The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-04-23
Programme Of the Exercises at the Laying
OF The Corner stone Wednesday.
April ~.

USAs09A1UA Wall A0u t1ANUhV ~ tAVAA RSCh0AS0s
The Grant monument, in which the re-
mains Of the general are to lie, has been
materially changed in the past month, but
a. far a. the exterior 10 concerned it re-
mains a. imprsssiys in appearance and de-
sign 10 st hrst planned. Many Of ths cen-
trail columns within have besn eliminated
from the plans and ! good deal of the panel
work will bs omitted. Tbs plan Of tho
crypt has also bsen materially changed,
and az now designed will be simply . cirou-
lar opening protected by ratings above,
but without the ornamental work frst
planned for the sides.
The designer of the monument, Mr.. John
II. Duoan. has reluctantly made the changes
advocated in the line of economy, and ex-
pressed himself grateful for the fact that
the libsrality Of the subscribers has per
mittsd the exterior Of the monument to re-
slight notifications at the southern en-
trance. @ @@
It ia now about seven years since the
death Of Gen. Grant. and during. that
time the movement for the erection Of this
monument has been going on slowly. 1t
took six years TO collect the first $150, 600
less Than half the amount Hesded-and, it
has taken tho Tsorganized committee little
over six weeks 10 insure the collection Of
the remainder.
Never in the history of similar move
mcnts has work undertaken such disheart-
ening circumstances been so enthusiastic
ally and successfully concluded, and the
praise must 70 to Gen. Horace Porter and
his ~splendidly managed departments. Last
year, on April q, he was the orator of the
day At Riverside park. and his words then
nrA0a0Ad that Ia wAo randy aud ~il1irr to
undertake what other men had failed to
accomplish. He was made the president of
the rsoreanizsd association, which was on
larged by legislative enactment, and night
and day since that time he has spoken en-
e e9ss,a t4sd. spd . o %is.ane ana o. b oa.'z xos1. N
with = gensralship worthy Of the cause he
had put his heart and soul in.
/ was talking with him recently about
how the .sum was practically guaranteed
and this was the outline he gave me Of the
undertaking:
'sTo complete the tomb required accord
ing to the estimates $3.50, 600. The total Of
say 100000 will be the largest sum ever
furnished by voluntary subscriptions for a
similar purpose. It mo be collected by
any pieoemsal methods. 1t can only be OBJ
tanned BY = practical and comprehensive
organization for the work such as We have
had. For weeks we had a large force Of
volunteer workers laboring down town all
day and up town till midnight in classify
inR and tabulating all the mercantile and
commercial business interests and all the
professions and trades in New York. Each
one was separate and distinct from the
others and oaoh organized IN auxiliary
committee to assist in reaching every firm
and individual in its particular branch;
there was no working at CROSS purposes; no
person was approached by more than one
committee and the result was rapidly
M - W. 80 oN-k J~- H. ,--.-a
ssntatives of q certnin number of business
interests somewhat kindred in their nature
to meet Us, ana in those We found the raqui-
site elements for enthusiastic and success
full work"
Tho neglect to fulfil the promise New
York made has brought rsproach upo the
fair name of our oitv. which has always en-
joysd an enyiabls reputation as the most
generous city Of modern times. It has
been q blot upon our escutcheon. For
seven years America. as we'll as foreign
lands, has witnessed the humiliating spec
taole OF tho neglect of the tomb
Of the most illustrious soldier of his
age. q president tho only one who had
served two full terms since the days of
jackson in ffty-hvo years of our cOuptry's
history. who had been exceptionally hon
ored throughout the whole of the civilized
globe, who received q ssrios OF oyations ex-
tending around the entire circuit Of the
world, in whose presence the descendants
Of = lime Of kings arose and stood unoov-
cred. It was his generous voice which first
struck the true keynote of reconciliation
when he exclaimed: Let us have peace
1--WE for whom he fought have not yet
given peace to his ashes. For seven years
they have lain in a temporary vault in an
open city park. While other places with
which he was not particularly identified
have erected statues and monuments in his
honor. the city Of his home has not yet con-
structed for him q sepulcher. The building
Of statues and monuments may linRer, but
the providing of a tomb demanded i'm
mediate effort. His stricken widow is
awaiting the time whom his repeatedly ex-
y lessed wish may be carried out and that
she may rest beside him in death. 1t would
have been inexpressibly sad If she should
have been taken away from us before the
plated tomb"
visited Riverside park the other day
and foundt that the preparations for the
great event Wednesday arc about complete.
Near the little rounded tomb whore the
Grant remains o lie the platforms for
cabinet, the Grand Amy of the Republic
representatives, Mrs. Grant and Others
have been erected. / found the tounda-
Ations of the monument completed and the
first course of granite put under construc-
Htion; but everything about the place is still
E1Iuuo, auu uOb oNoQ VIC beNOlanCe or tho
Bbasc of the monument has yet risen out of
Htho ground into . shape to please the eve.
The project to build a terrace on the
|Irivsr side of the park, with u stone stair
case to the riyor, has not yet taken shape
will anything be Ions on this until the
[amonument 10 completed. The amount sub
|scribed, l am told, will moreover not cover
any of the magnificent statuary desipns
PLANNED for the south side of the monu-
|4nent. So" %
Last year when the ground was broken
|for this great structure the veterans who
stood guard about the plot of earth created
, scene not on tho programme. Wednes-
Jay their enthusiasm may lead them to II
like demonstration No sooner had the
sarth been thrown into the barrow when
the old soldiers made = rush for its con-
DENTS. and within ID uminute. every one of
chem had u bit of the first eapthStakon out
bf the Grant mausolcum. AT sthnt time
Mrs. Grant, her daughter, Mrs. Nellie
Grant Sartoris, U. s. Grant and the grand
shildron of the hero ws,e in attendance.
3)n Wednesday 1t ia believed that most OF
shem, with the exception of Mrs. Sattoris,
will gain be honored guests.
The programme for Wednesday includes
40 military procession from the heart of
ahe city. ms the diStnnce to BIO covered 10
Riverside park il too prsat. The presi-
aont, however, will be escorted to the park
" federal soldiers and the state troops will
Q duty at tha tnnh. The Veterans ure to