The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-04-29
| GREAT Day IN GOTHAM.

tomb. A growing sentiment that the re-
mains should have been deposited in the
National cemetery resulted finally in the
introduction of a bill in congress by
which the removal was to have been
made from New York to Washington.
Prominent citizens became alive to the
situation and an organized movement re-
suited in the election of Gen, Horace
Porter, who had been Grants chief-of-
staff, as president of the Grant Monu-
ment association. Frederick ID. Tappen,
president of the Galatin National bank,
was made treasurer. This was in Feb
ruary, 1892, and at the same time the
legislature amended the charter of the as
ISOLATION so that 100 citizens took the
place of the former committee of thirty
three. All officers of the newly organ
lied association served without compen-
sation, ID. o. Mills provided offices free,
and the expenses of collecting the fund
became nominal, although the work, be-
cause of the immense amount of detail
and the smallness of individual dOna-
tons, was Onerous.
They began the memorable campaign
of sixty days, in which time it was pro-
posed to raise the remaining S350,OOO.
The actual work began in the early days
of April 1892 and in week such had
been the effort that the city fairly rang
with the name and deeds of the dead gen
eral School children We're writing prize
essays, meetings were being held and an
nouncements were made in churches, as
well as in clubs and schools. In order
that all classes of people should be inter-
ested, the association brought its cause
before the two hundred trades and pro-
fessions represented in the city, and was
successful in inducing them to hold meet
ings and to appoint committees for the
receiving of subscriptions. Two hun
dred and ten committees, numbering
24S7 people, were formed; subscription
boxes were placed on elevated railroad
stations and in stores; and subscription
books opened in business offices. AS
result of this stirring up of public feel
ing, when half the allotted sixty days
had expired, on April q, the day the
corner stone of the monument was laid,
the Grant Monument association an
nounced that $2O2.S9O.5O had been
raised during the month When the
campaign closed ON May 30, 1892, the
amount had reached the necessary $780,
600. Before that year was out $4O4, 600
had been subscribed, which. added to
made a total of $559,000 The balances
left in the trust companies have brought
the fund up TO 100000.
Interment in Old Tomb.
Sixteen days after the death, the body
of Gen. Grant was laid, on August 8,
1885, in the temporary vault in River
side Park. The event was solemn and
imposing ceremony. From all points
people tlocked into the city by tens of
thousands. At least half a million spec
tators gathered in the streets to watch
the long procession escorting the body
to the tomb. The republic had never
seen so great funeral cortege as that
which assembled to do honor to the re-
mains of the dead commander and presi-
dent. .
From peaceful Mt. McGregor the body
had been taken to Albany, where it had
lain in state at the capitol forsa day and
was then brought to New York City,
where multitudes looked upon the body
of the departed hero. On the day of
the funeral march, representatives of
the clergy of all denominations were
from the city hall and the caSket was
placed in the funeral car, magnificent
catafalque, drawn by twentyfour black
horses, with black trappings, and each
lead by n colored groom. The pail
bearers were: Gen. William Il. Sher-
man, Gen. j. e. Johnston, the southern
soldier; Gen. Phil. Sheridan, Gen. Simon
B. Buckner of the former confederate
army; George w. Childs and Anthony
Oliver Hoyt and George Jones, Gen.
John A Logan and Gen. George S.
Boutwell,.
With measured tread and lirge play
ing, the funeral army started. Fully
$4,000 men were in line. There were
celebrated generals who had fought with
Grant; Grand Army men who had served
under him; Mexican war veterans,
United States cavalry and infantry, state
troops from many states and civic
bodies 1t was the grandest memorial
pageant the world had seen since that of
1852, when the Duke of Wellington was
buried.
At the Fifth Avenue hotel, President
Cleveland. former Presidents Hays and
Arthur, Vice President Hendricks, Sec
retaries Thomas il. Bayard, William c..
Whitney, Lamar and Manning and other
national and state dignitaries joined the
procession. The grand marshal of the
day was Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock.
1t was truly reunion of sections and
appropriately signalized in action Gen.
Grants wish. .'Let us have peace" In
the almost endless line were many south \
ern troops, the City Guard of Atlanta, \
the Virginia state troops and others.
w heu tuC NatuluipuS Ps''',SN 'iiN h''S'
ed crowds that occupied almost every
available inch of space from the city hall
to the tomb, all heads were barred rev.
erently under the blazing sun of that Sat
urday morning.
Beside the car was a guard of honor,
which consisted of Battery A, Fifth
United States artillery, Company Il,
Twelfth infantry, and some of the pail
bearers in carriages. Their came another
long line of soldiers, veterans and civic
bodies.
Late in the afternoon the catafalQue |
reached the small, plain brick vault, sur
by a gilded cross that shone in |
the sunlight. At this time the entire |
area was a mass of glisten- 4
ing bayonets and nodding plumes, sol |
diers on horseback and soldiers on foot, |
and battle-worn flags. Standing near |
the spot where the body of Gen. Grant |
was to rest, in addition to the president, |
former presidents and the cabinet Off |
GERS, was a host of governors senator's,
chief justices, congressman, generals and
a galaxy of famous men. Col Fred |
Grant with his wife was there, and be-
hind him were his sister, Mrs. Sartoris, |
and his brothers, Jesse and Ulysses, Jr.,
with their wives, children and relatives.
The warships in the river Numbered
salutes. The band at the tomb played
lirge and the roll of muffied drums and
music of other bands were heard from