The American Goliah | Page 9

approaches the perpendicular, as on the sides, the dark line showing the
separation of the strata is thin, because it has been cut through nearly at
right angles. Where the surface is more horizontal the dark line is
broader, because it has been cut through obliquely, the breadth varying
steadily with the angle of inclination. The same can be plainly seen
along the right leg.
Another strong reason for its being a statue lies in the fact that not a
single limb is detached. The right arm is not merely glued to the body
throughout, as well as the hand, but it has the appearance of only being
cut into the stone to a depth sufficient to give due relief. This is equally
true of the left arm, and of the two legs, which are joined to each other
throughout. The sculptor has not wasted a stroke of the chisel. I would
add here, that between the third and fourth fingers of the right hand, the
slit is carried too far toward the wrist, seemingly by a slip of the chisel.
Who did it? A trained sculptor; one who had seen, studied and probably
reproduced many a work of art; one who was thoroughly acquainted
with human anatomy. One, too, who had noble original powers; for
none but such could have formed and wrought out the conception of
that stately head, with its calm, grand smile, so full of mingled
sweetness and strength.
He appears, however, to have worked under certain disadvantages. He
had not such command of materials as a civilized country could have
afforded him. He had to put up with the best stone he could find. I think
that the peculiar posture of the statue can be fairly explained by
supposing that the original block tapered away toward the feet, and was
only just about the breadth of the statue as we now see it. This seems
fairly to explain the curious position of the left arm. The artist had to
put it there because there was not breadth enough to put it in any other
position. So of the position of the feet--one over the other. The stone
may not have been wide enough to have admitted of any other position.
Who was he? Let us analyze a little.
In the ancient world, only the Greek School of Art was capable of such
a perfect reproduction of the human form. I have seen no Egyptian or
Assyrian sculpture which approached this in anatomical accuracy.
Throughout the middle ages till the great Art Revival, no one in Europe

had skill enough for the purpose. It appears, therefore, that unless we
adopt the somewhat strained hypothesis that a highly civilized society,
now utterly extinct, once existed on this continent, we are forced to
search for our sculptor among the European adventurers who have
sought homes in North America during the last three centuries, as no
one, I presume, is prepared to maintain a that the statue has a Greek or
Roman origin, unless, indeed, it was brought over as an antique by
some forgotten amateur of art.
Was it not then as Dr. Boynton suggests, some one from that French
colony, which occupied Salina and Pompey Hill, and Lafayette? Some
one with an artist's soul, sighing over the lost civilization of Europe,
weary of swamp and forests, and fort, finding this block by the side of
the stream solaced the weary days of exile with pouring out his thought
upon the stone. The only other hypothesis remaining is that of a gross
fraud. One need only say with regard to this that such a fraud would
require the genius of a sculptor joined to the skill and audacity of a Jack
Sheppard.
But lastly, what did he intend it to represent? Had he known of the
discovery of America by the northmen, he might have had in his
thoughts some gigantic Brown, or Erio, or Harold. The old northman is
shot through with an Indian's poisoned arrow; his body is dying, as the
tight pressed limbs express; but the strong soul still rules the face,
which smiles grandly in death. If you had objected that there was too
much mind shining through the features, the sculptor might have
answered that the closed eyes saw in prophetic vision that men of his
race would one day rule where he had lain down to die. But this is
rather too high flown, so I had better conclude. Yours, S.R.
CALTHROP.
LETTER FAVORING PETRIFACTION.
MR. EDITOR:--It needs no apology to address you upon a subject that
is now engaging the constant attention of all your readers and
thousands besides, and if any person can throw any light upon the
subject it would seem to be their duty to communicate it to the