Onoo upon a time I here was a hand
flbme hen who lived like a great lady m
the poultry yard of a rich farmer, sur
rounded by a numerous family which
clucked about her, and none of whloh
clamored more loudly or picked up the
oorn faster with his beak than a poor
Uttle deformed and orlppled chicken.
This was precisely the one that the
mother loved best. It ie the way with
all mothers; the weakest and most un
sightly are always their favorites.
This misshapen creature had but one
eye, one wing and one leg In good con
dition ; it might have been thought that
Solomon had executed his memorablo
sentence on Coquorico, for that was the
name of tho wretched chicken, and out
him in two with his famous sword. When
a person is one-eyed, lame, and one
armod, he may reasonably be expected to
be modest; but our Cusiilian ragamuflin
was prouder than his lather, the best
spurred, most elegant, bravest and most
gallant cock to be soen from Burgos to
Madrid.
He thought himself a phoenix of grace
and beauty, and passed the best part of
the day in admiring himself in the brook.
If one of his brothers ran against him by
accident ho abused him, called him en
vious and jealous, aud risked his only re
maining eye in battle; if tho hens clucked
on seeing "him he said it was to hide their
spite because ho did not condescend to
look at them.
One day, when he was more puffed up
with vanity than usuul, he resolved nc
longer to remain in such a narrow sphere,
but go out into the world, where lie
would be better appreciated.
"My ladv mother," said he, "I am tired
of Spain ; I am going to Home to see tho
pope and cardinals."
"What are you thinking of, my roor
child !" cried his mother. "Wf-n
- /*)>-
HIS MOTHER GIVES HIM SOME ADVICE.
Bttch a lolly into your head? Never lias
one of our family been known lo quit lib
country, and, for this reason, we are th
honor of our race and are proud o.' ou:
genealogy. \\ here will you linda poulli;.
yard like this—mulberry trees to shad'
you, a whiter.ashed lion roost, a magni
ficent dunghill, worms and corn every
where, brothers thai love you, and three
great dogs to guard you from the foxes •
Do you not think that at Homo itself yoc
will regret the ease and plenty of such ;
life?"
Coquerleo shrugged his crippled wing
in token of disdain. "You are a simp.-
woman, my good mother, ' said Ie
"everything is accounted worthy of .
miration by him who has never quitti t
his dunghill. But I have wit enough i>
see tine my brothers have no ideas, a;
t hat my cousins are nothing but rustic-.
My . .cuius is stilling in this hole; 1 wis:
to roam tho world and seek my fortune.'
"But, my son, have you never looked
in the brook?" resumed (he poor lien
"Don't you know that you lack un eye, a
leg and a wing? To make your fortun
you need the eyes ol' a fox, the legs of a
spider and the wings of a vulture. On- i
outside of these walls you are lost."
"My good mother," replied Coquerici -.
"when a hen hatches a duck she is al
ways frightened on seeing it run to tin
water. You know mo no better, ii li
my nature to succeed by my wit aim
talent. I must have a public eligible ol
apprecla ing the charms of my person ,
my place is not among inferior people
"My son," said the lieu, seeing all hei
counsels useless; "my son, listen ui
least to your mother's lust words, li
yon go to Home, take care to avoid S:
Peter's church ; tin mint, it is said, ill
likes cocks, especially w hen they ciow.
Shun, moreover, certain personagc
cailcd cooks and scullions; you will kuLu
them by Uieir paper caps, their tuck
up sleeves ana the great knives whi> i
tliey wear at their sides. They a -
li. En-ed assassins, who attack our step
v. i hout pity and cut our throats withou.
giving Us time to cry mercy. And now,
my child," she added, raising her claw,
"receive my blessing. May St. James,
tne natron saiut of pilgrims, protect
thee 1"
coquerleo pretended not to see tlif
tear that trembled in his mother's eye.
lior did he trouble himself any mon
about his father, who bristled his plu
mage and seemed üboul to call bin
back. Without earing for those who.,
he left behind he glided throug.'i -I
half open door, aud, once outside, llapp
liis only wing and crowed three line
to celebrate his freedom, "Cock-a-doe.. .
doo!"
As he half Hew, half hopped over ;i.
fields, he came lo the bed of am
which had been dried up by the sun. ,i
the middle of the rands, however,
trickled a tiny thread ol' water, so .1
tl.at it was choked by a couple of die
leaves that had fallen into it.
