Evening star., 1897-04-27
NINETY THOUSAND SUBSCRIBED
Contributions for the Tomb Ranget
From One Cent to $4,000.

Contributions for the Tomb Ranged
From One Cent to $4,000.
1t was by popular subscription that the
fundtnecessary for the erection of the tomb
of Gen. Grant was raised and 1t is estimat-
ed that $4,000 persons contributed sums
ranging from one cent to 5000 In ALL
$5JS, S,OOO was secured. The unexpended bal
apces were kept in trust companies, and
drew per cent interest, so the sum in
creased until it now amounts to about $780,
GOO. With the exception Of about $4,000.
the entire fund was raised in New York
city.
on the 2Sth of July 1885. New York city
having been suggested by Gen. Grant be-
fore his death as the place for his burial
William R. Grace, then mayor, called a
meeting of citizens at the City Hall to
take steps toward the collection of fund
for the erection of a national monument
On the day following the Grant monument
committee was permanently organized, with
ex-President Chester A. Arthur as chair
man. The first appeal to the public was
signed by Mr.. Arthur as chairman, and by
William r. Grace and Hamilton Fish rs
vice chairmen and within week subscrip-
tions Of money were pouring In so fast that
there was serious belief that little difficulty
would be found in collecting $2.OOO,OOO In
February, 1886, when the Grant Monument
Association was organized under an act Of
raised.
Scarcely week after this date, however,
ex-President Arthur was forced to resign
as president of the association because Of
the illness which shortly after proved fatal
Sidney Dillon was then elected president.
and was succeeded by Cornelius Vanderbilt
in the early part of 1884, In February
1883, william r. Grace, ex-mayor, became
president.
When subscriptions began to move SLOW
ly, many plans were followed out for the
collection of money. The members of the
Grand Army Of the Republic in this city
worked with ,ntiring energy from the
start and subscription boxes were placed
in all Of the post quarters: collectors repre-
senting various enterprisihg periodicals
solicited funds in every quarter, and the
newspapers of the city kept the urgency of
raising money quickly ever before the peo-
pie, publishing, from day 70 day, the names
of subscribers and amounts subscribed.
With the year following the creation Of
the Grand Monument Association, promi-
nent architects were requested to submit
designs for q monumental tomb but be-
cause of the general desire ho obtain de-
sign which should at once, be a work of
art, picturesque to the popular eye, and
durable enough to last through the eyes,
great caution was takeng and ideas and
It was not until SeptembsE, 1890. that the
plans of ]. H. Duncan of New York were
accepted by the association and on the
anniversary Of Gen. Granrs birthday in
1911 ground was DTOkeH, WITH appropriate
ceremonies, for the construction Of a tomb
to cost between 100000 and 100000
BY January. 1892, with the work Of con-
structicn under way, the fund had lam
guished Despite all efforts the fund had
for several months remained stationary at
$155,OOO From other states, where there
had been strong opposition to the burial Of
General Grant in New York, protests came
that the city had not fulfilled its promises
to erect a suitable tomb. A growing senti-
ment that the remains should have been
dcposited In the National cemetery resulted
finally in the introduction of a bill In Com
gress by which the removal was to have
been made from New York to Washington,
Prominent citizens became alive to the
situation and an organised movement re-
suited in the election Of Gem Horace Por-
| ter, who had been Grants chief Of stan, as
president OF the Grant Monument Associa-
| tion. Frederick d. 1appen, president Of the
Galiatin National Bank, was made treas-