Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-13
AT LINCOLN FARM
President Roosevelt Lays Cornerstone
Of Memorial at Birthplace.
CABIN is CENTER OF CEREMONY
Building Will Be Dedicated by Presi-
dent Taft This Fall.
ALL SECTIONS REPRESENTED
Over Six Thousand Attend Exercises
Under Great Tent.
EXECUTIVE CORDIALLY RECEIVED
other Speakers Were Secretary
wright. General Wilson, Gov
erRor Wilson and Former
Governor Folk.
EXECUTIVE CORDIALLY RECEIVED

AHOA&t1A4sN y AAaAaN-s ~ ~
forth the birthplace OF Abraham Lincoln
Is to be marked by pile Of stone. The
cInancipator of a race and. more than
that. the liberator Of the thought of ma
tion builded his own monument in the
hearts OF the world. and appropriately
the physical structure which has now
round 3 beginning at the place where Lin
coin first saw the light takes the simpler
name OF a memorial II Is TO be a sim
PIE but classical building of granite. and
u Is hoped that Il may be completed some
time next fall. when the then President
Taft will officiate In dedicating IL, as
the present president. Theodore Roose-
veit today officiated In laying it's fouuda-
tion stone.
The cornerstone laying took place after
appropriate forensic ceremonies. which
were participated in by the president OF
the United States. Governor Wilson of
Kentucky. former Governor Joseph w.
Folk of Missouri president OF the Lin
coin Farm association: Hon. Luke L.
Wright. secretary OF war. who spoke as
an cx-confederate soldier; General James
Grant Wilson Of New York, who repre-
sented the union soldiers. and l. T. Mont
somery Of Mississippi, a negro and an ex-
slave With one exception. the orators
represented not only the conflicting sides
IN the great struggle. but the present
generation as well; the two principal
parties and the white and black races as
well as the different sections of the coun-
try spoke from the same platform and
with the same flag. a splendid new speci-
men OF the stars and stripes flutterlng
over them.
Crowd In Cosmopolitan.
The ceremony was fun OF interesting and
novel features apart from the occasion
which inspifed Il, and not the least inter
csting OF which was the character of the
crowd that composed the celebration. There
was probably geo or spNe people present
Many cf them had come in on special trains
from Louisville and other Kentucky cen
tcrs. and some had been attracted TO the
scene as faE away as Texas. The bulk Of
ihs assembly was composed. however. of
thc country folk from 1.arue and adjacent
counties. The site OF the birthplace Of the
g.est American Is an out ut-of-the-way corner
cf tie world. but while there was contrast
hi The appearance Of the countrymen and
the eitg-brcd disnitaries there was no
m iIk q difference in der .ment. There was
a nstst0ie absence of negroes In the crowd
present but those present were wedged
In among the whites. showing thai none
had been kept away because OF race preju-
aice. Among those who had been expected
70 be present was Mrs. Ben Hardin Helm,
the only surviving sister OF Mrs. Lincoln.
o. years old, but she was kept at her home
In Louisville much TO the regret Of all.
by her infirmities.
The exercises were conducted under a
wide-spreading cpen-sided tent. which had
been erected alongside the cabin In which
Lineoln was born. 100 years ago today. and
whit the weather might have been worse
a was sufficiently disagreeabie to render
tho tent useful.
President Roosevelt and his party arrived
shortly before O'Clock, after a drive over
a heavy red clay road from Hodsenviile
and five minutes afterward Governor Will
son called the assemblage together and In
troduced Rev DR.. Z. l. Powell OF the First
Christian church Of Louisville. who dellv-
cred an extcmporaneous prayer.
Program In Brief.
The speakers platform was small and
accommodated few except the participants
in the exercises and the presidents imme-
diate party. including Mrs Roosevelt, Miss
Roosevelt Mrs. Augustus T.. Wilson. Cap
tain A. w. Butte. DIR. Rixey and others.
conuencins with Governor Wilson's ad-
dress, the speAking began at o'clock, and.
MISUNDERSTANDING there were six set
speeches. one prayer and band music. to
say nothing OF the laying Of the corner
stone, the entiro ceremony had been con-
cludsd By 9:H. and a few minutes after
wards the visitors had begun their rough
carriage ride back 70 Hodgenviile.
Ths president Was cordially received He
was frequently interrupted by applause. but
II was always well timed. and never bois-
telous enough to cause either annoyance
or much delay. Other speakers were ap-
piauded. Mr. Roosevelt aroused especial
enthusiasm when he mounted chair and
gave the crowd a better opportunity TO see
and hear him. In the main. he cinfined
himself closely 10 his manuscript. but Al
the beginning departed from 1t TO make re-
ply 10, complimentary allusions TO himself
by Governor Folk.
The cornerstone remained supeaded IN
the air in the grasp Of a big derrick erected
Decide the tent while the oratoTy was in
progress and Immediately afterward was
lowered into It's place al a signal frOm the
president. who applied the first trOwelfHl
Of the mortar that win hold it In its place
during the eoming centuries.
NeErO Deposits ProeAAnAtiOn.
skillfully concealed under the stone was
laid a metallic box containing copies OF
the constitution Of the United States ana
other historic documents. some Of which
we're placed in II by the president and
Others by other members OF the party.
Among the contributors tot this treasure
were Clarence Aaekay. Robert j. Collier
and Richard Lloyd Jones Of New York.
an Of whom have participated In the move
ment which u about 20 result I'm the
memorial building In this part of the cere-
mony an aged negro took a leading part
He vas Isaac T. MONTGOMERY OF Mound
Bay. Miss, who Is said 10 have been a
slave o. jefferson Davis. president Of the
confederacy. To Montsomery was assigned
the appropriate task Of depositing In the
box a copy Of I4neolR's emancipation proc
l2mation. and IN 30 doing he made brief
speech n which he referred 20 himself