The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-05-27
Heroic Figure of Lincoln Revealed
as Remains Of O. M. caIkins,
the Donor, Are Buried
SIMPLE SERVICE MARKS EVEN
Hundreds of People Stand in flushed
Silence While Flags Which Had
Yelled the Statue Are Drop
ped by Grand Army

Wednesday when the heroic statue
of Abraham Lincoln, wrought in
bronze by G. II. Niehaus of New York
and presented to the people of the city
by the late Orla NJ Calkins, was I'M
yelled The ceremonies of unwilling
were simple and even pathetic in their
nature for the flags which had yelled
the handsome piece of bronze fell
amidst a silence pungent with the sor
row of death. The flags fell just as
all that was mortal of the donor,
well beloved citizen of Kenosha for
many years, was being borne past the
memorial he had erected to his last
resting place in the City cemetery
The roll of musketry, the booming of
cannons, the tramp of marching men and
the singing of school children which
had been planned to make the unveil-
ing of the memorial great day in
Kenosha were strangely absent and in
place Of all the arrangements that had
been made band of the members of
the Fred S. Lowell Post of the Grand
amy and city officials stood about tae
base of the pedestal and as the flags
fell among the mass of flowers which
almost completely hid the base of the
pedestal hush fell upon the crowd
broken only by the sound of the
church bell which tolled out the last
sad requiem to the memory Of Orla
M. Calkins. The silence of the oc-:
casion, the dropping Of the flag, the
hushed crowd and the slowly moving
funeral procession made a picture
which will long remain in the minds
Of the many people who gathered to
witness the final act in the life Of the
donor of the memorial.
The simple ceremonies attending the
unwilling Of the monument were in
keeping with the wishes Of Mrs. Call
kins and other relatives of the deceas-
ed donor. The cord which held the
flags about the bronze statue was
pulled by Charles E. Likes, the COM
mander of the Grand Army, and as the
flag fell in graceful folds the members
of the Grand Army and the other
members, of the. little party stood with
uncovered heads. No oratory was
needed to pay the tribute of love to
MIR. Calkins on the tongue of every
person in the great crowd of people.
1t was a tribute of silence, but that
silence was eloquent. Early in the
day the friends Of the deceased had.
been asked to send the floral offerings
to the pedestal of the statue rather
than to the Calkins home and these.
emblems thrown in profusion about the
gift the deceased had made to the city,
gave to the scene an added touch of
beauty. 1t hallowed the ceremony
with this further silent expression of
the love in which Mr. Calkins had been
held by the people of the city. Long
before the time set for the funeral
and the unwilling of the monument peo-
pie had gone to the park to await the
ceremonies.
AS many as possible had gone to
ST. Matthews church where the funeral
service was held. The service was
brief and included only the reading
of the service for the dead as laid
down IN the ritual of the Episcopal
church. This was read by the Rev.
Fred Ingley, rector of the church.
While the service in the church was
being held the members of the official
force of the city and the members Of
the Grand Army Post met and marched
to the park, forming square about
the pedestal of the statue. About the
statue had been draped flag Of his
torlc interest, for it was one OF the
flags that had been used in Kenosha
during the last Lincoln campaign. AS
the last notes of the organ closed the
occasional from the church and the
coffin enclosing the lifeless remains of
Mr.. Calkins was carried from the
church of which he had been mem
Der and an officer for so many wears
and placed In the hearse the members
OF the little party moved little closer
to the pedestal Of the statue. The
dropping of the flag took place just as
the hearse was standing directly east
of the statue. The ceremony lasted
only couple Of minutes and then the
members of the Grand Army and the
members Of the official party, which
represented the city at the unwilling,
walked with uncovered heads and took
their place in the funeral procession
to act as an escort to the remains to
their final resting place.
After the service at the church was
over the remains of Mr.. Calkins were
turned over to the members of Keno
sha Lodge No. At of Free and Ac-
cepted Masons. The deceased was
the oldest Mason in Kenosha at the
time of his death and it was at his
request that the members Of the lodge
took charge Of the ceremonies at the
cemetery. The members Of the vestry
Iof st. Matthews church were honorary
pail bearers at the funeral, but the
r..ss.;a !. pail bearers we're all members of