The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-02-13

HodgenNllle, KY, teb. l2-Hence-
forth the birthplace of Abraham Lin
coin is to be marked by pile OF
stone. The enancipator of a race and
more than that, the liberator of the
thought Of nation. builded his owr
monument in the heart Of the world
and appropriately the physical struc-
ture that has now found a beginning
at the place where Lincoln first saw
the light. takes the simple name of 6
memorial. II is to be a simple, bu
classic building Of granite, and it is
hoped that it may be completed some
time next fall when the then presi-
, dent, William II. Taft, will officiatt
in dedicating 1t as the president, Theo.
dore Roosevelt, TO-DAY offictated in lay
ing it's foundation stone.
The cornerstone laying took place
after appropriate forensic ceremonies
were participated in by the president
Governor A. s. Wilson of Kentucky
former Governor Joseph w, Folk OF
Missouri, president of the Lincoln
Farm association; Hon. Luke e
Wright secretary of war, who spoke
as an confederate soldier; Genera
James Grant Wilson of New York, who
represented the Union soldiers, and
T. Montgomery of Mississippi, ne
gro and an eX-slave. With one cX-
ception, the orators, representing moi
only the conflicting sides in the grea,
struggle, but the present generation a.
well. the two political parties, the
white and black races. and the diff
ferent sections of the country, spoke
from the same platform and with the
same flag. a splendid new specimen o.
the stars and stripes fluttering ovel
thom.
Thousands Present.
| Six or eight thousand people were
| present. Many of them had come or
special trains from Louisville and 9th.
er Kentucky centers. The bulk Of the
assembly was composed, however, O.
the country folk, from Larue and ad.
jacent counties. There was a notabl,
absence of negroes in the crowd, bu
those present were wedged in witt
the whites, showing that none hat
been kept away by race prejudice
Among those who had been expected
to be present was Mrs. Ben Hardin
Helm, the only surviving sister OF Mrs
Lincoln, so years old, but she Was
kept at her home in Louisville, much
to the regret of all, by her infirmities
The exercises We're condu cted under
a tent erected alongside the cabr
in which Lincoln was born, 100 year,
ago. The weather was sufficiently dis.
agreeable to render the tent useful, {
drizzling rain falling.
President Roosevelt and his imlnadi.
ate party arrived shortly before
o'clock, after a drive over a heavy
red clay road from Hodgenville, ant
five minutes afterWard Governor Will.
son called the assemblage together ant
introduced Rev. DR.. K. L. Powell ol
the First Christian church of Louis.
viii, who pronounced the invocation.
Platform Crowded.
The speakers platform was crowded
and but few but the participants II
the exercises and the presidents i'm
mediate party, including Mrs. Roose-
welt, Miss Roosevelt, Mrs. Augustus
e. Wilson, Captain A. w. Butt ant
DR.. Rixey. Commencing with Cover
nor Willison's address, the speaking
began at 1 o'clock and, notWithstand-
ing there We're six set speeches, one
prayer and considerable band music
to say nothing of the laying of the
cornerstone, the entire ceremony was
concluded at PAS and a few minutes
afterward the visitors had begun theil
rough carriage ride back to Hodgen-
ville.N
The president was frequently inter
rupted by applause. Mr.. Roosevelt
confined himself closely to his minu-
script, except at the beginning he de-
parted from 1t to make reply to com.
plimentary illusions to himself b,
Governor Folk.
The president applied the frs
troweful of mortar that will hold thu
cornerstone in it's place.
Under the stone was laid a metallic
box containing copies of the constitu
ton Of the United tSates and import
ant historic documents. some OF wnici
| were placed in it by the president ant
| others by other members of the party
Among the contributors to this treas.
ure was Clarence Mackay, Robert
Collier and Richard Lloyd Jones o.
New York, all Of whom have actively
participated in the movement for thu
| memorial building. To an aged negro
Isaac T. Montgomery of Mound Bayou
Miss, who is said to have been c
, slave of jefferson Davis, president d
confederacy, was assigned the appro-
pirate task of depositing in the bo,
copy of Lincoln's emancipation proc.
iamation, and in doing so he made {
brief speech In which he referred t.
himself as zone of the former million!
Of slaves to whom Lincoln gave free
dom and the representative of 10000,
| 900 negro citizens.
The president boarded his train fol
Louisville at 3:45 p. M, expecting L
arrive at Washington about 2 p. m
| tomorrow
Notable CAlAhra ation