The Laurens Advertiser

Calhoun's Statue in Position.

At 10 o'clock Tuesday morning a half dozen workmen began to turn the windlass of the huge derrick on Marion square, and the colossal bronze statue of John C. Calhoun, which was to crown the work and realize the dream of thirty-five years, slowly rose from the ground. The work was delayed until that hour in order to allow some of the members of the committee to be present. Six stout cables had been passed around the bottom of the chair and made fast to the figure, which was thus nicely balanced. The head was still well covered with thick folds of canvas, tightly bound. Guy ropes leading in different directions were held each by a workman, thus enabling them to regulate any circular or lateral motion, and at the same time to place the statue in the position it was to occupy on the pedestal. It did not take long to hoist it to the top of the pedestal, and there it was allowed to remain. It was more suggestive than ever of the idea of an execution, until the men at the end of the guy ropes had been placed in the proper positions. Then the boom of the derrick slowly moved around, swinging the statue directly over the pedestal where it was to rest. At ten minutes past 11 the statue of John C. Calhoun rested on its pedestal, thirty-five years after the corner stone of the monument had been laid. The figure faces the south, the back of the chair being to the north. Standing on the ground one can hardly form an accurate idea of its dimensions or height, but those who saw the workmen on the scaffolding near it yesterday could easily judge of its size; the men looked like the most diminutive of dwarfs. There remain now only the four historical figures and the ornaments to the panels to complete the monument. Mr. Viett, the contractor, who did the granite work, is to be praised as well as congratulated for the successful consummation of his contract. It is admitted to be an admirable piece of work, and it is somewhat strange that not a single stone was spoiled in the cutting. The work has taken considerably more time than it was expected, but there were unavoidable interruptions and moreover it has been splendidly done. When the Calhoun monument is completed there will be few handsomer works of art to be seen in the United States. - News and Courier.