Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-02
Artwork in Districts Parks Suffers
Heavy Toll From Juvenile VondoIs
BY C. STEED EVANS

The name of the white marble
statue is Serenity" 1t stands in
Meridian Hill Park. facing Six
teenth street. Its surroundings,
like its name, are serene.
But the statue in fact is not
serene. Its nose has been Clipped
of. Its marble lips have been
daubed with lipstick and mud.
Fingers ON its right hand have
been broken off. In its lap lie
shards of broken glass from dis
carded whisky bottles. Its sur
face is pocked from a thousand
missiles.
Not far away in the same park
is a memorial statue to James
Buchanan. The main figure OF
the statue is flanked by male.
and female figures. The right
big toe of the male figure has
been broken off. A few yards
away stands a metal sundial.
Some ornamental iron works of
a device has been ripped away.
Young Vandals Blamed
All of the damage done to
these works of art was inflicted
! by young vandalS, Park Police
believe. The Meridian Hill park
statues are only several Of
roughly $50 assorted monuments.
fountains, statues and columns
which are the responsibility of
the National Capital Parks sys-
tenn. All year. MOP officials are
bedevilled by acts of vandalism
on statuary throughout the city.
The most recently noted de-
struction was the theft last
week of a saber from a bronze
figure in Sherman Plaza, be-
hind the Treasury Building.
Vandals snapped off life-sized
saber from the hands of a statue
of Union Army soldier. 1t was
the third time the statue has lost
its saber.
William R. Clarke, foreman Of
the placksmith'S shop of the In
terror Department, looked
fglumly at the bronze figure and
shook his head.
Give kid pen knife, and
he'll do more damage to those
statues than a crew of men," Mr..
Clarke commented. He turned
and pointed in the direction of
the White House.
Fence Pickets Stolen
"You see that fence running
around the White House
grounds?" he asked. Kids even
steal the pickets from the top Of
that iron fence. I guess we've
got barrel of them back at the
shop"
For some reason unknown to
Mr.. Clarke, the statue COM
memorating Gen. Sherman APP
parently is the favorite Of van
dals. He explained that the four
figures hanking the main statue
of the general constantly must
be repaired or fixed more firmly
on their bases.
Another statue that takes a
beating is the Grant memorial
statue located at First street on
the Mall. Again. it is not the
main figure of Gen. Grant which
is molested, but rather two
groups of statuary on either side.
One of them, depicting a cavalry
charge, regularly is stripped of
it's bronze straps, reins and
buckles. It's companion piece, a
horse-drawn field gun. suffers
the same fate.
Beer Can Added
Although more fortunate than
Gen. Grants statue, one of Gen.
Jackson in the center of Lafay-
cite Square also comes in for
some indignities. Just the other
day. some wag first climbed a
| five-foot. spiked iron fence sur
rounding a statue and then
somehow clambered 20 feet up
the monument and placed an
empty beer can on Gen. Jack
sons saddle.
Across Lafayette Park is a
statue of the Polish hero, Gen.
Kosciuszko. surrounded by
group of soldiers. One of the
soldiers swords has been gro
tesquely bent.
! Joan of Arc did not escape
prying juvenile fingers. Astride
her horse in Meridian Hill Park,
Joan is missing the rowells from
her spurs.
| A figure in the Dupont circle
fountain has lost the ring finger
of the right hand. while the right
big toe Of a female statue has
been broken off.
But about the most audacious
piece of vandalism occurred in
the rotunda at the Capitol
Building.
Standing against a wall is a
white marble statue of Lincoln,
the right hand outstretched. But
there is only portion Of a scroll
still grasped in the hand. Some
unknown souvenir hunter
stripped the statue of its scroll.