"Mv friend," exclaimed the streamlet
at the sight of our tiavelcr, "my friend
you see my weakness, i have not eve,
the strength to carry uway these leave.:
Which obstiuet my passage, much lem
to mai.e a circuit, so completely am 1
exhuu (cii. With a stroke of your beali
you can restore me to life. lum not an
ingrate. If jou oblige me, jou uia.i
count on my gratitude the ti st run-,
day, wnen tic water Horn . e.:..-n M .U
have restored in strong-11.
"Yo 1 ilie je-tlng, said I o.jtleiieo. 1
"Dm 1 ,'io.i tike one whose busine situ'
to sw- , 1 the brooks? A,; iy t> those o! 1
vour own sort.' And, wt h liis soul,
leg, he .eapail across tin- 1 ■ .1.11 let.
"You will leiuenibci 11.- when you I
least expect it,' wurmtii- d the biook
but with no feeble a voice hat it was losi
on the pi oud cock.
A little further ou Coquerleo suw tin 1
wind lying breathless on the ground.
"Dear Coquerleo. come to my aid," I'
cried; "here on earth we-should helj
•ati other. You see to what I ;~s 1
Aooed by the heat of the day; I, who la
former tfniee uprooted the olive tree*
end lashed the waves to fremy, lie here
well-nigh slain by the dog star. I suf
fered myself to be lulled to sleep by the
perfume of the roees with whloh I was
playing, and lo I here I am, stretched al
most Ufsless upon the ground. If yon
will raise me a couple of inches with your
beak and fan me a little with your wing,
I shall have the strength to mount yon
dor white clouds which I see In tho die
tenco, where I shall receive aid enough
(row my family to keep me alive till I
gain fresh strength from the next whirl
wind,"
"My lord," answered the spiteful
Coquerleo, "your excellency has mors
than once amused himself by playing
trlcka at my expense. It Is not a ngsE
since your lordship glided like a traitor
behind me. and diverted himself by open
ing my tall like a fan and covering era
with oonfuslon in the fuoe of nations.
Have patience, therefore, my worthy
friend. Mockers always have their turn.
It does them good to repent and to learn
to respeot those whose birth, wit and
beauty should screen them from the jests
of a fool." And Coquerleo, bristling his
plumage, crowed three times in his shrill
est volco and proudly strutted onward.
A little further on he came to a newly
mown field, where tho farmers had
piled up the weeds In order to burn them.
Coquerleo approached a smoking heap,
hoping to find some stray kernels of corn,
and saw a little flame which was char
ring the green stalks without being able
to set them on fire.
"My good friend," cried tho flame to
the newcomer, "you are just in time to
save my life; lam dying for want of air.
I cannot Imagine what has become of
my cousin, the wind, who cares for noth
ing but his own amusement. Bring me
a few dry straws to rekindle my
strength, and you will not have obliged
an ingrate."
"Wait a momont," said Coquerleo,
"and I will servo you as you deserve. In
solent fellow that dares ask my help!"
and behold he leaped on tho heap of
dried weeds and trampled It down till lie
smothered both flame and smoke; after
which ho Bhoutod "Cock-a-doodle-doo?"
and Happed his wing, as if he had done
A great deed.
Proudly strutting onward and erow
n-g, Coquerleo nt last arrived at Home,
lie place to which all roads lead,
•nrcely had he reached the city when
e hastonod to the great church of Si.
cter. Grand and boautiful as it was he
Id not stop to admire It, but, planting
-imselfln front of the main entrance,
vhere he looked like a fly among the
treat columns, he raised himself on tip
.oe and began to shout, "Cock-a-doo-dle
loo !" only to enrago the saint and dis
obey his mother.
He had not yet ended his song when
one of the pope's guard, who chanced
to hear him, laid hands on the insolent
wretch who dared thus to insult the
saint, and carried him home in order to
oast him for suppor.
"Quick!" said he to his wife on enter
ng the house, "glvo me some boiliiu.
