STATUE OF GENERAL SHERMAN.

The sculptor and contractor for the Sherman statue, Mr. Carl RohlSmith, died August 20, 1900, while on a visit to his home in Denmark. By resolution of the statue commission, December 3, 1900, the widow was authorized to complete her husband's work, using therefor such expert assistance as might be found necessary. A new contract for this purpose was executed with Mrs. Rohl-Smith on April 8, 1901, which provided that the monument should be completed within two years. The work is making good progress, but it has been necessary to extend the time for completing the work until September 1, 1903, owing to unavoidable delay in getting the last plaster models finished. The date of October 15, 1903, has been fixed for the unveiling of this statue, for the expenses of which Congress appropriated the sum of $4,000 under date of June 28, 1902.

By the same act the unexpended balance of the appropriation made June 6, 1900, for a stone coping around the statue was made available for the improvement of the grounds, and in addition thereto, the sum of $1,500 was provided for the same purpose and under the authority thus granted, a gravel roadway 676 feet long and 30 feet wide, and a walk 535 feet long and 10 feet wide have been constructed outside of the granite coping around the south and west sides of the site of the statue; 723 feet of granite curb were also set and 973 linear feet of stone gutters, 30 inches wide, constructed, 103 feet of terra cotta pipe laid, and 1 brick drain trap constructed for surface drainage.

Studies are being made to determine the best plan and method of laying out the grounds within the stone coping which surrounds the site of the statue to give it a harmonious setting.

In deficiency act approved December 22, 1902, the sum of $8,000 was appropriated for extra steps and mosaic work at the base of the statue. On February 21, 1903, a contract was entered into for furnishing and setting the extra steps, and under that contract two courses of granite steps have been set in place around, and a few feet out from, the lowest steps of the pedestal. Upon the space left between the new steps and the steps of the pedestal there will be laid a floor of marble mosaic, contracts for which were entered into February 28, 1903, and June 29, 1903. These contracts provide that the floor must be completed by August 15, 1903.

STATUE OF GENERAL GRANT.

By act approved February 23, 1901, Congress appropriated $10,000 for designs for a statue or memorial to Gen. U. S. Grant. Under date of April 10, 1901, the commission in charge issued an invitation to sculptors to submit competitive designs, and published the terms governing the competition.

In answer to this invitation 23 sculptors submitted 27 models during the month of March, 1902, which, by the courtesy of the trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art were placed on exhibition in the basement of that building in April. From the models thus submitted two models were selected by the statutory commission for further competition, and the artists of those two were requested to submit larger models of the equestrian group of their design.

The final result of the competition was the selection of the design submitted by Henry Merwin Shrady, sculptor, and Edward P. Casey,