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Show ' ' III i-ftwas - T f? -' v---- if 2 T'X GRATEFUL nation has been if 1 anything but tardy in affording f I I tangible evidence of its grati-J grati-J tude to the man who as Presi-J, Presi-J, i dent of the republic guided the ffiftkVSyH nlon tnrouSh tne most trying VKi'M Period of its history. Tributes Vt$3 IViV 'n marD'e bronze to Abra-RSl Abra-RSl fc ham Lincoln are to be found in PO Iwl parts of the United States, and additions to the list are g-gySVaya) constantly being made. Latterly Lat-terly there has been a disposition disposi-tion on the part of our public men and influential influen-tial citizens to devise in recognition of the services of the Civil War President memorials of even more elaborate and imposing character than the statues that have been erected in so many of the states that he labored to keep under one flag. A recent notable instance of this trend was found In the provision of an impressive memorial memo-rial structure on the famous "Lincoln farm" in Kentucky. The erection of this' monumental edifice, which was dedicated by President Taft only a few months ago, represents but one phase of an ambitious project to restore and protect the birthplace of Lincoln and the scene of his early life, making it, as it should be, a patriotic mecca to which great numbers of Lincoln's fellow-countrymen will make pilgrimages pilgrim-ages just as they do to the home of George Washington at Mount Vernon, and to the home and tomb of Thomas Jefferson at Charlottesville, Charlottes-ville, Virginia, Even more pretentious is the project now before congress for a $2,000,000 memorial to Lincoln that, shall be in the fullest sense a tribute from the reunited nation. Visitors to the seat of government in recent years have often expressed wonder that whereas there are In Washington appropriate testimonials to the Father of His Country and other national idols, there has been no memorial1 commensurate commensu-rate with the commanding place which Lincoln Lin-coln has occupied in the history of the country. coun-try. The government has not been unconscious uncon-scious of this lack, but merely deferred action until such time as there could be provided a tribute worthy of the great man who Inspired It. This is now assured, owing to the liberal sum that will be expended in this labor of love From the time It was decided that the occasion occa-sion had arrived for congress to take definite action with reference to a national Lincoln memorial there has been discussion and difference dif-ference of opinion as to the form which this acknowledgment of the nation's gratitude should take. Most of the men having voice in the matter seem to have come to the conclusion con-clusion that the Ideal memorial will be a massive mas-sive monumental structure a sort of temple of fame to be built of white marble on the banks of the Potomac at Washington and adorned with statues of Lincoln and repre-' sentations of persons and events conspicuously conspicu-ously Identified with his career. The effect would be, of vcourse, to create a companion patriotic shrine to that at George Washington's Washing-ton's Mount Vernon estate a few miles farther 1own the same river. However, many persons of prominence have all along argued In favor of other forms of memorial. A memorial bridge between the national capital and the national cemetery at Arlington beyond the Potomac has repeatedly been suggested and so has a memorial arch. l ' : JZZ&Z u&VZSiP VI tfT "Wjfff Er- J- I' vJ 1 2ry soyozrt C? a-cc. but probably sentiment has been strongest for a Lincoln memorial boulevard or highway. The proposal has been to construct this highway as a connecting link between the national capital cap-ital and the battlefield at Gettysburg where Lincoln delivered his immortal speech. The chief objection to this scheme Is that the highway could be used and enjoyed only by people who had automobiles or other vehicles of their own or the means to hire such conveyances. con-veyances. While on the subject of these elaborate Lincoln Lin-coln memorials It may be noted that first place In this category belongs, of course, to the Lincoln Lin-coln tomb at Springfield, Illinois. The monument monu-ment to Lincoln at Springfield, alike to the monuments to our other martyr presidents Garfield and McKtnley Is not merely public but national. For the Lincoln monument the sum of $200,000 was collected. Of this sum $28,000 came from the soldiers of the Civil war, and $8,000 of this amount was contributed by the negro troops out of the first money they ever earned. The Lincoln monument has had to be reconstructed several times and entirely rebuilt once, owing to the character