.vater; here is a sinner to bo punish tl
"Pardon, pardon, Madam Wan-; !"
jrlod Coquorieo. "Oh, good and genre
enter, tho best and purest thing in tin
world, do not scald pray you ! '
"Did you hare pity on me vvhen I im
plored your aid, ungrateful wretch?" an
swered tho vvator, boiling with indigna
tion
And with a single gush inundated liiui
from head to foot, and left not a bit ol
down on his whole body.
The unhappy Coquerleo stripped of all
In s feathers, tho soldier took aud laid him
on the gridiron.
"Oh, iiro, do not burn me!" cried he,
in ifn agony of terror. "Oh, beautiful
ami brilliant fire, the brother of the silt
aid cousin of the diamond, spare an uu -
happy creature, llestrain thy ardor,
■in soften thy flame; do not roa-'
"Did you have pity on mo when I im
plored your aid, ungrateful wretch?" an
swe red tho lire, and fiercely blazing will
mgor, in an instant it burned Coquorieo
to a coal.
The soldier, seeing his roast chicken in
lliis deploruble condition, took him by
I lie leg and threw him out of the win
low. Tho wind bore tho unhappy fowl
ton dunghill, where it loft him for 1
moment.
yIT-ffr
W .* * A 'I
ii|p jjpvlis 'is?
Spff
< W' W
ON HIS TRAVELS.
"Oh, wind " sighed Coquerleo, who
Still breathed ; "oh, kindly zephyr, pro
tecting breeze, belio d ine cured of my
vain follies; let me rest on the paternal
dunghill."
"Let yon rest! roared tho wind.
"Wait, and I will teach you how I treat
ingcat -s. ' And with one blast it sent
II i 111 so high in tho air that as he fell
buck he was transfixed by a- steeple.
There St. Peter was awaiting him.
With his own hand ho nailed him to the
highest steeple in Home, where he is
-till shown to travelers. However high
placed lie may be, all desoi-ie hiin be
cause lie turns with the s i purest wind.
Black, dried n!•, stripped of his feathers
aud bent" 11 bv tho rain. In- no longer
called Coquei ic 1, but Weathercock, and
thus expiates eternally, his disobedience,
vanity and wl-10-dness.—Pro in Labou
lye's Fairy Ta s of All Nations, copy
right Isi a! by Harper .t Brothers.
Known by IVitinanwhi]).
Handwriting has its characteristics,
ind is a study in itself to those who want
.0 become familiar with its peculiarities,
ays the St. Louts "Globe-Democrat." It
tan very easily bo told whether a person
whoso writing you want to identify is a
man or a woman, a minor or adult. It is
vi--y seldom a handwriting assumes its
permanency before the writer is d."> years
>ld.
Tic- age of tlie writing can approxi
mately be determined by various
ni -thuds. If it has a Spencorian appear
anoo, you may know it was written after
IS-s'l. as at that, date the Speiicerinn • vs
tom was Introduced. If it is Ihe bin
aniline ink -hat is generally ui-e I every
where now, you may know it v.--
written after The older inks li 1
Iron or some diluted dyost.uff for a bn-i
and preceded the unillno. An onaly.-
of the writing will most gonerally dc
(.ermine the date of the writing.
THE FANCIES OF FASHION.
TLOW KB BEDS FOB HATS AND Itr WVLI
BLOOM.
Drtal Viritty la Shad* HaU, aad Hoil
of Thorn an Ckanolof-laT.lli..
for Oardoa Woar—Soaaothlag Ju>i
Low ftoa a Preach Watering Place.
Paohtono la Sheer.
t flowers were'only
used as trimming
for hats, but the
present fashion?
have determined
that hats should
be entirely made
of them. Thus
one of our ohlef
novelties In milli
nery Is a mush
room shaped hat
with drawn tulle
foundation and
the flattish orown looking like a flower
bed In full bloom. Green wheat-ears,
blades of grass, strawberry loaves Inter
spersed with flowers literally cover tho
crown, and a light wreath of leaves,
with a forgot-me-not, a clover flower and
a daisy peeping out here and there goes
round the brim, whilst a high bouquet of
various flowers stands up in the middle
of the hat.
Shade-hats were never more charming
nor In greater variety than this season.
