Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-05-07
From Spring1ieId,i % III.-I.incoIn
~ 10 NIeaAuraa hlY EnrpnanRn. .H

\ From Springfield 1l.-AhnCOln
MeaSurablyF FOrgOGIen.
/ A friend, resident of this city, few
i days ago, left this city for visit to Spring
field, Illinois, and among the first things he
did was to visit the tomb of President
LINCOLN. We make the following extract
froma letter he has written us, giving his
Impressions Of Springfield, and contrasting
the feeling for Lincoln there two years ago
with the feeling as it now prevails:
| 1 started quite early to see the city, and
must say that am much pleased with its
appearance and the enterprise of its citi-
zens. They are far ahead of us in some
points. But must tell you what / saw
and what heard, and then judge for your
self M g sshF fH
The first fine building that met my view
was "Rudolph's Opera House," very fine
building, but not at all as grand looking,
either inside or outside, as ours.A Passing
down a little further on the same street, I
came to the LELAND House" (Which, by"
the way, far excels our Neil House in ap-
pearance), built by an association of citi-I
7ha zsas aO a03ut Of tgs gsar sgG to mset
there was a little dissatisfaction ex-.
pressed by the members, on account
of the want of accommodation in the way
of hotels. There was considerable talk of
the removal of the State capital from here,
and this was alleged as one of the causes ::
but the citizens determined that this should
no longer be any cause, and accordingly
built the hotel to which ] refer, which lis
indeed an ornament to the city and a. credit
to the enterprise Of its citizens. This, how
ever, did not satisfy the Legislature, and
there was another fight during the last ses-I
sion for the. location of the capital, the
competitors for the honor being Springfield
and Decatur, city about forty miles east
of here. Springfield finally triumphed, by
what means am of course unable to say.
Rumor says that there was great deal of
money spentin securing it, but of course
would not believe that, as we all know our
pious Republican legislators cannot be
bribed. IF it were Democratic Legisla-
ture, of course nobody would doubt it,. Be
that as it may, the Legislature passed bill
locating it here, limiting the cost to three
millions of dollars, and appointed commits
sioners to commence the work. The county
bought the old State House for 100000,
which they intend using for Court House,
and the city presented the State with a lot
known as the Mather lot, containing eleven
acres, for the new building. This is the
piece of ground they purposed buying two
years ago as the burial place of Lincoln,
but which Mrs. Lincoln refused unless the
deed was made in her name, which the city
very politely declined to do. Passing a.
next thing that met my view, was street
car on which was printed in large letters,
sFor Lincoln's Tomb and l determined to
pay visit to the resting place of the great
departed. Accordingly the next day my
self with party of friends started on a
pilgrimage to the tomb. We did not, how
ever. ride on the aforesaid street car, no in
deedl but walked, actually walked, like
the pilgrims of old, to pay our respects to
the illustriOus martyr. Arrived at Oak
Ridge, we proceeded at once to the tomb,
which is situated on a beautiful hill about
thirty feet high and about fifty yards from
the main entrance, and is certainly the finest
place l have ever seen in any cemetery on
which to erect monument.
1t is not quite two years since visited
here before. yet how changed the scene.
Then Lincoln's praises were on every body's
lips;- his virtues every one seemed to eXtol
in front of the vault in which lay his re-
mains, an armed sentinel stood guard day
and night; the vault inside was strewn with
flowers. brought there every day by ladies
from the city. But now no word of praise
| is heard his virtues seem forgotten; the
tramp of the sentine1is heard no more !!
no5ffowers are scattered over his tomb not
one even planted there. During the half
hour that sat on the hill above the tomb.
not one came to visit it, although there
were perhaps five hundred, people around
the grounds and in the park adjoining. In
word, there is nothing to remind the WIS.,
itor of who it is that sleeps within the
tomb, except the simple word "Lincoln ,"
cut on the stone door in large letters.
Having performed our pilgrimage we re-
turned to the terminus of the street rail-
road and got aboard the first car for the
city, no longer deeming it necessary to
walk. .Zeh l7
After leaving Oak Ridge, the first thing
that attracts the attention of the stranger is
alarge brick building nearly finished, which
upon inquiry found to be seminary be-
longing to the Sisters of |Notre Dame. 1t
will, when, completed, cost about eighty
thousand dollars. Passing along little
further we came in view of what seemed to
me to be large mound, but which proved
to be the new Water Works in course of
erection, which are to cost, when finished,
about $250,000. aE # $40
From the New York World.L
81 The EEiUhE-HOuF. Movement.