Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-02
GRANTS TOMB
ecenes and Incidents of the Greatest Of
Recent Demonstrations.
LOCAL INTEREST IN THE PROCEEDINGS
General Dodge Master Hand Directs
the Grent Parnde-Bishop New
mans Prayer, Mn Cody's Ride
and Dave MERGERS Yell.

beaten heights OF Claremont did not fur
uish any special protection yesterday to the
hundreds Of thousands Of people who went
thither TO witness the dedication ceremonies
of tho Grant monument or TO the $4,000 men
under arms, or to as many more VINO
marched as members of civic societies WITH
out arms, for these same heights are known
as the breeziest point in Gotham. Ihey
were all victims Of the merclless wind that
blew cold and dust on them with a fury that
knew no abatement ell day long. But even
tho icy wind could not cool the ardor or the
dust strange the enthusiasm of the throng
which had come to do honor to the memory
OF General Grant In participating In and
witnessing the dedication of the great mau-
soleum on his 18th birthday.
Tho order Of exercises was admirably
planned and ably executed. Universal praise
was accorded General Dodge for the con-
summato skin with which he handled the
monster parade. 1t was so large that II
was six hours in passing. and yet 1t was
ready to move fifteen minutes before time.
The advance lines could plainly be seen
from the press stand on the brow Of the hill
q quarter OF a mile away resting Oh their
arms waiting for the Orner to move. There
were no waits or confusion at any time
during the whole day. 1t Will be remem-
bercd, however, that General Dodge has had
considerable experience in moving large
bodies of men. and that he was almost al
ways successful. The master hand OF yester-
day was the SAINT that recruited a company
OF volunteers on the streets OF Council
Bluffs early In 1861; was soon after made
colonel OF the Fourth Iowa infantry; then
soon after that made a brigadier general for
bravery on the field OF Pea Ridge; and the
last year OF the wal found him
Ing the Sixteenth army corps. So 1t was no
raw hand that yesterday dovetailed ths
different sections into line and moved them
with such beautiful precision.
Like everything that New Workers. under
take on a grand scale, the demonstration Of
yesterday will go into history as one OF tho
events of the century. Ponderous. brilliant,
impressive, 1t was doubtless the grandest
and most unique military pageant that has
been witnessed In this country in a genera
ton. Military and naval experts pronounce
1t n most gratifying showing of the nations
armed forces. The president and his cabinet,
senators and congressman, supreme Judges,
members OF the diplomatic corps, governors
of states. generals and prominent men from
all over the country were there to lend i'm
p%ortance to the occasion.
SAFEGUARDING AND CEREMONY.
The experimenting and the ceremony of
turning over the monument to the city oc-
CURED at 1880 a.. m, and occupied more
than an hour and a half. Bishop John p.
Newman of the Methodist church, who made
his episcopal residence in Omaha for four
years ending last May, made the opening
prayer. He was pastor Of the Metropolitan
Methodist church in Washington during the
greater part of Grants two administrations,
wnera the Grant family worshiped. He was
the generals spiritual adviser for years and
was with him throughout his last illness and
at the time of his death at Mount McGregor.
The good man prayed that the mantle of
our departed chieftain and statesman may
rest upon the chief magistrate Of our favored
republic, that under his wise administra-
ton our land may be the home Of peace and
plenty; may the poor never cry for bread,
nor the honest toiler never ianguish In want,
nor the virtuous citizen suffer from injustice;
may the rich care for the poor and the poor
respect the rich, for Thou art the maker
Of ALL II the president can bring all this
about with his policy Of protection then his
dreams will have been more than realized.
President McKinley's address was stately
and eloquent, but, like Llncoln's famous
Gettysburg speech, could only be heard by a
lew hundred people nearest him on account
OF the shrieklng wind. He looked careworn.
His solemn countenance, massive head and
features, his projecting eyebrows, large fore
head, and his statesmanlike, d~igniied bear
ing make one think Of the portraits and
descriptions OF Webster.
Chauncey Depew was among the collection
OF notable men also who were sitting in the
speakers stand, and the roman nose and
the cropped, mutton-chop whiskers are such
distinguishing marks that make it unneces-
sary for him to be pointed out. Sitting In
the wind made New York's pet after-dinner
speaker sleepy, for he yawned frequently, and
an operator of a vitascope camera, who sat
next to me, had his machine turned on dur
Ing one OF Chauncey's widest gapes, and as
a side effect to McKinley's gesticulation the
amusement-loving public will get a full view
OF that marvellous cavernous opening Just
under Chauncey's nose. and can see where so
many good public dinners go to.
On account OF the roaring of the wind
General Porter didn't deliver half of his ad-
dress. He read from manuscript. and kept
his hat on. as did all of the other speakers,
excepting the president and the bishop.
General Porter has an emphatic, dramatic
way about him that will please the French.
He delayed his departure for Paris In order
to participate In yesterdays ceremonies, and
1t was a sore disappointment to the great null
titude that they were deprived of the pleas
ure of listening to the eulogy of the dead
chieftain's most confidential friend from his
own lips. New Workers liked to speak of
General Hgncock as the superb" They
should speak OF General Porter as the sub
lime" At a little distance and with his hal
on the general looks scarcely 40, and IL
would be difficult to convince a stranger that
he had served through the war of the re-
bellion. Yet he did, and made an illustrious
record for himself. Still. his fame Is no less
renowned In peace than in war. for he is one
day.
~ fol KANT.
An old soldier remarked to me at the
close OF the address. that Grants monument
Is also a monument to Horace Porter's en-
ergy, Influence and devotion to the memory
OF his dead chieftain. In his papers now
running in the Century, entitled Campaign
ing with Grant" General Porter describes
his first meeting with the great captain thus.
while sitting In my quarters in the lit
tie town OF Chattanooga. Tenn, about an
hour after nightfall on the evening of Fri
day, October %, 1863, an orderly brought
me u message from General George III.
Thomas, commander OF the Army of the
Cumberland, on whose stan | was serving
summoning me to headquarters. A storm
had been raging for two days. and a chilly
rain was still falling. A few minutes walk
Drought me to the plain. wooden, one-story
dwelling occupied by the commander. which
was situated on Walnut street, near Fourth.
and upon my arrival found him in the front
room ON the left side OF the hall. with three
members OF his stan and several strange |
officers. In an armchair facing the fire
place was seated a general officer, slight
OF ngure and OF medium stature, whose |
face bore an expression OF WEAKNESS. He
was carelessly dressed. and his uniform coat
was unbuttoned and thrown back from his
chest lie held a lighted cigar In his mouth
and sat In a STOPPING posture, with his head
bent slightly forward. His clothes were
wet and his trousers and top-boots were
spattered with mud. General Thomas APP
preached this officer. and. turning to me,