Even for the beach are wide shapes made
of white or yellow laco. For garden par
ties there are lovely models that are
both poetic aud picturesque. Silk mus
lin hats rival those of lace and tulle for
Bjl try summer wear. These are closely
shirred and trimmed with loops of mull
or point d'esprit net, mingled with laco
coquilles. Black hats in Spanish fash
ion have long graceful scarfs, which
come from the back, and are of sufficient
width to veil and envelop the throat
and sometimes the shoulders. These
are usually trimmed with red brier
roses, salvia blossoms, or scarlet lobelia
blooms. AVlde-brlmmed Milan braids in
corn yellow, olive gray, and like fashion
able shades, appropriate for general
wear at the seaside and In the moun
tains, are faced with pleated lace or dark
velvet, and simply trimmed outside
with large Alsatian bows of moire or
fancy Persian or Koman ribbons ar
ranged on the crown. Among tho ele
gant novelties for garden-party wear are
thorny rose stems interwoven in basket
fashion forming very charming Maud
Muller hats trimmed alone with rose
leaves und tea or damask roses and
buds.
Here is something fresh from a French
watering place, where tho newest toi
lettes intended for watering place and
seaside wear are
expected to com
bine elegance and t, •
simplicity, and in
so doing display
beauty in qui c a WnwjislJ
new light, one /ufflwlga
of these toilet.es
was made of AWICT
slato gray linen ftw/'fl ' \
crepon. The un- llnl I J
der dress is made J I I
in one piece, held TO| ; ll I
in at tho waist ■ !;! dthjj
With a sash, and JUL I [If til HL
ha* tight sleeves &fyt| Kfljj■ W
with small black affflslJ Hp*? m,;
buttons. The iSfjJ sJlklE
long tunic 1 s WL aaLeawv
tight fitting be
hind, loose in front, and has sleeves
falling to the edge of the skirt trimmed
Willi black cord to match the latter. The
bluish straw hat is trimmed with black
and yellow ears of corn.
The fancy for low shoes over dark silk
hose, even for promenade, is more than
ever general this suminor. For the
house and for full-dress uses the very
low-cut Dieppe sandal of black satin
tipped with jet embroidery, or of dark
tan Swedish kid, are two styles v. iv
popular abroad. Kid in colors matching
t.ho evening toilet, contrary to reports
concerning them, are not regarded as in
best form, aud have almost universally
given plnee to sandals of black or bronze
kid. With the exception of jet bead
adomlllffß and clasps and buckles of
Irish brilliants, ornaments upon slippers
have almost ontircly disappeared. Fine
soft shoes of undressed kid, most easy
and delightful to wear, are shown in
many now shades to match the costume.
Tho dove-gray and pale-brown models,
however, excepting those of the very
popular tan dyes, find the largest sale.
These colored shoes do very w ell for a
change and to completo a suit of one'
color entire, but for real elegance and
neat aud ladylike appeaium there is no
foot-covering that can compare with a
perfect-lit ting shoo of fine black French
kid. It suits ull styles of dress, all oc
casions. and makes the foot look trim
mer and smaller than a shoe of any other
descript ion.
The colored
iftgroHk silk bodices, red,
pale blue, light
v pink aud cream
—T7JDI— color have gained
a new charm by
.. Km t 111,1 introduction
/'. TtV?! of a novel sleeve
C& V Vi made half of gold
fir ' 'J/ lace and half ol
fC /' . (S\ slik. The gold
-Sffir/j. 'll lace simulates an
under sleeve ovci
■HP'rifiaß which i lie silk
Ml /<. ■'!■<s J, reaches as far as
w i vß*. the elbow, when
JfflUftJßb' i"* 1 'ffs|i£? it is drawn in bt
MjgJr& ribbon bow
lE Th,! •■*
WMr'*ftWl wrves -p e
notice; lik- tn.
dfr-. -•/ '3l rest of tlie bodici
trimming it is
—e mode of gold lac
in various •i. s and is not unfre.uentl
worn joined on impanyingepaulet."es.
In eont'cdi-• nc ion to the simplicity
of morning to t <>* those intended to be
worn at laci- le -object to various ec
centric addition*,* Though they may
not always di-piay a highly teliiied taste,
tliey a v ord full play to inanv a fancy,
cliainC'-ristie of the oeea* m on which
they are worn. ink" for lli-tanco a toi
lette for the raee course, pui together ol
various materials. In our dlustl'iiticn
loose tulle la- adt lis full overa dark faille
skirt slightly draped and trimmed with
light poplin an t fancy buttons. The
bodice has a pns'illion basque behind
and Is short and bat.' tight in front. To
th's slieph-r • -. but with laco, ribbons
and flowers
FASHION A'Om.
