Show I c p 21 f God oi 2 5 AW I CA I L z e i t f I I 4 1 h C A of Andr sun J By ELMO SCOTT WATSON T G ONG the eastern sell oard and particularly k In New v England there s a among some of ot the old od fc L- L salts Its sho ho are ors of ot the they y S- S when hen ships of ot wood with Ith men ot of o Iron sailed the se seven seen en seas sens For yachtsmen arc are revis j Ing Ins the custom of ot earned cared EJ figure heads on the pro prows pross s of oC S their boats and once more the these these's e s 's c adornments are nos nosIng nosIng DOSIng Ing Into the wind Ind as white sailed vessels skip along over oer the blue waves of ot the Atlantic Time was when hen ben the art of ot carving ships figure figure- figureheads figureheads heads beads ga gae ga e employment ment to many skilled workmen orb Inn In Boston alone there were no less than six lx firms engaged 11 most e exclusively clush ely In Ing fuch emblems That was In the old thys of ot the great reat when hen the swift Yankee clip clipper clipper per ships were ere the greyhounds of ot the ocean In tho e das dais carved and gaily gally painted figures of ot angels and cherubs beautiful women omen In flo flowing floIng Ing robe roVe generals In uniform Indians Lu In feathered war bonnets and fringed garb stern statesmen kings and queens and gods and god goll goddesses desses were sere set benea beneath th the bo bowsprits as em emblems emblems of a tradition that had endured since first men went tent ent down to the sea In ships But when steam stearn and steel replaced wind and andwood andwood andwood wood they took tool away much of ot the romance ot of the old seafaring days and with Ith It the traditIonal figurehead Today they are 0 0 temporal tempora I 0 mores 1 1 landlubbers In that you are more likely to find them In museums or set up on ped pedestals on e estates tates or In public parks than you are to find them In their proper place at the bow of n a sea going vessel They are also col col collectors collectors lectors Items In that they represent examples ot of so called American or American folk foIL art sharing tha that t distinction with Ith such things as cigar store Indians and cast Iron deer and dogs for tor lawn ornaments Incidentally figureheads heads when cheu hen those artisans who carved ships figure figure- heads were sere ere thrown thron n out of ot work at the end ot of ottile tile the clipper era erl they turned their to carvIng carvIng lug Ing wooden Indians for the traditional sign ot of the tobacco store and this helped keep their art alive for many years As collectors Items they frequently have hae a value attached to them greater than their makers ever er could have baye med they would ba have base e and as relics some of them have had more romantic histories thin ever they had they were vo voi aging on the waters of ot the orId orld One of the most romantic Is that of ot the figure of Andre Andrew Jackson which once adorned the how of the U S S Constitution the frigate known to all Americans as Old Old Iron Ironsides Ironsides sides and It wis w ju just t a hundred years ago In 1 1834 that this figurehead was sas the center of a bitter poll political row Old Iron Ironsides ldes had no less than six different figureheads during her long find and career but tho the Jackson figure had by far the most Interesting history Built In 1797 1707 the Constitution bore first a bust of Hercules t pit Ing the strength of ot union and andI I the rO rOer rower er of ot the new nation and can cared caned ed by the brothers of ot nos Boston ton reDO renowned ned makers mahers of ships figureheads But when hen under the corn com command mand inand of Commodore Richard Preble Old Iron IronSIdes Ironsides Elde SIdes sailed Into the harbor of Tripoli to at attempt attempt attempt tempt the conquest of ot the pirates the figure of ot Hercules suffered severely se from the effect of hostile shots and It was as replaced by a figure of said EnId to have been taken from th thA wreck of ot a vessel In the Mediterranean During the second administration of ot Andrew Jackson the Constitution was as as bent i ent to the Charles Town nay navy yard near Bo Boston ton to be ra- ra re rebuilt built and reconditioned At that time the dis dispute dispute over the United Stites bank was as at Its height and when the solid boUd men of ot Boston herd that Jackson had signed the order for tor removing its deposits to state banks they were serc furious CurIous Their anger wis sed when they learned that 1 L S Beecher n a famous Boston caner hid been to mal e a n full length statue ot of Jackson as a figurehead for Old Ironsides They tried to get Beecher to se ceso