Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-03
SHOW ACTIVE INTEREST
EXPRESSIONS REGARDING THE
MEMORIAL BRIDGE PROJECT.
Attitude of President Roosevelt and
Secretary Root on Petitions From
G. A. r. Posts

are taking an active interest in the move
ment to signalize the encampment of the
G. A. r. in this city next October by lay
ing the corner stone of the memorial bridge
across the Potomac. The President recent
ly referred to Secretary Root several pc
utions addressed to him by a number of
Grand Army posts, asking his aid and CO.
operation in the bridge proposition.
Secretary Root Endorsed the papers and
sent them back to the President yesterday.
The Secretary expressed his hearty APP
prevail of the proposition and said that he
regarded it as extremely fitting and felici-
tous that the corner stone of the bridge
should be laid during the Grand Army en-
campment. AS an indication of his views
on the subject Of the bridge itself he called
attention to the following extract from his
annual report of 1899:
1T is greatly to be desired that progress
be made toward the erection of the pro-
posed memorial bridge between the city of
Washington and the heights of Arlington.
The value of the sentiment inspired in all
the people of our country who visit the
national cemetery upon these heights and
are affected by it's associations, can not be
overestimated. The cemetery is now prac-
tically far removed from the city by the
long, circuitous and disagreeable approach.
The proposed bridge would afford a digni-
fled and suitable approach to this historic
place, make it accessible to all the people
who fnhabft or who visit Washington, and
the bridge, under proper treatment, can be
made itself an architectural structure
worthy to rank with the monument to
Washington, the Capitol and the Congress
slonal Library, as an ornament to the cap
ital city.
After the bridge should come the con-
structfon of a broad avenue connecting
Arlington with Mount Vernon, and making
the access from the capital to the home of
Washington worthy of the reverence in
all Americans
Corner Stone to Be Donated.
The officials of the citizens committee on
the forthcoming .encampment of the Grand
Army of the Republic We're extremely graft
fed this morning to receive the following
communication from the general secretary
of the Stonecutters Association of North
America:
Under instructions of the Journeymen
Stonecutters Association of North America
l write asking for the privilege and honor
for our organization to present your COM
mlttee with the corner stone of the memo
rial bridge to be laid during the encamp-
ment in this c.-y October next We ask
this honor because it has been for over one
hundred years a custom of our organization
to take an active interest in the great
movements Of the day.
The records in the archives of the
United States Capitol show that our union
took part in the laying of the corner stone
in 1893. Our lodge in New York has
Deautful nag that they carried at the cele-
Drauon or the opening of the Erie canal
eighty years ago. l am mailing copy of
Stonecutters Journal, see page II, contain
ing cut of the corner stone our union pre-
sented the b. and o. railroad in commence
ration OF the starting of the first railway in
America in 1898. Washington monument
contains a beautiful stone tablet presented
by our Philadelphia lodge in 1850. On page
~ OF the January Journal, 1900, Is cut of
tod n hn H. IT,
w ashington branch, when their entire
membership enlisted as a body at a regu-
lar business meeting, January 10, 1861, to
go IN defense of their country's flag.
These are but few of the innumerable
instances where our organizations have
participated in the great affairs of this
country.
Il am instructed to say we stand ready
70 present you with a corner stone beauti-
fully carved, any sized stone or any shane.
with whatever inscription your committee
desires
Committee on Decorations.
Much interest is manifested in tonight's
meeting of the committee on decorate tons
which is to occur at the Riggs at o'clock
Chairman Cuno H Rudolph, who has
served in similar capacities on several
other occasions of like nature, has prepared
general plan through which 1t is hoped
the merchants down town may be induced
TO decorate more extensively than has been
customary. The committee has already
been divided into many subcommittee, to
each OF which Mr.. Rudolph has allotted a
particular section of the city. Each Sec
ton is to be thoroughly canvassed and
the householders and business men in
Vlted to decorate their buildings during
the period of the encampment.
Chairman Arthur Henderson of the COM
m1ttee on reunions has invited the Suryi-
Vors Association of the Fifth Army Corps
TO meet at encampment headquarters Mon
day evening at o clock The officials of
the encampment and Colonel Hendricks
hope to obtain the co-opera ton of this BODY
In arranging reunions and other veteran
gatherings during the encampment.