While violets and lilies of the valley
have I, en the favorite flowers for bridal
bouqlii ' •• during the season.
As ll. any as ID" iocs are sometimes
ma*se . together for an opeia or bildal
bouquet.
The cidor known as officers' red is fash
ionable even at. this time of year.
The frock coat is the only formal coat
of ceremony for men's wear in the day.
time.
TBE WORLD OF MFOXTB.
What an Authority Ha* to Say About
r a .New Gam*.
Water polo, to be played by swimmers,
which has established a position for itself
in recent times, I had occasion to write
i about last seaeon when I anticipated that
„ It would be found necessary to make al
, teratlons In the rules, several regulations
as to the mode of playing the game being
' then very unsatisfactory. X was no half
hearted prophet, evidently, for the rules
, have since been remodeled, soot aad
branch.
The game as played last year may be
fitly described as the Bugby style. Now
the asaoclatlon method has been adopted.
Last year players were allowed to grab
the ball with both hands, or hug it under
the arm, aud swim with it, the opponent,
being allowed to "collar" him when In
possession. Thle "collaring," of couree
meant submitting the possessor of the
ball to the preliminary stages of drown
ing, so long as he refused to release his
hold. It also led to a great deal of uufair
play, as well as much that was unsatis
factory without being necessarily pur
posely unfair.
A man about to seize the ball was,
quite as often as not, collared before be
bad accomplished his object. Sometimes
this was because a player coming from
behind could not tell the exact moment
QUEEN CITY GUN CLUB, HECENT WINNERS
OP A GREAT MATCH AT ALBANY.
whan the ball was taken, and thought it
better to be too soon than too late.
There is now no collaring whatever, and
the ball may be taken in one hand only,
which is not a very easy thing to do, for
the hall may not be less tliun eight inches
In diameter.
The play that is naturally fostered by
this Is the patting and passing game,
which is altogether more suitable to the
dimensions of the field of play, which
may on no account exceed thirty yards
from goal to goal, than was the old sys
tem of throwing as far as one could. In
this connection the goalkeeper, who was
able to throw a goal from his position
when the field of play was at ull shor
Is now prohibited from throwing It moi
than half way. An opponent can now Is
interfered with only by the intervention
of ones body, as at association football.
A great alteration has been made in the
height of the goals. The defenders of
the goal at the deepor end had a very
hard task to perform, for It was impossi
ble for a goal-keeper treading water to
raise himself to a height of live feet to
stop the ball, whereas the goal-keeper c
the other end had the bottom of tl.
bath to spring up from. Now the height
of the crossbar from the water at th
deep end is three feet, which, in my opin
ion, is still n little too high. But reform
of this kind Invariably take time to ac
eomplish, and I think water polo player
must congratulate themselves that they
have found one sufllciently unanimous to
enable tliein to progress as far as they
I have done. The game is now far more
I satisfactory in every way than it was.
The action of the owner of the Mon
mouth race track in cut ting off ull tele
graphic reports of the races during their
progress is inspired by the single pur
pose of compelling men to pay toll to him
ior the privilege of making their books
lor doing their betting, Mr, Withers,
I who owns Monmouth Bark, cares noth-
I Ing for tho breeding of horses or the
pioinotlon of an ancient sport. He is
out for the money. His horse races are
run for gambliug purely and solely.
The result of this policy Is to squeeze
tho bookmakers, to force combinations
between the men who enter horses or the
jockeys who rido them and tho men who
bet, and thus to reduce the whole busi
ness to a dishonest gambling game in-
I stead of a square and splendid sport,
j 11' this policy shall be copied in this
state tho Ives Law, which now permits
racing and betting under certain condi
tions, will be wiped off tho statute book
so soon as the legislature can be made
j to understand the use which private greed
I has made of the privilege secured with
such difficulty for the horse breeders and
patrons of th turf. When the betting is
! forced into bl.vl.Tcg grooves the people
| will have no e -utldenoe in tho races, and
' public sentiment wilt forbid- it. Any
sport which cannot endure instant pub
licity ought to be barred.
