Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-07-02

upon independence Day. He was one
of the most American of American
presidents. His death, on July the
4th, emphasized anew the fatality
that has pursued SO many of our chief
magistrates upon this day
In 1875 Washington selected a plot
of ground within the city of Washing
ton as suitable spot whereupon to
erect q monument to the American
Revolution. This was never acted
upon, but thirty-four years after his
death, it was decided instead to erect
there a monument to Washington
himself. Slowly funds were collected,
and on July 4th, 1S4S, the cornerstone
was laid with imposing civic, military
and Masonic honors. The monument
was built so slowly. however, that not
until December, 1884, was the last
stone fitted into place, and the beau
tiful Washington obelisk, the tallest
structure in the New World, COM
pleted-
Two years after the cornerstone
was laid. the unfinished shaft had
reached the height of more than $50
feet. Zachary Taylor. the beloved
old Rough and Ready" of the Mexi-
can war, had been president sixteen
months On the national holiday,
July 4, 1880, he visited the uncomplet-
ed monument, in which he took great
interest Orce on the grounds, he laid
aside the dignity of his high office
and stretched himself under the
grateful shade of the partly complet-
ed shaft. A peculiar lassitude seem
ed to come over him, and he lay there
a long time. Suddenly paroxysms of
internal pain came on. He had been
struck with death on Independence
day, ard that within the shadow of
the first presidents monument. Again
the cid fatality to a president upon
the Fourth of July. He was carried
back to the White House, where he
fingered five days and died.
The civil war that devastated our
land, 1875, had progressed none too
| favorably for the Union cause up to
the middle of 1863. Grant was dog
| gedly besieging Vicksburg, which con-
trolled all the lower Mississippi. As
stubbornly the Confederates resisted.
Lee had determined to carry the war
into the North, and had invaded Penn
sylvania with a great army. The fate
of the nation swung in the balance.
North and South, the people trem-
| blingly awaited the issues of each
day. July 1st found Vicksburg still
holding out, after six weeks of ter
rife cannonading. The same first
day of the same month brought the
clash between the invading army
of Lee, and the defending expulsive
army of the Federals at Gettysburg.
/ Pa. 1t was American against Ameri-
| can and July LIST passed into July End,
and that into the third of July, and
| yet the dreadful battle ragged. Sixty
thousand men on those three days
| were taken prisoners, wounded or
| killed. Lee was forced back. In the
turning battle of the war fortune had
| favored the Union forces.
| The dawn of the Fourth found the
| heart of our people torn with contend
| ing emotions. The mother mourned
| like Rachel over her son, stark upon
| the field of Gettysburg; the father re-
| joiced over a crucial battle won; the
| South sank, appalled, at the blow to
| her pride, her hope, her ambition !;
| the North was buoyant and elated.
Then over the wires at night flashed
| the news that Vicksburg had surren-
dered that day, and the Mississippi
| was open to our gunboats. Great and
| wild. long and loud. was the rejoicing
of the one par. of the nation. Sorrow
| full and filed with despair was the
| rest of the nation God grant that
! never again may independence Day
| find one portion of our people rejoic-
| ing over the discontinue of another
portion, for we be brethren
The ''sad Fourth was in July, 1881.
| Two days before President Garfield
| had been shot by Guiteau, the assas-
| sin, and for the fifth time in our his
!! tory the shadow of death hung over
| an American President upon Indepen
| dence Day. The country Fourth-of
| July picnics were abandoned, the cele-
| brations in the great cities were sus-
| pended. Here and there a flag waved
| mournfully. as though anticipating its
| early hanging at half-mast. 1t was a
\ quiet Fourth, & sad Fourth, a hard
! Fourth. All hearts were touched.
| From that awful day, July 2, until the
dread day in September. when the last
! summons came to the poor, worn, suf-
! fering President. there was never a
| waking hour but that the thoughts of
| our people we're with their stricken
| chief, fighting heroically for life.
| The Spanish-American war was on
1 hand in 1883. On the third of that
| July the Spanish admiral, Cervera,
| made a desperate attempt to escape
| from Santiago harbor- 1t quickly end
\ ed in a victory for the Americans. A
| victory so complete that it annihilated
| the entire fleet, and the whole body of
| Spaniards became prisoners of war.
| Virtually the war was ended then and
i =