Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-02-13
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT, GOV.
FOLK, GOV. WILSON, sEcRE,
TARY WRIGHT AND GENERA
WILSON THE SPEAKERS.
THOUSANDS IN OLD
KENTUCKY HAMLETt
HoDGENvlLLE WHERE LINCOLN
FIRST SAW LIGHT OF DAY Is
SCENE OF MOST NOTABLE on
cENTERANY SERVICES.

Hodgenville, KY. Feb. IL. - In tha
presence Of several thousand persona.
including men most highly distins
gulshed In American life, the corners
stone OF marble memorial structures
which will shelter the log cabin wheret
Abraham Lincoln was born, was todayi
laid with appropriate ceremonies byI
President Roosevelt. The tent which
served as an auditorium was roped
off from the crowd which gathered
around the hallowed spot.
Logs Worn Smooth.
In the center. beside the platform
for speakers and machinery OF tha
cornerstone laying, Is the cabin itself.
little building not over sixteen feet
square, built of logs notched and laid
together in pioneer fashion. The logs
are worn smooth where the bark has
peeled off and rotted. and now they
are dirty, leaden gray
Five special trains from Louisville
to this little hamlet during the morn
ing brought hundreds of people, and
at II o'clock upon the arrival of Gov,
Wilson and his staff, a procession
formed at the station and Wended its
way to the farm on which the log
cabin Is located, three miles away
The Program Of Speeches.
The exercises were opened by an
invocation, following which fornef
Governor Folk of Missouri. president
of the Lincoln Memorial association.
delivered some Introductory remarks.
He was followed by President Roos-
evelt, who laid the corner stone. Cow
ernor Wilson then spoke on behalf
of Kentucky for her greatest son,
General Grant Wilson then spoke for
the federal army and General Luke
e. Wright for the confederate army.
The president and other dignitaries
left Hodgenville at 2:30 o'clock.
President RooseveIt's Address.
President Roosevelt in his speech
said:
I'VE have met here to celebrate the
hundredth anniversary of the birth OF
one Of the two greatest Americans;
of one of the two or three greatest
n.en Of the nineteenth century; Of
one of the greatest men In the
worlds history. This rail splitter, this
the dire poverty of the poorest Of the
frontier folk, whose rise was by weary
and painful labor, lived to lead hia
people through the burning flames OF
struggle from which the nation
emersed, purified as by fire, born
anew to loftier life. After long years
of iron effort, and Of failure that came
more often than victory, he at last
rose to the leadership the republic,
at the moment when that leadership
has become the stupendous world
task Of the time. He grew to know
greatness, but never ease. Success
came to him, but never happiness,
save that which springs from doing
we'll painful and vital task. Power
was his, but not pleasure. The fur
rows deepened on his brow, but his
eyes were undimmed by either hate
or fear. His gaunt shoulders were
bowed, but his steel thews never fall
tered as he bore for a burden the
destinies of his people. His great and
tender heart shrank from giving
pain; and the task allotted him was
to pour out like water the life-blood
Of the young men, and to feel in his
every fiber tn sorrow of the women
disaster saddened but never dismayed
MIN. AS the real years of war went
by they found him ever doing his
duty in the present, ever facing the
future with fearless front, high OF
heart, and dauntless of soul. Unbrok-
en- by hatred. mistaken by scorn, he
worked and suffered for the people.
Triumph was his at the last; and bare
|ly had he tasted 1t before murder
found him, and the kindly, patient,
fearless eyes were closed forever.
Compares Washington and Lincoln.
| AS people we are indeed beyond