The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1904-06-30

Exactly eve years after tbe deaths
u Adams and jefferson. James Mon
o died. the third president 10 die
upon Independence Day. He was 0Es
Of the most American Of Auenean
presidents. His death. on july The
4th, emphasized anew ths fatality
that has pursaed 20 malT q our chief
magistrates upon this day.
In 1895 Washington selected q plot
% ground within the city 81 Washing
tor az a suitable spot WhereupOn 70
erect a monument 10 the American
Revolution This was never acted
upon. but thirty-four years after bis
death. It was decided instead 70 erect
there a monument 20 Washingtoa
himself. Slowly funds we're ooiisctsd.
ard on July 9Th. Is4s. the cornerstone
was laid with imposing civic. military
and Masonic hOn0rs. The mouumHnt
was built 50 slowly. however, that not
until December. 1884. was the last
stone fitted into place. and the beau
tifui Washington obelisk. the tslIest
structure in the New World. con-
pleted.
Two years after the cornerstone
was laid. the unfinished shaft had
reached the height u more than $50
feet Zachary Taylor. the beloved
old Rough and Ready" Of the Next
can war. had been president sixteen
months. On the national holiday.
July 4. 1850. he visited the nncompist-
ed monument in which be took great
interest Once 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 70 come over him. and be lay there
a long time. Suddenly paroXyEms Of
internal pain came on He had been
struck with death on Independence
day. and that within the shadow Of
the FIRST presidents monument Again
the old fatality 10 q president upon
the Fourth Of July. He vas carried
back TO TIE White House. where he
fingered FIVE days and died.
The civil war that devastated our
land. 1S5l-5. had progressed one too
favorshly for the Union cause up tc
the middle Of 1863. Grant was dog
gedly b~esieging vieksburg. which con.
/ troIled all the lower Mississippi. As
stubbornly the C~onfederates resisted
Lee had determined 20 carry the wal
iato the North, and had invaded Penn
syivania with q great army. The fate
OF the nation swrzg in the balance
North and South. the people trem
blingly awaited the issues Of eacl
day. July list found Vcksburg still
+ holding out. after six weeks Of ter
rihc c~annonadinE. The same hrs
day Of the same month brought III
clash between the invading arm
q Lee. and the defending expulsiv
4 army Of the Fedsrais AZ Gettysburg
Pa. Il was American against Amer
! can and July LIST passed into July md
and that into the third Of July. an
/ yet the dreadful battle ragged SlXt
. thousand men on those three day
were taken prisoners. wounded o
a killed. Lee was forced back In n
I turning battle Of the war fortune Ia
4 favored the Union forces.
/ The dawn Of the Fourth found n
J. heart Of cur people torn with contens
2 ing emotions The mother mourne
d Ike Rachel over her son. stark upo
y the Geld OF Gettysburg: the father n
n ioiced over a crucial battle Won; "a
Il South sank. appalled, al the blow
e her pride. her hope. her ambition
, the North was buoyant aad eiAte.
Then over the wires AZ night nsshe
, the news that Ncksburg had surrei
y dered that day, and the Mississippi
Il was open 10 our gunhoAts. Great an
Il Wild. Ions and loud. was The rejosein
. OF the one par. Of the nation. SOrroV
!, ful n filed with despair was a
A rest o. the nauon. God grant TN
a never again may Independence IA
hnd one portion % cur people reyoi
ing over the discontinue of anoth'
!. portion. for we be brethren.
The sad Fourth" was In July. iSS
N Two days before President Gsrae.
IA had been shot BY Guiteau. the ASA
sin. aud for the hfth time In our hi
IN tory the zhadow 81 death hung oy,
n an American President upon lndepe
dence Day. The country FouFthS
A July picnics were abandoned. the eel
- brations IN the great cities were "a
pended. Here and there a Gag WaVs
mournfuily. 90 though anticipating
3 early hanging az haifmast It vas
N quiet Fourth. 4 a Fourth. a Ia
81 Fourth. All hearts were touche
n Prom that awful day. July 2 uaul 4
a dread day IN September when the IA
~ summons came 90 the poor, wor a
fering President there sas never
waking hour but that the thouEhts
our people were with their strick,
Al chief. 6ghtlng heFolcAlly for IA
~ The Spanish-AmericAA var vas
hand IN 1855 On the third q a
July the Spanish admiral cerrel
made a desperate attempt 10 escal
n from Santiago harbor. Il quickly en
~ "a IN = victory tor the Americans
victory 50 complete that Il annlaiiatl
the entire heet and the whole body
luarfnrka harama HrfanrprE ~ ~