| This will probablv be the last year for
I the numerous boat houses along the
I Hudson river, in the vicinity of tho Ely-
I -inn Fiolds, and the amateur oarsmen
who have had many years' onjoyment
around the place are beginning to look
for new quarters. All the river front
along Elysian Fields is owned by tho
Hobokeu Land and Improvement com
pany, or, rather. Col. E. A. Stevens, and
that gentleman has sold most of the laud
that was familiarly called the "liver
walk" to some large corporation, and
they are erecting piers very rapidly
and filling in the river about fifty feet
from shore. The secretaries of the Hill
side, Kosedale, Bohemian, Active, Col
umbia, Atlantic, and Valencia clubs are
expecting Police to vacate daily. The
Oermnuia Boat club, situated at the
lower end of the "river walk" has already
been notified.
The Valencia Boat club members are
all right, a* their boat house is erected
on u float and can be towed away, while
the Atlantic Boat club has an annex
quarters at Guttenberg; but the only
show the other organizations have 1* lo
either disband or rebuild u now boat
house at Guttenberg, and this is some
thing which they cannot all afford to 1,0,
us their financial condition is limited.
However, they can join the Atlantics or
Valencia?, and make these two aqua lie
organizat ions the strongest in America.
It is only twenty minutes' ride from Ho
-1 token to Guttenberg in tho horßo cars,
and. besides, tho water course at this
[.... it. of the Hudson i- excellent.
i,,.- lime next year, providing the mem
bers of all the Hoboken clubs work to
gether, thev will be able to turn out
many strong crews and make a notablo
I name for the rowing clubs at Gutten
berg. which will bring them into as much
i prominence a* those aquatic ci"|bs yvhich
I are now located on tho bank* of the l'as
saic and Harlem.
In this country one of tho most exo lt-
Ing shoots of recent days was the one ab
t Albany in which the Queen City clue
wa6 victorious. I send portraits of t.ht
winners.
BROOKLYN'S MONUMENT.
i
TO THIS SOLI)tKJtH AND SdILOTB UV
THE CIVIL WAIL
It I* t* Oe*t trie,ooo anil Will b* ta tlx*
Form of *n Arch nt the Main En
trance of Froopect Park—The Archi
tect! Idea* and Hew They Have Been
Paat la Ha* Work.
While New York collects very slowly
by popular subscription a fund for an
arch on WasluNgion square, the city of
Brooklyn ha- appropriated $250,000 for
xii c ell at. the entrance to Proepeet park
THE LATEST DESIGN,
which shall serve as a monument to the
soldiers and sailors of the civil war. In
doing this, Brooklyn follows the example
of Hartford, as it has so often in the
past patterned itself on Connecticut.
Last year the common council author
ized SIOO,OOO to be spent on a soldiers'
arid sailors' monument and the matter
went so far that a design by Henry
Baerer, a sculptor born in Prussia, but
American by long residence, was as good
as accepted From a raised platform,
reached by four flights of stairs and
adorned with four largo groups of figures
in bronze, rose a simple square pedestal
bearing four Corinthian columns and a
simple attic with wide cornice. Above
stood a draped figure of Brooklyn on a
I half globe. As the cut shows, the com
position is not intricate, and in that re
spect good, but it has little novelty, while
the proposod groups, which would be
tho most important features, are far
from artistic. This is tho design which
recent developments in tho local politic*
of Brooklyn nipped in the bud; in place
of it the arch here shown has been ac
cepted.
T hat the change is one for tho better
is very evident, if for no other reason,
that the aroh is one of tho most dignified
and massive forms of decoration for
great cities, and on this side of tho world
one of the rarest. At Hartford tho arch
commemorative of tho civil War is in the
naturo of a bridge entrance, such as ex
isted in the Middle Ages, when bridges
were fortified, and subsequently adorned
with structures semi-military in nature.
The Washington square arch is to be
less mediteval, more classical. That at
Prospect park will in some respocts ap
proach the Koman triumphal arch, bui
ally itself more to the Arc de Triomplie
de l'Etoile of Paris. It is to stand detached,
like that great arch. There will be no
suggestion of a gateway, as we find at
Berlin in tho Bradenburg Gate, which is
also an arch of triumph. While at first
the arch of triumph may seem to portray
a gate, say tho entrance to a conquered
town, tho probabilities are against this
explanation, and in favor of its evolution
from an Independent structure of stone
which took the place of a perishat-i"
aroh of wood run up for the triumphal
entry of a conquoror. Exactly so the
wooden arches on Fifth avenue wer>-
hastily constructed, and one of them
thought worthy of perpetuation in stone.
