613 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
LORADO TAFT’S TROTTER MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN 
the erection of the fountain, and con- 
tracted with Mr. Taft for the sculp- 
ture. 
The fountain stands about 15 feet 
above the groun.d. Its length is 9 feet 
4 inches, its width 6 feet and each of 
the standing figures is 6 feet 8 inches. 
The fountain is constructed of 
Georgia marble. The base is a mas- 
sive stone of rectangular shape, upon 
which a smaller shaft arises. Sur- 
rounding the upper portion of the 
stone are groups of sculptured fig- 
ures which form the artistic feature 
of the whole work. The inscription 
and Trotter coat of arms are carved 
upon the base in bas-relief. The 
crest of the coat of arms is a trotting 
horse, symbolical of the family name. 
The sculptures surrounding the up- 
right stone of the fountain are stud- 
ied with the most interest. There 
are eight separate figures all group- 
ed in such way as to bring out the 
allegorical character of the fountain. 
Three different phases of life are de- 
picted in the sculptures, all connected 
in some way either with the site of 
the fountain, the purpose of its .donors 
or the ideas it would perpetuate. 
These phases are: 
Child life; animal life; pioneer life. 
Child life is brought to mind by 
the fact that the site of the fountain 
is a children’s play ground. Animal 
life is inseparably connected with 
happy childhood. Pioneer life is typi- 
cal alike of the family which donated 
the memorial and of the times which 
are passing away, but which will be 
kept in mind by such memorials as 
this. 
At each end of the fountain stands 
an Indian maiden, who pours from 
an urn upon her shoulder the water 
which falls into a basin attached to 
the base. At her feet in the prairie 
grass is a playful Indian child. These 
end groups are united by an animal 
at each side of the fountain. On one- 
side is an Indian dog, on the other a 
tame bear cub. The children, lying 
in a half-reclining pose, look up into- 
the face of the Indian maiden. The 
animals harmonize well with the other 
figures of the group. 
As the interior of the stone is hol- 
lowed out for the accommodation of 
the plumbing Mr. Taft has suggested 
that a vessel be imbedded at the top 
of the stone and therein earth be 
placed for the growing of so-me orna- 
mental plant or trailing vine which 
will form a pleasing and appropriate 
decoration. 
Lorado Taft’s Fountain of the 
Great Lakes, the first commission to 
be given under the Ferguson bequest 
for public sculpture in Chicago, dem- 
onstrated to a degree not hitherto 
attained in America the possibilities 
of ideal sculptural expression in foun- 
tain memorials. 
Mr. Taft’s Trotter memorial foun- 
tain, lately unveiled in Bloomington, 
111., is in a smaller way, another ex- 
ample of his mastery of the decora- 
tive use of sculpture in the art of 
the public fountain. 
The Trotter -memorial was erected 
with a fund of $6,000 left for that pur- 
pose in the will of James Trotter, the 
last survivor of a family, well-known 
in Bloomington’s business affairs a 
quarter of a century ago. Mrs. 
Sarah Raymond Fitzwilliam, the ex- 
ecutrix of the will, was in charge of 
TROTTER MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN, BLOOMINGTON, ILL. 
Lorado Taft, Sc. j 
