The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-07-18
The Last Resting-Place of Abraham

Philadelphia Times.

Philadelphia Times.]
1t would be difficult to imagine loveler
spot at this season of the year than Oak Ridge,
the last resting-place of Abraham Lincoln.
During the month of June, perhaps, the throng
of visitors to the tomb is greater than at any
other time of the year. The cemetery is now
easily reached from almost any portion of the
city by street cars. Visitors taking the cars at
the new capitol building reach the cemetery in
less than 20 minutes. Almost any day during
the Summer months the number of visitors at
the tomb will average fro m two to five hun
dred persons. Excursionists from different
parts of the West visit the capitol, the one
great object of their pilgrimage being to gaze
upon the monument of the iilustrous dead.
Picnic parties from different parts OF the State
visit the park and ridge daily, and it is no un-
usual thing to see the lunch baskets Of nearly
1000 people when the railroads pour III some of
their largest excursions, as was often the case
during July and August last Summer.
After leaving the park tho ridge is reached
by short walk, in which the visitor is COM
PEELED to descend number of wooden steps,
with here and there level piece of ground,
and which afford shorter intervals of rest when
ascending the steps from the ra vine below, af-
ter returning from visit to the tomb. Enter
ing the cemetery the visitor reads oyer the
gateway of very plain wooden construction
the Inscription, 'Oak Ridge Cemetery" AT
the cato stands well-dressed man who has Of
ficiated for some years as a sort OF sentry or
overseer, whose duty seems to be to see that no
drunken characters drive in, and to prevent as
far as possible, any disorderly conduct ON the
groundsA Passing to the right is the sexton's
s,I how 10 10, ha
where the visitor records his name. Each year
has added new beauty and Improvements to
Oak Ridge, and the visitor who entered the
gates upon that memorable April day when
the lamented President was consigned to the
tomb would now hardly recognize the place.
The cemetery is the property OF stock compa-
ny of Springfield, who few years before the
war purchased the property at a rather cheap
figure.
if in a dream. From the tomb most beauti-
full landscape is spread before the visitor, and
through the rich foliage of the magnificent
trees here aud there are dotted the tombstones
of many OF Lincoln's earlier friends, who knew
him years ago as struggling young lawyer
with nothing before him but an honest amoi-
tion and fine natural talents. Grand, gloomy
and sublime is the sight before us, with moth
ing to mar the loveliness of the spot except in
the very near distance, where are to be seen
the immense volumes of heavy black smoke,
of a lager-beer brewery into the cemetery The
busy traffic in the beverage is going on night
and day.
The custodian of the monument is John W.
Powell, a niee-looking old gentleman, who it
will be remembered, wrote most graphic de-
scription of Lincoln's funeral cortege from
the national capital to the last resting-place
beneath the shade of Oak Ridge. Mr.. Powell
took charge of the room known as the Lincoln
Memorial, located in the base of the monu-
ment. Here upon the walls hang the official
condolences of the various crowned heads of
Europe, forwarded at time when thrill of
horror ran through the land at the terrible
tragedy enacted. In glass cases are contained
other memories OF Lincolns earlier life, in the
shape of surveying instruments, axes, pieces
of rails split by the President when a young
man in Illinois. The tools used by the desper-
ADDE'S who attempted TO rob the tomb a few
years ago, copies of the Presidents biography,
written by himself, photographs of the lament
ed dead, of his old home in Springfield and his
tomb are what mostly interest the visitor.
Yet there are many other articles in the MEM
orial room. A small price of admission is
charged to enter the memorial chamber, and
from this source considerable sum of money
must be Iealized-mOre than sufficient to pay
the custodian for his services and leave the
Monumental Association at the end of each
year handsome surplus,
Among the visitors at tho tomb at all sea-
sons of the year are members OF the colored
race, who seem to flock in almost countless
numbers from all parts of the country to kneel
at the shrine OF the man who did 50 much for
their own race.