Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-28
The Corner Stone of the Grant
Monument Laid.
President Harrison Welded the
Golden TrOwel.
Chauncey NJ. Depew Was the Orator OF
tho Day-Mrs. Grant One of the
Honorsd Guests of the
Occasion.
Associated Press Dispatches.

dier patriot on the banks OF the Hudson
in Riverside park. The federal and mu-
nicipal buildings were decorated and
private houses decked with bunting.
The day was observed as half holiday.
Early in the day crowds set out for
Riverside park. The grand stand, seat
ing $4,000 people, was built around the
foundations of the mausoleum, on which
there was dais for the spectators and
distinguished guests. Below were
benches for Grand Army veterans to the
number of 2O0O The Monitor and Mi
antonomoh dropped anchor in the Hud-
son opposite the tomb, and body Of
soldiers sent ashore finished the decora-
tions around the mausoleum.
President Harrison left the Fifth
avenue hotel at :45 p. M, and was ac-
companied by troop A cavalry, Capt. G.
A. Roe commanding. With the presi-
dent were Gen. Horace Porter and Lieu
Vice. President Morton and +. ID. Tap
pan; Secretary EIkins and General But
Jerfield; Postmaster General Wana-
maker and John H. Starin; Secretary
Noble and H. w. Cannon Secretary
Rusk, Cornelius Bliss, Chauncey M.
Depew and others. The cavalry
wheeled into the column, and with
three platoons preceding and three
following, the chief executive party
took up the march. The exercises at
the park were announced to commence
at 2 O'Clock. Long before the hour the
big grand stand and other seats were
filled and the sward was swarming with
a crowd OF spectators The loyal legion
and members of the G.. A. K. were the
first to arrive. BY 2 o'clock fully 40 900
people were on the grounds. The ar
rival of the veteran general, Franz
Sigel, was the signal for an outburst of
cheering by the q. A. Il. comrades.
Among the distinguished guests. on
the platform were Generals Schoheld,
Howard, Dodge and Slocum.
President Harrison and party arrived
at 2:15.
After Hail to the Chief by the band
and all invocation by Rev. DR.. John
Hall, Gan, Horace Porter, OF the Presi-
dent Grant Monument association,
spoke, saying:
"We gather here to lay the corner
stone OF temple OF the dead to cele'
brate an event which will be forever
memorable in history. We meet to
perform a ceremony in the presence of
the people who honored him and the
brave men who followed him to victory.
Although the fund required for the
completion Of the monumental tom5 IS
large, it was decided to lay the corner
stone today, in the confident belief that
the patriotic work once begun will not
be allowed to stop untl it Is completed.
/ have great satisfaction IN an
nouncing that the total subscriptions
up to last night amount to S2O2,SOO.
When the structure shall have
reached completion, the dome will point
out the path to loyalty to unborn
children. The hallowed memories
which cluster around it, will remind US
of the heroic aid to the republic. The
blending OF its chaste lines and massive
proportions will be typical of the hero
who sleeps beneath the granite, and
will recall the chid.like simplicity
which mingled with the majestic grand
eur of his nature"
As General Parter closed, workmen
manned a windlass on each OF the i'm.
mense corner-stones ,and with heads un-
covered, the crowd waited for the pres
ident to perform the ceremony. He
stepped from the platform to the south
west corner of the foundation. He
spread the cement with gold trowel,
and the stone was dropped in place. He
then assembled the base and spoke as
follows:
"My assignment connected with these
ceremonies has to do with mechanics
rather than oratory. The pleasing
duty OF bringing to your memory
those brilliant public services and per
sonal and manly virtues which place
the name OF Ulysses S. Grant 80 high
upon the scroll OF fame and settled love
of man, 80 deeply in all patriotic hearts,
devolve upon another who never
fails to do credit to himself or
give pleasure to his favorite
heroes. No orator, however gifted
can overpraise General Grant. The
most impressive and costly memorial
the architect can plan or wealth can
execute is justified when the name OF
Grant is inscribed upon it. l am glad
to see here what seems to me to be e
double assurance that the work so nobly
planned will be speedily consummated
Your distinguished citizen who has as
sumed the burden Of conducting the
great enterprise learned of his beloved
chief to exclude the word failure from
MS VOCh LCuu CnceTS, curing
which the president resumed his seat. ]
Music followed, and then the orator OF
the day, Hon. Chauncey NJ. Depew, de-
livered an address.
He delivered an eloquent grafton,
dwelling upon the sterling qualities OF
the deceased general and president. In
his address was the following striking
passage:
THE phenomenon Of our times and
one OF the chief dangers to law and Or
der is the growth OF the school oil
despair. The concentrated contempla
tion of accumulated wealth, and the
hopelessness OF acquiring it, paralyzes
the industrial energies and true ambi
tions, and plants the seeds of socialism
aud anarchy. But Lincoln from the
Kentucky cabin, and Grant from the
narrow limits OF log hut in the Ohio
wilderness, became central figures and
representatives of our age. They are
types of the glory of American citizen
ship"
Depew declared that the predominant
sentiment of Grant was the family
home. "He would have preferred being
buried by the side OF his father anC
mother" continued the orator, "but
appreciating the claims OF his country
men, he chose New York as his fina
resting place. New York, in acceptin,
the bequest, assumed sacred trust
Let the monument which will rise upor
this cornerstone be worthy of the mag
r;tnda of the metrOpolis and tn,