work worle on the figure but he ho refused and feeling became so Intense that his half halt carved block of wod wood was remo ed to the nav na ard ard where here he finished hed his work under uder the protection of ot a guard of ot The W raised a terrific uproar over ocr the matter saying that no living liing man roan save sa James Madison the father tather of ot the United Unite States Constitution should be accorded the honor of having his lunge adorn the ship mined for tor that document and some of ot the sailors around nos Boston ton that placing an of a n landsman on i s1 iI I 1615 the Caroline m f ij I r 11 II The Head Restored the old frigate was in ln Insult to her Despite all aB the objections the Jackson tl figurehead was Us put In place But nut that didn t end the matter One darl dan rainy night n a sailor from Cape Cod named Samuel Dewey whose grandson was as des destined destined tined for future fame as the Hero llero of Pa owed jO out to where here the Constitution ns as rIding at anchor between two other ships Scram Scrambling Scrambling bling up over oer her bow he set et to work ork ork to ba sa off the head of ot the offending figurehead nut But becu e he was In a hurry and the light was sas as so poor he made his lila cut just beneath Old Hick Hickory Hickory ory s nose noce no e and not at the neck as he lie had planned But he succeeded In making his escape sith Ith the head hend and the Whigs were sere ere jubilant Vi hUe the Democrats In turn raised a n terrible uproar over the outrage that had been perpetrated De Dewey Desey ey next nest Went vent to Washington where otter after It to the Wing leiding Whigs he carried It tied up In a cloth to the Navy y ay where he sought an Interview In ten lew with Million Mihlon Dickerson secretary of the navy y Then according to a n con contemporary contemporary temporary account he was as admitted to Dicker Dickerson son Sons s office with sith Ith the following re result Have e I the honor of ot addressing the ot of the navy asked the chunky sailor iou o ha have hate e and as I am very verv busy I will thank jou ou to be brief ans answered ered the secretary Mr Ir Secretary I am the man who bo the figurehead and I hive he brought It here to restore It said Captain De Dewey Desey ey lou ou are arc the man who had the audacity to disfigure Old Ironsides II asked the secretary In an angry tone l Ics es sir I 1 took the I I II have 3 iou OU arrested said the secretary reaching out for tor the belt bell to summon a messen messenger messenger ger gera a Stop Stop Mr Ir Secretary 1 I answered the resolute sailor lou ou as a law lawyer er know that there Is no statute against defacing a ship of ot war and andall andall andall all you can do is to sue me for or tre and that In the county where the offense was corn com If It iou ou desire It I 1 will go bac back to lid Iid county Massachusetts and stand my trIaL I lou ou are arc said the secretary after a moment s reflection and now tell me mt ho how ho you took away the held head Dewey told the story and Did DIci erson ed him to wait walt until he hid bid stepped over oer 0 er to the the hIte House and sho showed shoed ed the held to the President dent W hen ben President Jackson heird the story and saw v the head bead he burst Into loud hy by that Is the most Infernal hinge I E Eer e er V aw I said he The fellow did right Give GIe hIm hima a kick and my compliments and tell him to saw v It off 01 again When hen the Whigs came Into power later Dewey Is said to have hae been rewarded re with the appoint appointment appointment appointment ment of a In a small to ton n and to the end of ot his dl dais s he lie enjoyed ed the distinction of having been the the man who ho lio cut off Old OJ Hickory s head To add to that distinction he bad had printed on his visiting vl cuds a picture ot of ofa ofa It a hand handsaw saw under which were tee the words I came I saw I I conquered I 1 figurehead The subsequent history of ot the Jackson figure head bead Is shrouded with mastery m According to toone toone toone one account the head bead was restored and fastened on with Ith an unusually arie bolt to prevent present a repetition of ot Dewey s a feat teat This fiure It Is saId graced the ship for 40 sears ears and had a narro narro escape from another outrage at the beginning ot of the Ch Civil 11 war Southern b planned to seize It as a sort of or mascot for Cor or their cause caus but were tolled foiled by Gen Cen Benjamin I ho ho marched the regiment to Annapolis and had Old OJ Old Iron Ironsides s ld to tossed toed ed eddo do don n bW to the protection of the guns juns at Fortress Monroe After Arter the Ch Civil