The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-03-06

no longer remeu1- Der the inception
Of the movement or.when the work on
this wonderful monument was con-.
cluded. it,being at the time Of its cree
tion the taleat building or structure In
the world.
The society was a volunteer assocla'
ton. organized in this city Sept. g6'
1883. andthe organization proposed to
erect In Washington monument
which should be national in character
to tie memory Of Washington The
society Organization was the out
growth ofa paragraph insthe National
Intelligence. then the leading paper
IN the city Of Washington. This para
graph referred TO the resolution Of the
Coptlnenala Congress adopted Aug Z,
1883, the vote being carried lnani'
mously, with 10 OF the 1S original
states reppeeanted. This resolution
declared that It was sthe purpose OF
Congress THAT an equestrian stntue}cI
observation-disclosures be erected at the
rlace when. the residence Of Congress
shall, be established. This resolution
was amended by John Marshall In the
House Of Representatives Dec, %
1899. on whose motion the Congress
resolved. am6ng other things. that Il
marble monument be erected In the
United States at the capital at Wash
ington, and that the family be request
cd to permit his body to be deposited
under ii and that the monument be SO
designed as to commemorate the great
events Of his military and political
Iife." Tile resolutions were neither 81
them ever carried into effect, although
they were again inovedi in Congress on
May ., 1900, again In 1916, 1921 and
1892.
The society. which perfected lis or
sanlzation Sept. 2s, 1888. had Tor tts
first president John Marshall, the
great chief justice, then Is years o.
age on the death Of John Marshall
ex.PresIdett James Madison was elect
ed president, ana on the death FIRES
ident Madison it WAS provided thai
the president of the United States
should be ex oficio president, and Il
has been the, case ever since.a
The society barely existed Until
1899! On Feb. % Of that year It wal
chartered BY Congress. Funds were
raised'bypopular subscription, and the
money was raised TO lay the foanda
ton Of tho monument IN July, 1Sis
and to carry the shaft to 1856 feet in
height. There the monument stood
unfinished, with scaffolding about u
at the time the war Of the rebellion
broke out. and during that period
nothing whatever was done. The pc
riod OF reconstruction WAS. no better
althoughthe society continued Its ef
forts to raise funds to continue the
work and to complete the shaft
Congress had been Repeatedly me
morIalized to assist In the compilation
Of the monument. and petitions to this
effect we're introduced in 1872 and
1874. Congress declined to do any
thing mtll' July 5, 1876, the centen
Mai year on that day Senator John
Sherman offered resolutions, which
we're adopted by the Senate and later
ny the House, which provided that
Congress would assume the compile
ton Of the moifument This wasfol
lowed by the act Of Aug. 2l. 1876
creating a Joint commission FOR The
completion Of the monument. The in
terror Of the monument is lined 10 3
height Of perhaps 200 feet with stones
representing the states Stones from
six Of the states have not yet beer
placed, hut the society hopes that By
1918 every state in the Union will be
represented