Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 February 1896 — DEATH FREES A SECRET. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DEATH FREES A SECRET.

The Cherished Ambition of NVilljam 11. English of Indiana, The death of William H. English releases to the public a surprising vanity Ire ha 1 secretly cherished with a zeal not exceeded, possibly, by that behind his ambiliori for presidential honors. Years prior Vo his death he imparted by direct inference to a friend in Chicago that he “hoped a statue of the other end of the Ila tteoek and .English presidential ticket wonld be allowed one of the four great fame points" set apart for statues of most illustrious American statesmen around 'the .JSOfWWl'soJdiers’-antl esai tofts’—f non nmeh t That"TfuTihiTa dedicated iat TridtohapbTls before the World’s Fain Death alone was to grapt release th this secret, and even then it was to be ment toned gua rd - edly, if at all. "Ah early as 1884 he quietly let the remarkable contract for making

two bronze statues of himself, of the heroic height of eight feet and four inches, at a cost of $1,300 each, with a specification permitting him others at the same price. It was the idea of Mr. English to preseg^g^Jxf. the two statues to th.P •town of English, Ind., only when, however, it had succeeded in getting the honor of county seatship away from a certain rival town. A hot and prolonged fight resulted from the village of English trying to win the heroic trophy offered by its godfather. The matter went from court to court until now it is lodged before the Supreme bench and the man who offered the disturbing prize is dead. The statue remains uncalled for, while the second one has just been finished. As for the four “great fame points.” one is now occupied by a magnificent representation of George Rogers Clark, of continental army fame, and after whom Clafk street in Chicago was named. For another, Chicago foundries are now casting a figure of Gen. William Henry Harrison. Thq occupants of the remaining two places of honor are. well-informed report says, fully decided upon. However, the death of Mr. English just at this time may effect the realization of his aspiring dream. In any event, one of the statues probably will go to adorn the English Hotel property at Indianapolis, and now that his death has occurred, the other statue will, it is thought probable, go to Uie family burial lot, while a third will be ordered by the family for the town of English should it win in the county seat litigation. Mr. G. A. Sala shared the opinion of Sir Walter Scott, who said that he did not care a, curse about what he had written. In regard to this there Is a characteristic story told of him. He had supplied au editor with an article, and the editor asked him whether he would object to a few alterations being made in It Mr. Sala wrote in reply: “I have fulfilled my contract in delivering to you the required weight of raw •neat. How you’cook It, whethw-you roast it, .or boil it, or hash it. or mince It, I neither care nor want to know.”— London Truth. ~ „„