The Brooklyn arch is to stand across
tiie roadway, after passing tho fountain
and before reaching tho entrance to tin*,
park. Now modern streets are not so
narrow as tho ways of Kome. Unless a'
arch is to be a gimcrack ornament for e
lawn, it is necessary to have a wnti
span; but this entails a heavy body o'
masonry at each extremity; otherwise
the downward thrust of the arch wouh.
be too great for the sido shafts to bear.
The architect of the Brooklyn aicli lias
met this difficulty by designing two
tower-like masses, and throwing between
them an arch of much less thickness from
front to rear. Ho has also made this
part shallower from archivolt to cornice
than v, e find it In French and Koman tri
umphal arches. In these the relatively*
higticr and n/o rower opening below the
arch gives a mole massive look to the j
whole edifice. Moreover the Koman
arches of triumph bore very high attics,
so that atue us well as entablature above
tho arch might carry elaborate inscrip
tions on a largo scale. Hence tho ma
sonry that supported them was very
thick; but often ways for foot-passengers
wore carried through the latter, and thus j
the heavy look of t ho sides somewhat re
lieved. The chosen design calls for a
span of G-l feet and measures oi> feet in
the clear from tho roadway to tho archi
volt, while the out side measurements for
height and breadth are about 10" feet
eacii. Comparison with classical arches,
such a* that of Septimus Severus ami
that of Titus, will demonstrate that fil by
05 is a very large opening indeed, Uu
tho other hand, little has been done to
relieve the heaviness of the two masses
of masonry which carry this superb
sweep.
These have not been pierced for foot
pas engois. Th.ey contain stairways
reached by doors on the sides, by which
one ascends to a chamber above the arch,
wiieio relics of the war, Luittle-ilugs and
statues, may bo preserved, and where
light is obtained from the roof in such a
way thai no windows will detract from
tho solid appearance of the structuie.
As the architect supposed when he made
his design that the arch was to serve as a
gate way to the park, he treated his sub
ject accordingly, and made no provisiou
for the outer sides in tho way of reliev
ing 'hose sides from bareness, for the
outer shafts were to a certain extent to
beliioken by the walls abutting, or by
soul*- architectural device which might
attach the structure to the lino of en
closure for the park.
On tho same understanding ho sought
rather for relief for the two main shafts
in front and rear. For thi9 purpose he
introduced solid projections which might
carry inscriptions or bas-reliefs below,
and break the monotony of the lower
front with sets of triple round columns
1 jii.*t dise-aged. These projections stnu
" | ply officiate as pedestals to carry groups
"! of statuary, indicated on ills plan by
I purely fanciful figures, which do not
y j show* the groups themselves, but the
' | general outline wh'oh they might, take—
-1 ] an outline somewhat pyramidal. The
1 I size and | r enin ueo of these pedestals
make them sin.d*ir to false porches.
! Their columns apparently have Bo
r j man composite capitals, such as appear
'j on the arch of Titus at Kome. The
? bareness ot the inner walls is interrupted
I by uicheis for statues of soldiers und
tailors. Tho aquandrUs, or three-cor
nered spaoee between the curve of the
architrave, ere filled with large recum
bent figures in relief. The attic Is diver
, allied with bold, simple architectural de
tails, but only one rather narrow space
is left for the inscription, whloh will
lead:
TO THE DEFENDERS OF TUB CHIOS
1861—1865
Home large group in bronze will crown
this triumphal arch in the orthodox
fashion, but whether the statuary here
and on the roofs of the false portlooe oa
both sides below will prove sncoeaeful
must depend on the sculptor choeea te
embellish the structure. For arches may
In one sense be considered merely very
beautiful stands for ths display of sculp
ture, which latter will always remain as
the chief test of the artistic level of ths
people for whom the monument is
erected.
The gentleman who won the prise of
i 1,000 for this monument, under the
name Bed Seal, Is ilr. John H. Duncan,
a member of the Architectural league,
find the designer of many handsomo
d wellings In New York and elsewhere.
