Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-30

built with certainty and without delay
it should be constructed under the drec-
ton of national commission and should
be paid for out of the national Treasury
But full opportunity should then be given
to the individual states TO express their
regard for Lincoln.
ITO each state in the Union may
be allotted portion of the Lincoln way,
TO be embellished in accordance with Its
taste and means, subject to the approval
of the national commission. Other spaces
could be allotted for establishment TO ma
tional patriotic societies Opportunity
should be afforded to succeeding genera
ton to add something to the beauty of
the Lincoln way So long as patriotism
CLOVIS in tht hearts of the American peo-
pie it will be for them a labor of love to
add from time TO time to this expression
of national affection. keeping the Lin
coin way at the forefront as the best ana
most attractive highway In the entire
world
The cost 0. maintaining this road, Mr..
McCleary proposes. shall be paid out of
the national Treasury. but ii is his belief
that in time it could be made self-sus-
tanning by the lease of railway tracks and
the sale of licenses to public and private
automobilists who would desire to use it.
Whether or not this is feasible remains to
be seen.
Latest Plan.
In the meantime, after the park COM
mission had made its suggestion and be-
fore Mr. McCleary had rendered his
port third proposition was brought be-
fore Congress. On the 18th of last May
Mr. Mccall introduced in the House of
Representatives a bill for the enlarge
ment of the Capitol grounds and for the
erection thereon of a monument or monu-
mental memorial to Abraham Lincoln
This bill authorized the acquisition, by
purchase or condemnation. of all the land
from the Senate Office building westward
as far as New Jersey avenue and from the
northery end of the Capitol grounds as
far as Massachusetts avenue and the new
Union station, in all including about thir
ty-siX acres. 1t put the acquisition of this
land in the hands of a commission. COM
posed of the Vice President, the Speaker
OF the House of Representatives and the
superintendent of the Capitol building and
grounds, and appropriated for t. purpose
| of purchase and Improvement the sum of
| So. go. 900 1t also created d commission
| 10 select a site thereon and erect at Il
| cost of an additional million dollars a
monument or memorial to Lincoln. On
| the day this bill was introduced it was re-
ferred to the committee on the Library
| which a week later reported upon it ia
| vorably and referred it to the committee
of the whole house on the state of the
Union. with the comment that there
should undoubtedly be in this city me-
| mortal to Lincoln in its way as noble and
| impressive as the monument to Washing
ton and that no site for such a memorial
seemed more fitting than upon the propos-
ed extension of the Capitol grounds 'front.'
! ing the gateway of the nation to its Capt.
! toll
Working on the Project
| There is a prevalent belief that when
Congress adjourns the nations legislative
/ hut f1,ic to. 20.
correct and in the present instance much
has been done during the summer to
crystalline this scheme. The desirability
| if not the necessity, of early securing
control of the land lying between the
| Capitol and the new Union station was
| obvious. but the relation of this purchase
| to the Lincoln memorial was Il knottier
| problem and one which required the most
| careful consideration. Many things had
| to be borne in mind.
| The character of the memorial must be
unique and appropriate; it must accord
| in a measure with the Capitol, the Senate
office building and the Union station archi-
| tecturally and il must not unbalance the
1 arrangement of the public buildings which
now crown Capitol Hill. For this reason
| Mr. Daniel II. Burnham. the architect of
the Union station and formerly Il member
| of the Senate park commission. was call
| ed into consultation and asked unofficiaIly
| TO advise with the commission in regard
| to various propositions. TEcn began the
consideration of many plans, all of which
| save one have now been discarded.
| Memorial Peristyle.
| This plan provides for a semicircular
colonnade or peristyle of monumental pro-
portions surrounding the plaza of the
| Union station, enhancing many fold the
beauty of the approach to the Capitol. to
which it naturally leads. This colonnade
would have as one of its chief features a
| frieze on which would be inscribed quo
| tations from Lincon's speeches which
have a national significance, and would
/ lie terminated at New Jersey avenue with
4 pylons embellished with scuptGred re-
| liefs 1t would be called the Lincoln
Peristyle" and while gravely dignifed
| and simple could be elaborated to a great
| extent. Being open on all sides 1t would
| not obstruct vistas nor would it form an
| Enclosure crampng the plazas effect of
ample breadth. 1t would permit the free