Evening star., 1922-11-02
CITIZENS
TO BANQUET DEC. I
Association of Oldest Inhab-
itants to Observe 57th An
niversary of Founding.

The Association of Oldest Inhabi-
tants of the District of Columbia will
celebrate the fifty-seventh anniver-
sary OF its organization with a BAN
quot at the Ebbitt Hotel on the
evening of December Z.
Arrangements for the dinner were
practically completed at a meeting
of te association in Union Engine
House, 18th and H streets. last night.
The entertainment committee, headed
by Washington Topham, was in
structed to go ahead with the de-
tails.
Will Thank President.
On motion of John B. Mccarthy,
the pioneer residents voted to send a
letter to President Harding, thanking
him for the assistance he rendered
In having the statue of Abraham
Lincoln restored to it's original posi-
ton In front of the District Supreme
Court building. At their October
meeting the Oldest Inhabitants were
divided among themselves as to
which corner of I'd street and Penn
syivania avenue the original B. & O.
railroad station stood. Washington
iopham last night submitted evil
dence from the files of The Star and
from histories of Washington to
prove that the station occupied the
northwest corner in 1895.
rejoice Over statues Restoration.
The members indulged in an in
formal hour of rejoicing over the re-
placing of the Lincoln statue at the
courthouse. Mr. Mccarthy and Mr.
Topham both said they had seen 1t
before coming to the meeting. They
agreed that it needed cleaning, but
that otherwise it had not been dam
aged during the months that 1t laid
boxed up i'll the grounds of the De-
partment of Agriculture
Mr. Topham told his associates that
close inspection made the statue
appear rough on the surface as
though the elements had attacked it..
Higher Pedestal Needed.
President Theodore w. Noyes called
attention to the fact that the statue
is now on temporary low platform.
whereas it undoubtedly was designed
to be viewed from a higher pedestal,
such as it formerly occupied. He sug
gested the possibility that bringing the
statue nearer to the ground might
have produced the effect of which Mr..
Topham complained Mr.. Mccarthy
said he understood the present plat
form of wood was used for observa-
tion and study as to the exact height
the permanent base should be.
Capt. George w. Evans, a personal
| friend of Lincoln, declared that the
courthouse statue is unquestionably
| the best likeness of the civil wal
President possessed by any American
city. Mr.. Mccarthy said that some
painters and sculptors are now at.
tempting to ''idealize Lincoln" b.
depicting him as a robust, clean.
| shaven, athletic specimen of manhood
| instead of revealing him in his true
! characteristics.
Show Real Lincoln.
'On recent trip through the west.
| said Mr.. Mccarthy, II saw picture.
that We're supposed to represent Lin.
! coin, but you would never recognize
| him as the Lincoln we know. They
| have taken his beard from him ant
! pictured him as handsome fellow
| But the statue that we have in from
| of our courthouse and the picture We
have on our wall here show the rea
| Lincoln"
! John Claggett Proctor told his as
| sOciatcs that he wrote to the officials
! of four cities in different states wht
were striving to get possession of tn,
| statue after it had been taken down
reminding them that the people o.
! Washington paid for the statue anC
| were entitled to retain it.
] Only One Mayor Insisted.
! Mr.. Proctor said that the mayor o,
! only one city insisted on getting tht
| statue after the letters had been sent
| Mr.. Proctor read a paper, describ
ing in detail the religious ceremonie.
| incident to the burial of President
Lincoln. He said he was prompted tc
| prepare the document by a statement
in one of the local newspapers tha
| Bishop Matthew Simpson of Phila
| delphia officiated at the funeral Of
Lincoln. Mr.. Proctor's research
showed that other clergymen took
prominent parts in the funeral serv.
\ ices,