New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-04
WANTSA lincoln ROAD
Benjamin Briscoe Urges Highwa,
as Fitting Memorial.

|
the Lincoln memorial in the form Of ro.s
from Washington TO tho battlefield Of G.,.
tysburg has been given by Benjamin Br,,.
ZOE. president Of the United states Mo,o.
Company. Mr.. Briscoe has been ch,.A,
interested in the manufacture Of autor,a,
biles and in cooperative industry. and u
is not generally known that he exerts =.
Increasing influence on highway develoo.
nIent throughout the country
The Lincoln Memorial Road Associ,.
ton" said Mr. Briscoe. rs rendering a,
excellent service I'm its advocacy Of such 4,
road In studying the question how 10 o..
PRESS in the most fitting manner our An.
probation If Lircoln's life work | am
forced ~ the conclusion that the memori,,
should be a great highway rather than
monument, statue bridge. arch or any
ether structure. Even If we take from ,hs
| question livery argument motive tina,
might b. prompted by the use Of an au,s
mobile. or the ownership Of one. dsso.
ciate it entirely from our national god
roads movement and admit nothing but tina,
which determines the fitness Of the me.
mortal the road still seems 10 be the lor.
ical and inevitable choice u
Tho reasons are sound. II not obvious.
The greatest memorial the world has ever
known is tho Appian Way IN italy built
by Appius C1audius 900 wears y G. II was
celebrated for its beautiful monuments. ia
temples and the sumptuous villas that arose
on either side Of II, Throughout the ages
II has been called the queen ~ roads
The temples have fallen: the monu.
| ments have been destroyed: the villas are
in ruins. but to-day. twenty-five centuries
after Appius Claudius built it. the road il
| still IN use, bearing the burdens NJ com.
mcrce and the name Of its founder. What
memorial could be more worthy-more en-,
during? What else could give Appius
Claudius such permanent fame?
Congress has decided that the Lincoln
memorial shall be paid for BY the United
| states government. and fund Of $4,000.
| 600 has been provided ~ cover the cost
4 commission has been created 70 preparA
plans and execute the work The form Of
memorial most desired by the people will
undoubtedly he adopted. .,
"a shaft should he excluded because"
continued Mr. Brscoe with such as the
Washington monument It invites contrast
An equestrian statue should be rejected he.
cause Washington now has one-tenth II
| all tho equestrian statues in the world An
orch possibly would make a good feature
Of a general design. but Of itself II would
not be complete. An art gallery a nu-
scum or any other building. however beau
tful. would scarcely meet the requirement
Lincoln's fame is growing. not fading. To
Use any fixed or completed memorial would
he 10 ignore the vital fact about his fame
For these reasons a great road seems 10
meet all the conditions Of fitness
Lincoln went from the White House 70
Gettysburg 10 make an address which is on
the tongue Of every schooboy and will be
recited for a thousand years to come Get
tysburg is itself memorial, a magnificent
park. on which 100000 has been er.
pended. II is seventy-two miles from
| Washington In a northerly direction. and
the suggestion Of A splendid boulevard from
| tho White House 10 this famous battle.
ground seems most deserving
NO particular engineering diffculties
would he encountered The country is roll.
ing and offers fine landscape effects The
plan submitted by the Lincoln Memorial
Road Association suggests a road two hun.
bred feet wide with a greensward forty
or fifty feet wide in the centre and smooth
highways on each side forty or fifty fee,
wide. one TO be used by swiftly moving We.
hicles Ike automobiles. the other by cars
riages and wagons
Electric railways could be built on each
side Horticultural development could b
carried on on a high plane. and by appor,
tioning sections OF The Lincoln Way. "a
individual states It would be possible for
the people OF all parts of the country 10
express their regard for Lincoln by devel-
oping their allotted portions in accordance
with their taste and means. all plans. how
over. being subject to the approval Of the
national commission created by Congress.
The road would be used by hundreds OF
thousands Of tourists. The full value Of
such a memorial could be appreciated only
| by ina ginning a two hours ride through
Maryland and Pennsylvania. with the Blue
Ridge Mountains in sight part OF the time;
six or seven hours spent at the world re-
nowned battle-ground with It's memories o.
Round Top and Seminary Ridge. and by
traversng other noted spots. including the
scene Of Picketts charge.
! Looking at the matter from the stand
point OF road improvement" concluded Mr.
Brscoe. "it would seem that The Lincoln
Way certainly would become the nucleus
OF great transcontinental highway TO be
| built by the states through which IL will
pass The cost Of the memorial road has
been estimated to be about $4,000. 600. With
this sum II will be possible 10 provide
fitting terminus on the battlefield Of Get
tysburs while in the city Of Washinston
q magnificent architectural development can
be placed at the entrance TO the road. II
| is proposed 10 make this entrance sum-
GENTLY impressive 10 meet the views o.
those who demand something tangible snd
substantial wholly within the national cap
| ital
Pennsylvania is committed 70 the con-
| structon Of a road extending clear across
the state from Philadelphia 20 the ONO
line. Ohio. Indiana Iowa and states fur
Their West have given assurances that the
road will he quickly extended across ~
continent"