The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1902-07-10
TOMBS OF THE PRESIDENTS
A Proposition Before Congress
to Remove Their Dust
to Arlington.
Simple Epitaphs Mark the Places Of Re-
pose Of Most Of Them, Elaborate
Monuments Commemorate Others
and Two Sleep in Unmarked
Graves.

and Two Sleep in Unmarked
Graves.
From the Washington star.
Twenty men have in turn been
elected President of the United States.
Fivemen who were elected Vice Presi-
dent have come into the highest Of
flee through the death of the heaC Of
the nation. Of these twenty-five men
sn hunored twenty. three have re-
Sponded to the final summons. A
bills now before Congress looking To
the gathering into Arlington GENE.
terry of the dust of these dead Presi.
dents OF the United States. Not ev-
erybody can name the twenty'three
ar tell where the honored dead men
lie sleeping, Most OF them are inter
red AT their old homes, am ong the
friends of their youth.
The tomb of Washington has been
the Mecca of the patriot for many
years. The last resting places of
Lincoln, of Grant and of Harrison
and Mckinley are probably kno own to
all. but the world "little notes nor
long remembers the going OF its
great men.
The resolution before Congress, in
its provisions for the removal to the
national capital of the remains OF
those who once presided over the
destinies OF the country, except the
name Of Washington, who, it is well
known, sleeps in the spot OF his own
selection, at Mt. Vernon. Even if
Washington had not expressly and
explicitly directed where his body
should lie in death, it is not at all
likely that Virginia would ever con.
sent to give up the sacred dust OF her
distinguished son. Nor is it any
more probable that Illinois would
yield to the request for the dust OF
Lincoln, Ohio of Garfield or McKin.
ley, or Indiana her Harrison. So it
is with the other states They feel
proprietary right in their honored
dead, and would not yield these up
to other keeping.
Many attempts have been made to
have the remains of Washington
placed in the gloomy mausoleum un
der the dome of the Capitol, but these
have always failed, and probably the
matter will never again be preached.
Mount Vernon, which Washington
loved, is one of the most beautiful
spots in the United States. In a
great marble sarcophagus, bearing
the coat-of-arms of the United States
andfestooned flags in exquisite sculp-
ture, is the dust of the first President
uf the United States. Inaugurated
April 30. 1889, Washington served
two terms, dying two years later,
December II. 1899. at Mt. Nerno on.
This great marble coffin bears the
single deeply cut word, Washing
ton By it's side is another marble
coffin, where Martha Washington"
also sleeps.
A single block of Pennsylvania
marble, eight feet in length and two
feet in height, is followed out for
each sarcophagus. They were made
from design by William Strickland,
the sculptor being John Struthers, of
Philadelphia, and were presented to
the relatives of Washington by Mr..
Strickland.
As ordered by Washington in his
will, his body was taken from the
old vault at Mount Vernon and plac-
ed in the new one upon its compile
ton. This occurred October I, 1887.
On the archway is plain marble
slab, on which is inscribed: within
this inclosure rest the remains OF Gen.
eral George Washington" and that
is all, except line or two of Script
ure on a tablet within.
In remarkable contrast to this
simple epitaph is that of john
Adams, the second President OF the
United States, and that of his son,
John Quincy Adams. In Quincy,
Mass, under the portico of the "Stone
Temple" or Unitarian church, are the
tombs OF the Adames, father and son,
the second and the sixth Presidents
of the United States.
The tomb is in the cellar under the
portico, which forms the entrance to
the church, and is an apartment
walled up with huge blocks OF rough
~ hewed granite. Over it is a granite
slab, which has great iron hinges of
rust eaten wrought iron. and huge