Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-02-16
PRESIDENT lAFI
At SPRINGFIELD
He Assisted at Celebration Of
Llncoln's Birthday
WELCOMED BY LEGISLATURE
Ne Waited Former House Of Martyrec
President and Also the cemetery
Where Remains
Rest.

SDT1nBuelup Lh'p foS' 49,
birthday Is being celebrated mere 70
day more deliberately than ever be
fore and the occasion Is made more
notable by the presence Of President
Taft as the guest Of honor. and oil
many other distinguished citizens
from various parts OF the country.
The city hall, the arches on the pub
lie square, the interior Of the capitol
building and many residences are
handsomely decorated and business
has been practically suspended during
the day.
Arrival Of the President.
President Taft and HE party ar
rived early In the afternoon. having
been brought in Congressman Mclin
ley's private car on the interurhan
from Decatur. where they were met
by Representative Israel Dudgeon Of
Morris, chairman Of the joint leglsla'
tive committee in charge OF the pro
gram, AZ soon as Mr.. TAFT alighted
from the car the parade was formed
with Mai. Gen. Edward C. Young Of
Chicago as grand marshal and Adj.
Gen. F. s. Dickson as his chief oil
stan.
The First regiment. from Chicago
acted as an escort to the president
and that regiments band supplied the
military music, turning out eighty
FIVE strong. The parade moved down
Capitol avenue to the state house. as
the presidential salute Of twenty-one
guns was being fired.
At the Capitol and the Monument.
Arriving at the capitol, the soldiers
were drawn up in two lines and the
president entered the building and
was received by the two houses Of the
legislature in special joint session. Tc
the lawmakers he made his first ad
dress Of the day, speaking briefly but
spiritedly. Mr.. Taft and the Other
visitors were then escorted to the old
Lincoln home at Eighth and jackson
streets. The house is preserved by
the state just as It was during the
Civil war period, and is visited an
nually by thousands.
From the home the visitors were
taken to Oak Ridge cemetery, where
the martyred presidents remains rest
beneath the new monument. Mr. Taft
and the other guests entered the me
mortal chapel in the, monument qnd
reverently viewed the priceless llin
coin relics preserved there. These In
clude much of Lincoln's correspond
ence and the famous autobiography
which he wrote ON one sheet OF paper
The party also viewed the empty sar
cophagus in which Lincoln's body lay
for many years.
Mr.. Lincoln's remains probably Will
never be viewed again BY mortal eye
Following the memorable attempt 70
steal the body in 1880 when 1t rested
In the old vault on the hillside over
looking the lagoon, the Lincoln monu
ment commission decided, when the
plans OF the new reconstructed monu
ment were under consideration, that
provision should be made to deposit
the body In its last resting place be
meath the concrete foundation Of thu
towering obellsk. Accordingly the
body Is now lmbedded in solid cor
crete and beneath soli6 base Of cor
crete is feet thick. Engineers have
estimated that 1t would require blast
ing by powerful explosives for sew
scal days to uncover the body now.
From the cemetery the presidential
party was escorted in automobiles tc
the executive mansion where Cover
nor and Mrs. Deneen held q public
reception.
The elimination Of the days events
IL to be the great banquet In the ar
senal this evening, under the auspices
Of the Lincoln Centennial association
and the Springfield chamber Of com
merce. The principal speakers val
be President Taft, whose subject wil
be Abraham Lincoln" and Martin
W. Littleton OF New York. judge
J. Otis Humphrey Of the United stateI
District court is to act as tOastmaster