The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-02-11
Centenary Celebration Of Birth Of
Great American Inaugurated
With Patriotic Service
HEAR STORIES or GREAT LIFE
Patriotic People of the City Gather in
Large Numbers at Congregational !.
Church to Attend Opening
Ceremonies of the Week

Kenosha is joining with the civilized
world this week in paying homage to
the memory of Abraham Lincoln and
the celebration of the centenary of
"The Greatest American was inau-
gurated at the Congregational church
on Sunday evening when a, great mum
Der Of the patriotic people of the city
gathered at that church to take part
In service under the auspices of the
Fred s. Lowell Post of the Grand Army
of the Republic. 1t was prominently
a patriotic service. The church was
decorated with flags and bunting, a
great picture of Lincoln draped in flags
and bunting was the central figure of
the decorations. The flag was every
where in. evidence. The members of
the Grand Army Post and the Woman Is
Relief Corps and the members Of the
Boys Brigade Of the church and the
Girls Guild marched in a body to the
church and furnished unique setting
for the service. The best patriotic
spirit was stirred by the service.
1t opened with a prayer about the
colors and closed with the singing of
the national anthem and those who
were able to crowd into the church car
ried home with them new and livelier
love of their native land and new
respect for the Great Emancipation
whose memory is now being revered in
every city and hamlet in the country
The celebration of the centenary in
Kenosha will close on Friday when a
great meeting will be held at Park
avenue church at which Bishop Samuel
Fallows of Chicago will be the orator
but during the week several ceremonies
will be held in the schools and by patri-
otto societies.
The service on Sunday evening was
a fitting opening for such a great
event. The program was made up of
spirited patriotic music rendered by a
large chorus choir and number of
addresses Of deepest interest.
DR.. T. Gillespie was the first speaker
of the evening and he told in a very
interesting manner the story Of the
Lincoln Douglas debate held at Gales
burg just before the first election of
Lincoln to the presidency. At the
time DR.. Gillespie was a student of
Knox College and he told of the great
impression that Lincoln made on him
at that time. He spoke Of Douglas
and pulled the halo from the head of
the "Little Giant when he declared
that he was no match for Lincoln at
any time during the great debate. He
told of the great crowds that gathered
and the great enthusiasm which mark
ed the appearance Of the two men at
Galesburg He told of the ungainly
and even homely appearance Of Lin
coin and the fear of his friends that
he would not be able to stand against
Douglas. DR.. Gillespie said that all
was changed when Lincoln began to
speak and that before he had complet-
ed half Of his speech he had won the
hearts of the great crowd of thousands
of people and that from that tinae on
the debate was with Lincoln.
One Of the most interesting local
touches to the service was the reading
of letter from Mrs. Georgia Perrine
Harvey, a. former Kenosha woman and
the widow Of the Hon. L. p. Harvey
war governor Of Wisconsin, in which
she told Of an interview with Lincoln
The letter has never been published
and it proved to be one Of the most
interesting of the many personal es
Inmates of Lincoln. F. Ell. Lyman, in
troduced the letter by telling some
thing Of the story Of Governor Har
vey, the pioneer Kenosha teacher and
his marriage with Miss Perrine, wht
was also teacher in Kenosha. HI
told of the great interest that Mrs
Harvey had taken in caring for Wis
consin soldiers during the war and thi'
led up to the letter which was read b.
Peter Fisher. The letter told Of tn,
famous interview between Mrs. Har
vey and President Lincoln in which
she had succeeded in securing the cree
ton Of hospital in Wisconsin for. tn
care of convalescent Union soldiers
The letter was a great woman s estimate
of great man and to Kenosha an,
wisconsin people it had the creates
interest
After the reading of the letter tn
Rev. 3. 7. Farrill gave short appre
citation of Lincoln, touching especiall
on his Christian character and tellin
incidents Of how this feature Of tn
character Of the great president ha
led him during the stormy days Of hi
1.-TWO administrations.