Chit 11 sir the figurehead wis presented present to the United States a 1 Naval 01 academy at Annapolis and Is pi pie e sped sved there Another story Is that a new v figurehead of I on wis undo lIe for Cor the tho Constitution after i e Dese had him and that It Is thIs which now stands on the academy grounds The head which De Dewey ey carried carrIell away to this tills version erslon did not turn up do de despite spite the tue rewards re tint thit were ere ocrel cd for It until inan liter and this original which sold a afe afe afew fe fe eus ago for Cor l Is now In the pos possession possession session of a l private a te collector The Andrew Jackson figurehead whether the original or a replica Is not the only famous ona I at the tue he Naval nal ll In Ann JOlIs folIs Ann Even richer In in tradition Is that of ot a scowling Indian chief chieftain Lain Lain- Old Tecum Tecumseh eh the God of 2 25 5 which In front of ot Bancroft hill hlll This ll held graced the bow of ot a ship of the line the Delaware are built In the Y nl yard at 1 Norfolk n a In ISI ISIT j and was supposed to be a likeness of the most of ot chiefs of ot the Del ale taie Indians lIe He was vas also known as lam lain mans mam and as such the thc patron god of ot the tho ew lork political society i At the beginning of the tho Civil the Dela Delaware Delaware I ware was as as out of ot Ion commission at the Norfolk nay ard When hen hen the navy y was as destroyed In ISm she was as scuttled and burned but after the close of the tue var ar what shat hat remained of ot her hulk as asI I sold old to s reel red ers ere lio ho d and brol e her up for tor copper In J 07 and the figurehead was sas os SEn sent t i ito to thea the a Navil 11 where here after aCter Ing se eral sites In 1909 1000 was as placed on a pedestal facing Bancroft hall ball the of ot s I power 10 er of ot 1 I now no ledge was as Al Also o by this time he lie had been n renamed 1 by the middies and had become the God of 2 25 r the tue passing mark at the I Iter ter iter his PO powers ers were and he as charged with gaining victories for Cor the un nay y As the regiment of midshipmen for the big games each platoon gives a leet left handed salute to him that the Navy y avy may win that day Another ceremony Is centered around Tecum eh W hen the final examinations are led the graduating cliss gathers before him him to reid Its class history and pa final hom homage homage hornage age to his aid aidIn aidIn In more recent seirs the r of time were till Old Old Tecumseh Tecum eh so a DlO ement sponsorEd by the cliss of was a as put under wiy lY to replace the wooden figure fiure with Ith an exact In bronze This was sas as done about five fie 11 e 3 ears ago ngo but even en the midshipmen now toss their pennies before n a bronze Old Tecumseh as ns as they pass Bancroft hall and 10 Invoke inoke ohe his aid In Inthe inthe Inthe the held figure Imminent quiz the original wooden figure lIgure- lieu Is still presen preserved ed at Annapolis It has lias distinguished In one of Gre Gre- Grecian dan cian design which once the tue British ship until tint tb-it es vessel el was Captured c by Stephen Decatur while In command of ot the theU theU U S b S United States during the War ar of ot IS one of ot a bust of ot Benjimin I which adorned the U S S Franklin launched In 1815 nd md another tal en from the Spanish h Don An Antonia Antonia tonia do de Ulloa destroyed by Dewey De ey at nt the battle ot of Manila Bay Hay Dewe s nt ot tint th bittle the 01 hid an Interesting figurehead It sas as a bronze winged singed goddess of ot vicor holding aloft an cigle and It was vas designed bv by the ta fa famous famous sculptor Augustus Saint The Buffalo N Y Historical society has a notable collection of ot ships wa one ot of the tho most famous being a bust only 19 11 Inches high It Is a n smiling somin wearing caring earIng a n coronet and Is supposed ed to be n a portrait bust of ot Queen CarolIne of I since Ince It was as the ot of the steamer the C Ciroline which was wis built In the tue e part of ot the tue Nineteenth century Dur lug Ing During the Upper Can rebellion of or 1837 1817 the was sas bud bild to have been In the service ot of the rebels urn one nl night ht she was as towed from her moorings In the l river set on fire and set sot adrift Hie Ilie chirred timbers of ot the foiLed over ira ra falls tails and were dished to pieces on the tue rod rod s But Bit by Ly sonic strange ot of fate fale the smiling face nce of ot Queen Caroline sue sur vh ed the perils of ot both firo fir and anI wiler Wlter and sas aJ found ely uninjured In the tho lower rh river rier er near Le 0 by V V esterD I few ew paper |