The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-02-18
Kenosha Holds Noteworthy Cele.
bration of Lincoln Centennial
at Park Ave. m. E. Church
BISHOP FALLOWS A SPEAKER
Eloquent Chicago Bishop Pays Fitting
Tribute to the Life of Abraham
Lincoln While Great Chorus
Renders Stirring Music

The closing ceremonies in the cele-
bration of the Lincoln centenary in
Kenosha took place at Park avenue M.
e. church Friday evening when a
great throng of the patriotic people
of the city gathered with the members
of the Grand Army and listened to
one Of the most noteworthy patriotic
programs ever rendered in Kenosha.
The crowd completely filed the church
and long before the time set for the
beginning of the program every seat
in the auditorium had been taken
Few cities in Wisconsin paid more
beautiful tribute to Lincoln. It was a
tribute of song and story. The music,
which was one of the big features of
the evening, was rendered by chorus
of hundred voices under the direction
of S. G. Newman and such a chorus
had never been heard in Kenosha be-
fore. Perfectly trained, the voices
gave a fervOr to the patriotic music
which stirred the great audience to
the highest pitch of patriotism.
The meeting was under the auspices
Of the Grand Army and Charles E.
Likes, commander Of the Post, was in
charge The program opened with a
medley of patriotic airs played by a
selected orchestra under the direction
of Mr.. Newman after which the nation
al hymn was sung. The Rev. Fred
Tn ~ IL, L
offered prayer after which the chorus
rendered "The Song Of a Thousand
Years. y The great war time song
was never sung in such manner in
Kenosha and the work of the soloists
and the ensemble was most praise
worthy.
Attorney James Cayanagh then read
the Lincoln Gettysburg address after
which the Hon. q. g. Simmons gave a
short talk On the first Lincoln conven-
ton held in Cmcago in 1860. Mr..
Simmons has been i'll for some days,
but he was able to attend the celebra-
tion last night and his story of the
early political life of Lincoln proved
one OF compelling interest He not
only told of the stirring events of the
convention, but gave short considera-
ton of the life of Lincoln after his
election as president Of the nation
Following the short address by Mr.
Lincoln the chorus rendered in splendid
manner "The Heavens Resound' by
Beethoven.
Then came the address of the even
ing which was delivered by the Rt
Rev. Samuel Fallows of Chicago, bis
hop of the Reformed Episcopal church
Bishop Fallows has spoken in Kenosha
on many occasions, but his Lincoln ad-
dress will go down in history as one
of the greatest tributes paid to Lin
coin. He said in part as follows:
Hero worship is grounded in human
nature We want excellence embodied
ideas incarnated Principles are grand
but principal personalities are infinite
ly grander.
We may think in the abstract, but
we love in the concrete We may
throw a halo of self-created splendo1
about our hero, and idealize and well
nigh divinize the departed great one
but it is simply the homage involun
tarily paid to the inherent dignity OF
our own being. 1t is the bringing out
of the best that is within us. It is
only letting fly the angel that waits
with folded wings to be set free in the
innermost sanctuary of every human
soul
History has been declared to be but
the biography Of great men, and an
institution the heightened shadow OF
a single man, for "every man is a
cause, a country and an age
About one such man, whose name is
on our lips tonight, gather some Of the
most magnificent chapters in the annals
of time.
Born in poverty and raised in OBJ
security, Lincoln proved, by his trium
plant ascent, that circumstances are
not the masters, but the servants oil
men. They are not the creators but
the mere conditions of the conquerine
mind
Lincoln was emphatically the chile
of the people and the man of the PEG
pie. Sprung from their loins he was
never separated from them by distance
Of official position. The simplicity and
heartiness of his earlier life of the
woods, the prairies and the river were
never spoiled by the stiffness and
formality of an imported court Ell
quette. No man among us ever cap
tured so completely the popular imagi
nation, and won so enthusiastically
and enduringly the popular heart
Increasing millions in reverence bow
at his feet.
Character, the diamond thai
scratches every other stone,' was Of
the purest quality in him. Napoleon
schooled his looks and discharged his
face Of expression that no man NIGH
read his thoughts. But our Lincoln
needed no such veil over his rugged
features to hide that honest soul, which
he could so fearlessly throw open tx
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