The Carving of Mount Rushmore

by Rex Alan Smith

And then, just as the situation was about to become a real crisis, Louella Jones [Borglum, Lincoln’s wife] rushed up to him, threw here arms about him, and smothered his curses with kisses, saving the day. Richard Dennis sang, and that was dramatic, too, for he sang Irving Berlin’s new song, “God Bless America.” The crowd was moved by that, greatly moved, and Borglum was heard to say, “I have done a lot of things I am proud of, but … I would gladly abandon my sense of accomplishment in all I have done if, by doing it, I could claim authorship of one song, ‘God Bless America.’ Only one in thousands can see my art, but every man, woman, and child with an ounce of American blood may stand with reverently bowed head and sing that song.” The most dramatic event of all, however, was the unveiling—which in this case was not an unveiling at all, but an illuminating. It began with a spectacular display of set-piece fireworks showing in turn, an Indian