
has Mr.. Proctor
This sculptor has had an interesting
career. His father was Scotch High
lander his mother a native of New
York State; he was born in Ontario,
Canada. but when he was only five
years of age the family moved to Des
Moines and from there migrated to
Denver. AS boy he became ac-
uuainted with life on the plains and
in the Rocky Mountains. learned the
ways of the Indians and the animals
they hunted. He is said to have killed
his first deer at the age of 13; a
grizzly bear and a bull elk when hunt
ing alone only three years later. On
these adventurous trips he carried not
only rifle but a sketch book, for he
early developed aptitude for art and
determined to be an artist Up to the
time he was 25 he was entirely self
taught, then he had the good fortune
to be able to 60 to New York for study
and the good sense to make the most
Of It. Mr.. Proctor was, according to
dorado Taft, among the gifted men
who found their way to Chicago dur
ing the busy days of the building OF
the Worlds Fair. Full of enthusiasm,
he did his best and won prompt recog-
nition." This led to the award OF
scholarship which enabled him to
spend four or five years In Europe,
and the place he chose for his studies
was Paris. There he perfected his
technique and acquired sense OF
values. For the American section IN
the Paris Exposition of 1900 he Great
ed a great quadringa which crowned
the portico of the United States
Pavilion, and a pair of panthers as
guardians of the entrance, the latter
finding permanent placement later in
Prospect Park. Brooklyn Exception
ally interesting are Mr.. Proctor's lit
tie bronzes, very sensitively modelled
but with Q big feeling. He has In his