The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-12-16
LINCOLN'S TOMB.
ITS PRESENT CONDITION A DISGRACE
TO ILLINOIS.

| tributcd by the People. and tho Trust
| Given In Charge of the City of Spring
| 6eld-A Sorry Spectacle.
| Lincoln's tomb is monument of dis.
grace to Illinois A spirit OF tasteful
pride is fast making Springfield one OF
the most beautiful Of State capitals
The magnificent building which houses
the government was in the days Of ap.
preaching completion described as o
palace in q cornfield. Since then the
city surrounding has been improved
to worthiness Of the setting. With
paved streets. we'll shaded, look oi
general thrift in the business center
and long vistas Of pretty homes In
well-kept grounds, It now corresponds
TO a noble Capitol which has no su.
perior in massive symmetry and in
convenient adaptation to its purposes,
and is exceeded in liberal expenditure
by only one other building Of the kind,
that at Albany. Springfield is an hon
or to the State. But In strange con-
trast to all else that commands ad-
miration is the condition of the tomb.
Illinois assumed sacred trust when
| the question Of the disposition of the
remains Of the martyred President was
settled. That trust has not been kept.
A correspondent OF the St. Louis Globe
Democrat. writing from Springfield
says that the friends of Lincoln feel the
neglect keeniy. They are anxious to
see public sentiment aroused and the
, Legislature reminded OF its duty. There
, Is neither defense nor explanation OF
| the neglect. When the custodian opens
the grated doors and takes the visitors
into first the crypt and then the me.
mortal chamber. his Introductory
words are regretfui. In the crypt the
plaster has fallen from the arched
roof, and, more than that, gaping crev.
| Ices have opened in the brick masonry
A little more OF this inattention and
the roof will cave down upon the floor
under which. covered by concrete, are
the caskets OF President and Mrs. Lin.
coin.
On the other side of the burial crypt
the memorial room Is In scarcely bet.
/ ter condition. With every rain the wa
ter comes through the vaulted roof II
has blackened and stained ceiling and
! walls. 1t has made great blotch of
the once bright colors OF the coat OF
arms. Prevailing dampness has mil.
! dewed and rusted the none too numer-
Gus relics. In this chamber are kept
the surveying instruments Lincoln as
a young man used, the gun which fail.
| ed to save the life of his grandfather
in Kentucky when an Indian crept up
on him at work on his farm, the great
book in which every child in the public
| schools Of Philadelphia wrote his OF
her name attached to the expression OF
! sorrow at the time of death. The stone
tablet which the Romans sent from the
walls Of the Eternal City to common.
crate emancipation, likening the act OF
Lincoln to that Of one of the early
Emperors who freed the slaves, Is In
! the chamber. The bronze bust of Will
| liam the Silent, who also died by as
sassination, has place. The walls are
| covered with the memorials forwarded
| from all parts Of the country. For such
a collection Of historical value the
| State Is not manifesting sufficient care
| to keep the rain out.
The tomb cost $270,000. This money
the most Of 1t, was raised by voluntary
6fr trih hut f,N
| the troops in the field, single companies
contributing several hundred dollars. IT
Is little enough that Illinois should
mainta;n the granite pile In q state OF
! tolerable repair. On the outside the
cement has dropped from between the
courses, and many Of the blocks are out
of line. Even the approaching walk is
| cracked ard broken and uneven.
One might suppose that with such
number of visitors to the tomb there
would bet no difficulty in reaching it.
Yet the car line by which the mile and
more of distance from the business CEN
ter is made does not run to the place,
but stops In park where refreshments
stands, a dancing pavilion and the
usual inducements to local patronage
| are conspicuous. From the end Of the
track a cinder path winds down the
hnl. There dusty road Is crossed. A
gate admits to the cemetery. BY a
walk up the valley past the stone vault
where the body was at first deposited,
the way Is over the slope where more
people stood on that day when the ma
tion mourned than have ever been
gathered In the Illinois capital city
since. The tomb. square and squat,
hollow stone tower rising from the
center, Is on the crest of gentle slope
with reservation of nine or ten acres
of sward and trees about 1t. On one
side stands neat stone house, the
abode of the custodian. The grounds
are well kept. The site is beautiful.
Only the condition of the tomb prompts
the feeling of regret. Lincoln belonged
to the nation. His resting place should
have been the nations care. II his