Telegram-herald., 1889-05-23

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FRONT vIuw OF ARrrTUR's MONUMENT.
OF the four presidential graves in New
York state those OF Arthur, Van Buren,
aul Grant are in tho valley OF the Hud-
son The cbb and flow OF tho sea passes
them, and commerce up and down that
magnificent highway is hurried past
them day and night by rail and keel
Grants tomb on tho heights OF Riverside
park in New York city looks out upon
the palisades of the lower Hudson and
southwark to where it broadens into the
finest harbor on the continent. Van
Buren's crave at Kinderhook is back a few
miles from the river, near the shore of
beautiful lake of that name, and some
thing like thirty miles below the head of
Hudson navigation. Arthur's remains
lie on one Of the west side bluffs OF the
river, only three miles below the termi-
nus OF navigable water. Northward
from that terminus the Hudson is a
stream OF Inferior dimensions flowing
from tho solitudes Of the Adirondack
forest.
The homo of the Arthur family was in
this region of the upper Hudson. Ches-
ter Allan Arthur. the president, was the
son of Rev William Arthur, native of
County Antrim, Ireland, and Baptist
clergyman By profession. While the ia
ther was pastor of n congregation in
Fairfield. VT, the child who was TO sit at
the head of the nation was born. The
family subsequently removed TO Albany
county, where, III the little hamlet OF
Newtoaville, William Arthur died on
the 27th of October, 1915. He lived to
see his son grow into manhood, and
that manhood ripen.
\ family burial plot had been selected
in the Albany Rural cemetery some years
before the presidents father died. 1t
now contains the graves of the father
| AMI mother of tho president, those of his
/ wife. son, n sister, q brotherin-law and
[ his wifc's mother. All of these went be-
/ fore the president 70 this silent sunny
| family home. The late ex-president died
/ in New York city on Nov. IS, 1855. After
| a funeral service IN the metropolis his
/ remains were taken To the Albany Gene
/ terry, accompanied by large number of
/ personal friends. The funeral was private
! in the sense that everything was dono by
the family and by the personal associates
/ OF tho deceased. The newspapers in
/ dulged some afterward in the usual talk
/ about n monument beftting the man and
president Of the United States, but no
I official action was taken in the matter
either by congress OF the legislature Of
his state. No such action has been
necessary 10 properly mark tho grave.
I Personal friends, men Of high rank IN
politics and in public affairs, who were
+ collaborators with Mr. Arthur in the
/ latter years Of his political and social
career. have caused To bc set up at his
grave a granite memorial as modest in
proportions as it is simple in design and
| indestructible in material.
The Arthur plot is on the western Dor
/ der OF what ~ known as tho old part OF
/ the cemetery. and at the summit Of the
/ first ascent Of tho hill from the river
valley. The outlook is toward the north
west. terminating on the right IN a
woody raviue. at the bottom of which q
clear cold brook flows, summer and win
+ Ger. over a stony bed down through the
cemetery and across the plain 70 the
Hudson. and on the left in q broad ez
panss of burial plots, thickly studded
with granite blocks and shafts. which
denote at tl3 same time the graves Of
dear friends departed and The wider dis
trlbution &c weslth ,u these more modern
I times. AZ the bottom cf the r1vine. di-
rectlv I'm front II tile Arthur lor. n spring
z ced. delicious water bubbles out
from the faot Z giontic elm. t.
tbs fountain everybody visiting the
locality and knowing sc its existence re
sorts f1r a refreshing drink.
among th- monuments n the field of
vision toward Tho left - tho Arthur plat
+ are those II Tburiow Weed and the late
secretary cf the treasury, Daniel Man
nin- Further round 20 tie lof- s.an3a
maro'Gcant polished granite shaft 20
the memory os TIRE res latiouary gem
era. Philip Schuyler. che defender q
tha uppvr Hudson valley during tae var
f1r independence. wbile On the margins
cf the ravine above sDoSel 4 and s1oV
half way down tire sloue of the ceme5ers
hlsfT rre the monuments. standing rearli
ornr~ita each ether. cf che revolution 1rf
general. tfan sevoort. and Governor II IT,
+ isr7 Z. Marcy ~ This state
The memorial tl9cS which t.e friends
II President Arthur have now set up hv
his grave stands p itsle 20 the westward
/ CT tie center e the family piot 4 Is
1 approached By a rise # eve granite steps,
cl-rvlnE nwardlv and l6 feet wide BE-
tween the granite newell pests. which
ara 2 feet square. with caps - corre-
sno1a TIE base stone of TIE monument
Is f0 feet long b7 feet inches wide and
j foot inches thick. + IS dressed gran
ite. rot polished. Next above this Is a
! Pel.shed Sza1ze b.oeA. 2 feet inches