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Show STATUE WITH ODD HISTORY. Ancient Product of Sculptor's Art Wrecked by Soldiers. Washington. Ono of tho mo3t valu-nblo valu-nblo and remarkablo statues In tho United States Is owned by Mr. Lot Flannory, tho woll known sculptor, whoso studio Is on I) street, west sldo of tho cnpltol grounds. For mnny years this ancient production produc-tion of tho sculptor's nrt has stood Statue as It Is Today. Immediately opjioslto tho ontrnnco to Mr. Flannory's studio, and has been tho subject ot Inquiry from thousands. Headless, nrmloss, broken and defaced, defac-ed, tho statue gives evidence of the wondorful nnd masterly skill of tho sculptors who produced mastorpleces ot works of nrt before tho time of Christ, for there Is undisputed ovl-deucu ovl-deucu that this statue is tho work of ancients, Mnny yonrs ngo Cotnmodoro Iloylo, of tho United Stntcs navy brought the stattio from Athons, Grcoce, whom for moro than 2,000 years It had escaped es-caped tho despoiling hand of tho barbarian bar-barian nnd other Invaders of that ancient city. Tho commodoro Bccurod nn authentic history ot tho work of art nnd valued It ns ono of tho treasures treas-ures gathered In his travels throughout through-out tho world. Ho kopt tho stntuo for sovornl years nnd then prcsontcd It to his brothor. Dr. Iloylo, ono of tho men who made White Sulphur Springs, Vu., famous as u watering resort for tho wealthy people of tho United States. Tho statue, then unbroken nnd benu-tlfut, benu-tlfut, was securely placod ovor tho main ontrnnco to the 1-.go hotel which was owned and mat, id by Dr. Iloylo. Having for untold niuratlons. origin ally graced tbo front of somu Greek templo. It now looked down season after season on the modern social gayety of a popular American resort. Dr. Iloylo received numerous offers from rich patrons to purchnso It, but all ot theso ho declined to consider, ns ho knew Its history and Its value. Tho Btatuo remained over tho hotel entranco until tho breaking out of tho civil war. A numbor of union solders sol-ders woro enenmped near tho Springs and tho spirit of having a "llttlo fun" occupied a good portion of their camp life, nctlvo wnrfnro not having sot In. Ono day n crowd of tho soldiers decided de-cided to pull down tho "lady In scant raiment." With a long rope they las-I las-I sued tho head of tho valuablo statuo I and with n strong pull It wns toppled I ovor nnd fell to tho hard stone pavo-i pavo-i ment, breaking oft the head, arms, n portion of tho drapery and otherwise damaging It. Not satlsllod with this tho soldiers rolled It to tho largo lawn nnd set It In position ns u tnrgot fot rifle practice. To this day tho oner, beautiful sculpture shows where the leaden missiles from hundreds of r I Ilea nnd muskets mnrred Its smooth surface. sur-face. When tho wnr closed Dr. Iloylo hnd ho broken statuo boxed and shipped to Washington, whoro It agnln became tho property of his brother, Commodore Commo-dore Iloylo had tho broken statuo boxed box-ed and shipped to Washington where It again l)0camo the property of his brothor, Commodoro Boylo. Mr. Flan-nory, Flan-nory, tho sculptor, was on tcmiB ol friendship with Commodoro Iloylo and succeeded In getting possession of tho statuo and having It removed to tho yard which surrounds his studio. |