of the foundation, and these circumstances necessitated necessi-tated the removal of Lincoln's body, which, all told, has been moved some ten or twelve times since the original burial. Certainly one of the most commendable of all the existing memorials to Lincoln Is the Lincoln Memorial University of Claiborne county, Tennessee, which was founded by Gen. O. O. Howard, one of the most devoted of Lincoln's Lin-coln's admirers, and the object of which is to benefit the people from whom Lincoln sprang, the mountaineers of the Cumberland Gap region. re-gion. The grounds of the university contain six hundred acres and there are several buildings build-ings upon them, although more are needed. The university was chartered by the State of Tennessee on Lincoln's birthday In 1897 and has already performed a tremendous service for the people of an isolated region which may be said to offer no other similar educational educa-tional advantages. It has been claimed that owing to the handicap which Lincoln himself sustained in early life, owing to ignorance and poverty, he would, if he could choose, probably prefer this memorial In the Tennessee mountains moun-tains to any other that could be reared to his memory. Of the numerous statues of Lincoln which have place in cities and town all over the United States the most notable, from an artistic artis-tic standpoint, are two executed by the late Augustus St. Gaudens, Amercia's greaest sculptor. Roth of these statues are figures of heroic size. One which represents Lincoln standing has been erected in Lincoln Park in the city of Chicago, whereas the other, which ' Sr sjzisr shows Lincoln seated, was a gift t the South Side of Chicago by bequest of the late John Crearar of that citi-. The St. Gaudens head of Lincoln was selected by the national government for reproduction on the Lincoln commemorative com-memorative postage stamp, which was issued by the Post Office Department Depart-ment a year or so ago. The work of the sculptors who are caBed upon to reproduce the features of Lincoln In marble or bronze Is greatly facilitated by the fact that there are in existence excellent life-. and death masks which faithfully portray por-tray the countenance of the kindly ruler at the time he first took office and at various periods up to his death. The making of the life mask ' of Lincoln was, by the way, a rather-trying rather-trying ordeal for the president, who was obliged to sit for an hour wltb v the plaster covering his face, but not in-terfering in-terfering with his eyesight or breath- ? Ing. Mr. Lincoln himself assisted in removing remov-ing the mask, a particularly difficult task owing ow-ing to his high cheekbones, but the undertaking undertak-ing was entirely successful, the mask coming off In one piece and being especially satisfactory satisfac-tory in that it included the impress of both ears something that in many instances must be omitted In the securance of a life mask. One of the most interesting of all the Lincoln Lin-coln statues Is the bronze figure In Lincoln Park at Washington, which shows Lincoln freeing the slave an emblematic figure of the great emancipator striking the shackles from the hands of a kneeling negro. Tbe significant signifi-cant feature in connection with this unique statue is that It was erected by money contributed con-tributed through popular subscription by the freed slaves. Another Interesting memorial to Lincoln at the capital he saved is found in a simple silver plate on the pew which he always occupied in. the church, a few blocks from the White House, of which he was a member. Congress has paid $30,000 for the house in which Lincoln died, and will, in all probability. In time convert it Into a Lincoln Memorial Museum under governmental aus- J pices. This will involve the .expenditure of considerable money, because the building Is now closely hemmed In by other buildings which ought to be torn down in order to properly prop-erly safeguard the historic building against fire. The city of New York, which has notable memorials to so many of the nation's heroes, is deficient In testimonials to Lincoln, but this lack is soon to be remedied if the project launched by Joseph H. Choate and other prominent prom-inent New Yorkers meets with success. This contemplates the erection in the metropolis of some fitting memorial, possibly a magnificent magnifi-cent arch such as the Arch of Triumph, which is one of the chief glories of Paris. A very t appropriate form of Lincoln memorial is the present task of placing in all our national cemeteries bronze tablets bearing Lincoln's Gettysburg address. Ultimately these tablets will be placed also in great numbers of schools, public buidlings. etc. |