Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-13
PRESIDENT At HODGENvlLLE.
Continued from Page One.)

years ago today. Raw and damp as
was tine atmosphere, the large throng
stood with barred heads during the
hour and three quarters consumed by
the ceremonies. President Roosevelt
and his immediate party arrived
shortly before ! O'Clock after I. drive
over d heavy clay road from Hodgen-
willie and five minutes afterwards Gov.
Wilson called the assemblage to or
der and introduced Rev Mr.. Powell Of
the First Christian church of Louis
vile, Nho delivered r:ajrr. Tie speak
ers' ri ttlortn WIS smai' and a:"p-t'-
mOdated few except the participants
in the exercises and the President s
party, which included Mrs. Roosevelt.
Miss Roosevelt, Mrs. Augustus +.
Wilson, Capt. A. W. Butt, DR.. Rixey
and others
Commencing with Gov. wilson's adj
dress, the speaking began at l O'Clock
and notwithstanding there We're six
set speeches and music by Il band. to
say nothing of the laying of the corner
stone, the entire ceremony had bee n
concluded by 2.43 and a few minutes
afterwards the visitors had begun their
rough carriage ride back to Hodgen-
Vile.
The President was cordially and defer
entially received. In the main, he con-
fined himself closely to manuscript, but
at the beginning departed from it to reply
to complimentary illusions to himself by
Gov. Folk
The corner stone remained suspend ID
in the air from big derrick erected be-
iii in
progress, and Immediately afterward was
lowered to its place on Il signal from the
President, who applied the first troWel
full of the mortar.
SkilfuIly concealed under the stone was
a metallic box containing copies of the
Constitution of the United States and 9TH
er important historic documents. some of
which were placed in it by the President
and others by other members of tn =
party At this point an old negro took a
leading part. He was Isaac T. Montgom-
cry of Mound Bayou, Miss. who is said
to have been a slave of jefferson Davis.
President of the Confederacy. who, like
Lincoln was il native of kentucky. To
Montgomery was assigned the appropriate
task of depositing in the box a copy of
SO
doing so he made a brief speech in which
he referred to himself as 'one of the for
mer millions of slaves to whom Lincoln
gave freedom and the representative If
100000 grateful negro citizens
The corner stone is a fine specimen of
gray granite about three feet square.
and on it was placed a wreath of carna :
lions presented by the Kentucky Lincoln
Association.
The President boarded his train for
Louisville at 3.45 Z. NJ. expecting to ar
rive at Washington about 2. NJ. tomor-
row
TIE parade drew up at the side Of
the cabin and the governor. the Pres
ident Mrs Roosevelt, Miss Roosevelt.
MIR Loeb and me mbers Of the centen-
ary committee entered the tent to the
applarse at its occupants ard took
their seats on an improVised platform
near the flower mantled cabin. Close
to this Law the cornerstone of the new
memorial temple in its bed of mortar
and a derrick was manned. ready to
raise the huge stone into place when
the President had spread the cement
on its broad side with the silver trow-
eI which Law upon the rostrum. Fol
lowing delivery of the impressive inV"-
cation. Former Governor Joseph FOLK
of Missouri. who is president of the
Lincoln Memorial Association. utt"re"
some Introductory remarks. telling OF
the purpose of the association.
He was followed by President Roose-
Welt who laid the cornerstone, putting
into its receptacle appropriate papers
which was sealed by Nicholas Keen
igstein of Iodgenville. and the stone
raised into place. The President SAID
We have met here to celebrate the
hundredth anniversary of the birth of
enc of the two greatest Americans; Oh
one of the two or three greatest men vi
the nineteenth century: or one OF the
.-"oatcst m",, il the worlds history
This rail splitter. this boy who passed
his ungainly youth in the(dire poverty
of the poorest of the frontier folk