The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-18

mark able ovation ever given In this country to
any man. and the arrangements Of his journey
were SO made as to admit Of his being present
on this occasion. Among the "reminiscences
furnished to me by Mr.. Ticknor find the fol-
lowing description OF the scene, the orator.
JUNE II. 1926.
Mr.. Webster delivered the Grafton on lay
ae Sas Of hs
Pnd. as such. presided at the meeting ofthe
se he was On the
SsS g. ss h ssd so and
Jpn or. tho point He then asked me M III Il 1
doubling whether he was well fitted for 1t. or
whether the President Of tho society should DO
iaai pubic expectation better than any yo one
else. and that thought his place rather called
ss qs t n the
psctally after 1t was decided that Gen. Lafay.
delivered it. he read it over to me. The mag
5 Elf opening gave him much concern: SO
on tho Revolutionary soldiers and the snryi-
yors Of the battle; he said that he felt AS II he
S s nf
said he had known Gen. Stark. and that the
cord. not long before he died. when he said to
him: Daniel. your fate is pretty black. but 1t
Powder 1 at the @ sS h
that 4 seemed to him as il he was peculiarly
The passage about the rising a: Of the monu-
ment and tho address to the survivors of the
Yer b the most parts Of the
until it seemed as il they would not stop. The
address brought tears ear into the
themselves to conceal their emotion.
When it was al! eyer Gen; Barbour of vir-
iivered in Virginia, should say that the per-
son who made it. was sure OF the first prize in
Tho address was Immediately published.
Hs PLACED 1t at the disposition OF the Bunker
a tan o1 and sod the
with Mrs. Webster: Judge and Mrs. Story, and
at my house about passage he wanted 10 al
but did not satisfy him self with what he wrote.
He grew very impatient: he thought he could
aneay Fading the anS
new matter, which satisaed him no bett Sse'' At
ing himself upon the sofa il a sort Of despair.
utes. and. when turned around to read what |
l had written. found him fast asleep: n
almost at any time dismiss any subject. how
eyer exciting. and compose himself to sleep.
W nen 1 WakeQ MIN ne seemed much relieved |
him again till he returned from Niagara, long |
before which time the country was ringing |
with the power OF the Grafton. From Worces-
ter. however. he wrote me a note. still troubled
about words and phrases"
/ was present then boyl In tho outskirts Of |
that vast audience Notwithstanding the en- |
thusiasm created by Mr.. Webster's grafton at |
the laying OF the corner stone. the presence Of |
Gen. Lafayette. and the other circumstances |
OF that occasion. the monument was not COM |
pleted until the year 1913 The ladies Of Bos- |
ton took up the work OF finishing the monu-
mont They raised the necessary funds by q |
fair. which was held In three long halls over |
the Quincy Market House. / was ono OF the |
marshals. and it was my duty. along with my |
colleagues to walk I'D and down the floor and |
preserve order. Great crowds came every day |
while the fair lasted. The charge fori admis-
sion and the profits on tho foods sold by the |
ladies supplied the money that was wanted.
One day Fanny Ellsler, the celebrated dan
seuse. who was then dancing in Boston. came |
into the hall leaning on the arm OF Mr.. Aleyne |
Otis. son Of Mr. Harrison Gray Otis She was
very simply dressed and very ladylike in her
She made some purchases and then
went away. She gave the proceeds OF one of
her performances toward the completion of
the monument.
To-day is the nftieth anniversary OF the ded-
ication OF the monument but 1t is sixty-eight
years since the corner stone was laid. I do not
know OF a single individual excepting myself
who was present on the first occasion, although
there may be some aged citizen Of Charlestoyn
or the neighborhood who was present. as was,
when a boy. GEORGE TIcKSoR CURTIS
JUNE IT. 1893.