Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-01-22
GRANDEUR Of SIGHT
SWEEPS THOUSANDS
INTO MIGHTY CHEER.
South's Dream of immortal
ity for Heroes of Sixties
Comes True Distinguish
ed Visitors at Ceremonies
BY O. B. KELLER

The dream of the worlds greatest
memorial began to come true Satu--
day afternoon at 8 o'clock, when
with a stately dignity that held
something of caress, a bright.
broad national emblem was lifted
and gathered as a flowing coronet
upon the majestic brow of Robert
Il. Lee, looking oft now and for
eVermore from the sheer wall of
Stone Mountain-the first of the
mighty group planned, by Gutzon
Bor9lum, the sculptor, after the
dream of Helen Plane, a daughter OF
the Old South.
Mrs. Plane herself, leaning on tbs
arm of Mr.. Borg,um, gave the sig.
nal for the unwilling of the head OF
the "knightliest leader" and under
the gray sky of a January afternoon
IO,OO0 reVerent witnesses of that
epoch making event stood hushed In
awe and admiration.
In the presence of many sublins-
ties" said Dr. Plato Durham in his
address, the dream was coming trlc.
and he made plea that the assem-
bly, should close the ears and eyes Of
the flesh and with these of the spirit
harken to the rhythmic tramp OF
the generations that are to come
marching down." and follow with
the eyes of the spirit the amending
procession, out to times ultimate
horizon.
Dawn of Great Dream
Inc skies were tenderly gray: and
even the emil breeze out of the north
seemed tempered, while a trace OF
the gentle rain from heaven was
IN the air, as the distinguished gen.
tInMny1aat1 Of h,
eyes sparkling with the fire Of the
spirit and with tears, waved q tinv.
glowing flag Of the Confederacy, the
signal for the thunder of 2ralaisa
Doulders down the sheer face of the
mountain. and then the slow lift
ing OF the national emblem that dis
closed the face of the great leader
OF the Lost Cause, sculptured in
heroic bas-relief upon the living
stone.
The dawn Of a great dream coming
true lighted the towering granite
wall of the mountain, and under itS
more than royal coronet the calm
race of Lee looked out across the
gray landscape, keeping watch now
and forevermore over the Southland
that he loved and the Nation that
he truly served.
a peidsoo vi IGNBleIlC6, or MONA -
and then the roll of the handcIap-
ping swept across the hillside to
the mountain and echoed back
again. and its light spray, touched
mere and there with true old "reb-
oil yell, must have reached to first H
member of that mighty group OF
heroes to come forth from the liv
ing granite. Then like the resound.
ing surf on a rockbound coast, the
clans OF thousand motor horns
went rolling down the mile long
lines, heading in along the lictl4
road, or parked in the clearing.
A band had been playing, but the
band could not he heard just then.
The dawning Of the memorial dream
of people was upon the mountains
side. An epoch was in the maxi
ing: no longer merely talked of rev.
erently.
Great Pilgrimage
Since before noon a pilgrimags
had been under way, from Atlanta
and from all around, heading for
Stone Mountain. The roads were
dark with motor cars and persona
on foot, seeking that gigantic
shrine. So prodigious was the press
Of vehicles that a line more than
mile long never reached the scene
Of the Observation-Disclosures back OF
hundreds Of motor cars still were
headed toward the place, stopped in
their tracks, when the first trickle
of cars back to the city began. at
$3.50 o'clock, after the brief and inn
pressiVe exercises and the tremen-
dous address by DIR. Durham.
1t was estimated that anywnere
81 -
set out to attend the unwilling; and
if many failed of their object, most
of them were in their places on the
hillside, facing the worlds greatest
monolith, when Hollins Randolph,
president of the memorial associa.
ton, stood up with barred head to In
troduce DIR. David Marx, who de-
livered the brief and impressive In.
vocation.
Mrs Plane, 81 years old, widow
Of a Confederate colonel killed In
action, was carried up ON the ros.
trum by Mr.. Borglum, the sculptor
whose genius had laid out the gigan-
tic work and whose indefatigable
toll had brought forth from the
granite the head Of Lee in less than
six weeks, and with barred head he
stood BESIDE ner as the stately lduy,
attired in a costume of the sixties,
waved her command to the noun
tain to give forth the head OF Lee.
On the seemingly tiny platform, q
thousand yards away on an air.
drawn line, incredibly tiny figures
of men moved here and there, be-
meath the two vast American flags
hung like a curtain. Answering the
signal, boulder after boulder of
granite slipped from its resting
place under the flags and flashed
down the sheer drop of the precipice~
-three-four-five seconds
by the watch from the flags to the
base, and then two seconds more
before the dull thunder of their inn
pact rolled across the valley to the
multitude on the hillside.
Applause Thunderous
And the giant flags part. and rise, [
and to their parting and the thunder
of falling granite, the majestic head
Of Lee appears.
A long intake OF breath, as the
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