The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-08-27

"Ekx1Ss61AtAee6A $3.50
trains arrived the gayly decorated streets
were we'll I'll ed,
Among those prominent In national
affairs were the Pre- idcnt and his cab
met, ex-'icv. Pres, OFT, Of New llnmp-
shire; Gov Iagc, Of Vermont: Gen.
Nta2ey, of the G. A. r.: Edward }.
Phelps, and others,
Mr.. Phelps delivered the address of
the day, and his concluding remarks
were as follows:
"And now, my fcl ow citizens. our
task draws to cone u,ion. The public
spirit and the persistent efforts Of all
these years have found their reward in
the structure that stands tc!orc us,
Many, alas, how many Of those who in
its foundation have shared our laborS
and guided our cornScls. and who locked
forward with US hopefully to their con-
summation. have no. waited for this
day, but are gone Oh before The
circle thai is lief, to exchange these cor
aratnlat ons is painfully narrowed. ,,
But thu work is done Committing
II now to the care Of the state,
with whose existence W. trust il will be
Co"val. or concern with il terminates
and our duty is DISCHARGED Its stately
upper ar, our monument no longer.
Not 70. us nor for our time is it hence
forth raised on high. Long before it
shall cease to b. II ci; uncl "a young. we
and our children shllt have disappeared
from the scene, 1t is our Mc-sengj r 10
postcrity. Here it shall wat for them
while the succr: s,e generations shall be
born and die. Here il shall wait Tor
them through tie evening; and the
mornings that shall b. all the days that
are to c0mc--crowEca with the - o"s of
countless winters. beautiful in the sum
light and the Shad, W; Of tnnumbeTcd
summers, companion Of the mountains
which look down UPON ii, whose height
It cmuiatcS, whose strength it tyI i.;cS,
whose history il declares F"
Tho celebration was the culmina-
ton of a series OF events covering
century. The anniversary of the hatti.
of Bennington is to the people of South
crn Vermont what the Fourth of July
IS TO the nation, Fer nearly Fifty years
there has been more or less preparation
for the building OF a >uitab G monu
ment The first organized effort was
made IN 1859. The Vermont Legislature
in that year appropriated S3,oo", with
the condit on that the corner stone of
the pro; osed memorial be laid on the
10th Of August follow ,ng, and that the
sum Of 5000 b. iai>cI b. private sub
scri!tion. While these Conditions were
, not fulfilled aud the appropi iation
| lap<ed. the agitation continued In 1879
! 81 he bennington Historical Society and
| subsequently the Bcnni:: gton Battle Mon
ument Association, We're organized, tho
| latter chart red by the Sta of Vermont.
with an approrriat GA o. Si5,GOo, condi-
| toned Ga the raising Of 5000 more
| The celebration of is. followed These
| events, and the subsequent action of the
States of New Hampshire ana MaSsa-
| chusetts and tn" national government,
| have conspircd TO cause the erection of
| tn nob,r shaft on the site of :hc CONT
| mental s;orehonsc, til" object point of Col
! onci }'aums expedition In 1..1. The cost
! of the monument and sit has been in
| round numbers 500, 900 Massachusetts
| contributed $10.o New HAMPSHIRE
| s., 500, the national g ,,crnmcut >40. 600.
| and Vermont the :! Geo aforesaid and a
supplemental appropriation for the site
| The balance has been raised by private
subscriptions.
| The monument stands OF command
| ing site 2S1 feet above the Walloomsac
| River, This river flows through the vii
| lage of Bennington. The foundation of
| the monument Is the solid rock of the
mountain, on top of which was the Ben
ming on of tie revolution Tho struct-
| urc is an obelSk. built of native stone,
| and faced wi h Sandy Hill dolomitc. I he
| height from the base t. the top of the cap
| stone is 30l fcrt TO-, in hes The monu-
ment al the basc IS 81 feet inches by b
feet inches, running to point at the top.
| The walls are thick at the base. but de.
crease gradually to a thickness of two
| feet at the arey. The outside tone is
| inlaid with "StretcherS and headers"
The insi+e walls rise to Il height of goo
| fct. after which the stones extend
through the wall. Inside the walls
| are left In the rough REX: oltside
the stone is rough finished. AMI
ut the right angle corners with the
| shaft and ais at tie windows and other
opcni g the store S finished in quar-
| teri CHI draft lines f arris This gives
the structure a finished and ar istic ap-
pcarancc Thu look out rc ON /, ISIS feet
above the fo' ndation, and reached by
an iron staircase. his room Is TarNcd
| on the OntS dc by two entabaturCS en-
Giro ing the monument. From this look
out the bait c:icid plain visible seven
miles away. The first rom In the mon
umcnt contains four tlb'c:s, three of
them inS ribbed lie p ctivcly to the States
Of MasSachu cts. New Ha npshtre, and
| Vermont Tn fourth Is III INK. The
outlook r:Om conta' rs fur hi toric gran
ita tablets. p accd there by the Verne It
His: oricai Society, the Masonic fratcr-
nity which lail the eorncr-st cne in 1877,
the O; der o. odd Fcl.o:s S, AMI the Grand
Army o. the Republic