Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-10-26
HARRISON'S GRAVE.

How Ohio NesIects the Resting Place of the First
to Put Her in the Line Of Presidential Success
sion.
A correspondent of the Louisville
Courier-J Journal, writing from North
Bend, o., gives the following interesting
account of visit TO Presidents Harrisons
tomb:
On leaving the train at the shabby
depot, the hill on which President Har-
rison's tomb lies was pointed out by a
handsome young fellow, an employe in
the Office. I took straight 'cut and
was soon toiling up the steep sides of
hill that forms the pointed angle of the
space formed by the junction of the In
dianapolis road with the G. & M.
1t was a gloomy day, and the leaves of
the trees seemed shrinking and shiver-
ing in the chill autumn winds that swept
down the valley. Had the sun been
shining brightly, the scene would have
been quite different, for the hill was
glorious in sumach and haw glowing
with the first bright tints of gold and
crimson autumal coloring. The pale
blue, white and purple wild aster grew
and bloomed in profuse luxurance, but
shivered and nodded in the gale as if
terror-stricken at the approach of winter.
Climbing over the soft, yielding, moist
ground, the top was soon reached by
following dim pathway, indented with
with COW tracks, and now and then the
impress of boot heel and the print of a
fairy shoe of the kind called French high
heeled slippers.
The view from this point is indescriba-
bly, beautiful, taking In one range of
vision the Kentucky hills and the Ohio
River for fifteen or twenty miles. The
crest of the hill is covered with tall
cedars, walnut, linn and robinias. 1
thought myself alone, but there was an
other object that soon attracted my at
tention. Isaw the tomb of the President,
as severely unpretending as the most
classic simplicity could dictate. Tt was
a rectangular structure of Brick, four
feet high and twelve by fourteen feet In
dimensions, as nearly as / could measure
it by the Mosaic square, done in hard
cement which covered the entire structure
of brick This was built over the vault,
whose entrance, down flight of stone
steps, was closed by an iron door.
This is the tomb of the warrior and
statesman, President of the United
States, senator, governor, county clerk
No name marks the tomb except that of
one Tom Howe, of Madison, Ind,
scrawled In large purple letters on the
Mosaic surface. The vandal had written
his own name on the tomb of another
man, and, thanks to common decency,
Tom Howe seems to have been the only
man of the thousands who visited the
spot who had vanity enough to write his
own name on that hallowed tomb.
It seems woful neglect on the part of
the state OF Ohio not to erect suitable
monument to her first President, for
this reason, if no other, that he it was
who set her Presidential grist in mo-
ton, and which has resulted in so full
crop In late years.
The legislature was twice invited to
visit North Bend to view the premises,
witt the view of making an appropria-
tior for the erection of suitable monu-
ment. Twice did they come, and twice
did the good people of Cleves and North
Bend set big dinners and invited the
whole world to meet and jollify with
them; and twice did the assembled wis
dom of the state appropriate the good
dinners and-nothlng more.
It is said in North Bend that they
were marvelously good eaters, but not a
cent was ever appropriated. It is adj
mitted by the friends of General Har-
rison, everywhere, that it is crying
shame to suffer his last resting place to
remain in its present condition. A
monument erected on that prominent
hill would be the most conspicuous and
attractive place on the river between
Pittsburgh and Louisville.
Descended from John Harrison, "the
regicide," and himself son of Gov. Ben
Harrison, of Virginia, successful war
rior, and finally as President of the
United States, "dying In harness." he
now lies in an obscure vault, without
name or tablet to mark the spot of his
individual grave.
The old log cabin is gone, and moth
ing left but few hagstones that formed
the hearth and the kitchen floor. A
spruce, sweet-looking cottage stands on
it's old site. The old garden beds still
retain their original shape, and the line
of pear trees planted by the President
himself are still living and bearing fruit.
The log cabin was built by Gen. Pike,
and was sold to Gen. Harrison after his
tragic death. But the old cabin itself is