Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-12-25
THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL
National Tribute Will be Dedi-
Gated in Few Months
Classic Structure Of Noble Proportions
Has Setting in Potomac Park,
Washington, which II Isolated,
Distinguished and Serene

The Lincoln Memorial erected in
Potomac Park by an appreciative nation,
viii he thrown open to the public within
a fow months. The marble structure Ia
receiving its final touches. the colossal
IhEurc of the great emancipator is being
put In place and hundreds of workmen
are grading the surrounding grounds. So
satisfactorily Is the work progressing
that the dedicatory exercises may be held
on February u next, almost ffty-fve
years after Lincoln fell the Victim Of an
assassin's bullet.
The memorial is IN one OF the most
picturesque spots in the National Capital
isolated. distinguished and serene, re-
mote from tho common habitations OF
man, apart from the turmoil Of the city
but still within easy reach OF all. A
circular roadway. hcdged in by elms
planted by relatives of soldiers who made
the supreme sacrifice in the Great War.
will enclose the wooded grounds. Radiat-
ing from the roadway will be the streets
leading 10 the northwest residential
section, as well as the Speedway which
'ollows the course of the placid Potomac.
| 20 the eastward from the memorial. con-
y actors are excavating the great reflect
ing pool, which will mirror the memorials
! to Washington and to Lincoln.
: great AXIS planned scores of years
ago is completed by the mem orial. At
one end is the Capital, containing the
national Legislative and judicial bodies.
which is monument to the United
States government. A mile to the west
ward, in the centre Of the axis. ia the
monument to Washington. who establish
ed the government. Terminating the
axis is the new memorial TO Lincoln who
saved the government. All Of these
structures, stretching in one grand sweep
from Capitol Hill to the Potomac, lend,
one to the others, the associations and
memories connected with each. In a
vista over two miles long they testify to
the reverence and honor which attended
their erection. .t
! PERFORMANCE FOR NEGLECTED
DUTY
The completion of the memorial brings
to a happy, If belated end a movement
which had it's inception in 1867, says
Theodore H. Joslin in the Boston Tran
script. when the Lincoln Memorial as
ISOLATION was Incorporated by an act Of
Congress. which. among other things.
authorized the erection of "a monument
commemorative Of the great charter of
emancipation and universal liberty in
America" An appeal for subscriptions
was sent out by the postmaster general
to postmasters throughout the country.
who acted as agents. Clark Mills, the
sculptor. was asked to make a design
when the contribution reached the sum of
$4,000. which was one-tenth of the amount
to be raised for the monument. The
sculptor chose site in the Senate end
of the Capitol grounds for the memorial,
but his elaborate design. instead Of being
used, was lost to the world. IT would
seem that interest Jagged during the busy
and troublous post-bellum period and
that sufficient funds to carry on the work
were not forthcoming. The chief actors
passed away, leaving behind them an
insignificant sum which remains in the
treasury to this day.
Repeated attempts were made to me-
morialize Lincoln. but it was not until
1911 that Congress passed an act pro-
vding for the erection of monument
and created a commission, one of whose
members was Samuel Walker Mccall of
Massachusetts, to determine upon a oca-
ton and design. Within about year the
commission recommended that the me-
mortal be erected in Potomac Park In ac-
cordance with plans and designs of Henry
Root of New York urged in reporting for
the committee on the library that the re-
communication be approved, saying that
acceptance of the proposal would subst-
tute performance for long delayed and
neglected duty
COST OF MEMORIAL s25s4,OcO
1T has long been the policy of our
government" said Senator Root, ito set
up In the Capital City suitable memo
rails 10 the great men whom the nation
holds in honor. A memorial to Grant is
nearly completed. We already have
statues of Sherman. Sheridan, Logan.
Thomas. Mcpherson, Mcclellan, Han
cock, Rawlins. DUPONT and Farragut Of
the Civil War period. Washington Mar
shall Lafayette, Nathaniel Greene.
Rochambeau, Won Steuben. Kosciuszko
Pulaski, Paul Jones, Jackson. Scott and
Webster of earlier periods are COM
memorated. For Lincoln alone our graft
tude and devotion have seemed too weak
to overcome small differences of opinion
and taste. There must come an end some
time TO discussion and u yielding of in
diVidual preference to the general judg-
ment If there is ever TO be action. 1t is
not tolerable that the remaining sur
vivors of the generation that knew Lin
coin should pass away and leave no
memorial of their reverence and love for
him in the city which was the scene of
his service and sacrifice. To reject the
conclusions of this commission apparent
~ would prevent the erection of any
Lincoln monument whatever"
Congress did not reject the conclusions
of the commission. Instead. authority to
proceed was given. and the building of
the memorial. which has cost s2,5S, 900
exclusive of the grounds. was begun. Mr..
Bacon planned from the first--and held
to that plan throughout-to have the
memorial take the form of monument
symbolizing the union of the nation,
enclosing in the walls OF its sanctuary
three memorials to the man himself-one
a statue of heroic size expressing his
humane personality; the others
memorials of his two great speeches, one
the Gettysburg speech. the other his
second inaugural address. each with at
tendant sculpture and painting telling in
allegory of his splendid qualities evident
in those speeches.
MARBLE QUARRIED ON TOP OF
ROCKIES
Work on the memorial began on Feb |
ruary r. 1914. when William Howard |
Taft, in the presence of the memorial |
commission, turned the first spadeful OF !
earth The first year was devoted to the |
foundation, which IL frmer than that of |
any other building in America. Knowing |
that the land around the Potomac was
hydatoid, the officials planning the foun- |