The competition was in the hands of the
mayor of Brooklyn; the experts
called In tojudgo which of the thirty
six desighs deserved first prize
of SSOO, were Professor William R.
Ware, of Columbia college, and Mr.
Charles B. Atwood. They decided that
no other de -ign departed sufficiently from
•he commonplace, and offered enough
eigne of having been prepared by a man
competent to carry out such a structure
in a proper fashion. As they gave to no
do.-ign the second prize, a fair inference
is that between Mr. Duncan's arch and
the others there was so wide a gap that
none appronched it. And in fact it is
difficult to induce architects of the first,
rank to enter competitions at a11... In the
first place, tho specifications are never
exact enough to warrant busy men run
ning the risk of losing all chance of suc
cess by lgnoranco of some vital necessity
of the particular case in point. Then
committeos of award have been so often
thoughtless or unfair that there is little
confidence In tho profession that justice
will be done.
Mr. Duncan is a uativo of New Or
loans, and still a young man. Helta*
designed the outlook tower at Newburg,
New York, which stands near the Wash
ington headquarters. It is probable
that the arch when finished will vary in
important particulars from tho design
by which he has won the SI,OOO prize.
In their report to Mayor Chapin and the
rest of tho committee having the monu
ment in charge, the experts make a sug
gestion which can hardly fail to improve
the proportions of the building, if cur
ried out. As tho arch is to stand in th •
plaza before the entrance, there is no
need of so wide a span, for, like the big
areh overlooking the Champs Eh
sees, which it will approach in
size and somowhat in general disposi
tion, it will be used only for procession
nnd on festal occasions. By shortening
t lie span the outline of the opening will
become much finer in proportions; nar
rower, It is true, but apparently higher;
certainly of a nobler look. Along witii
'.he diminished thrust from this nai -
tower span goes a lighter and handsomer
treatment of the supports. They need
not come so tar forward, nor is it nece--
eitry to make thorn so heavy; there will
be an astonishing economy of material,
arid a corresponding one of money, no
that more of the fund can be applied to
the statuary, which, on any scale com
mensurate with so large an arch, will
cost a great deal. Brooklyn is to be
congratulated, not so much on the pre
en t design—for that is obviously in many
important respects ill adapted to the new
position it is to occupy—as on the de
sign a trained architect like Mr. Duncan
will perfect, after ho has fixed all the
new requirements in his mind, and hud
time to study thoroughly eery detail of
the arch.
Such buildings are, to bo sure, simple
affairs struetuially, but timir very sim
plicity makes them extremei . difficult to
accomplish. A large working model has
to be made, and studied from all direc
tions. The relative broken and un
broken spaces have to bo weighe"
ill
T i a
Srk x
JjK i
| '
THE ni SIO ETRST ACCEPTED,
against each olhtn. - . ius ne pro
portions of attic to shafts, uiul areti
opening to attic. It is n ticklish que tion
how the statuary should be disposed,
and whether at n given point there
should be figures in the round, or in high
relief, or very low. The slty-lino !-> a
most important matter, and then come
the ctelii a'e question • of light and shade
—what and how much shadow shall !•
secured by this or that architectural de
tail? Arches of triumph have as man
Intricate problems in architecture to
solve as a (ireek temple, and woe-to him
who imagines that it is sufficient to fol
low precedents without ttnahzins the
why and wherefore of each detail!
If the prize design were to be the ac
tual Uestgn of the areh, it might be asked
whether the group- borne on tho pil
lared projections In front were in them
selves snivel nt warrant for those pro
jections, which are sufficiently large to
force one to demand tb&t they should
give some account of themselves. Do
you add to the stability of the arch? one
i might ask them. Aro you structurally
a •counted for in llm design? Tiiou tho
i tiiehes tor statues benefit h '' •urclm.
should t lie inner faeos of the '.any
, more than the curve of the a . imali
i above, be weaken#! of the jnq*-! mw
- pression of u stn ug, clean sweep by
> breaks In the surface? Should not deo
i orations In siieh pluees bo iu compara
tively low ro.io'These are some ol the
puzzling que*.tons that must beset an
r architect who is studying out the muni
) fold details of a great and conspicuous
1 public monument, which will be certain
I to make or mar his fame for life —Charles
• de Kcij-, fa Harper's Weekly