The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-01-31

of millions of pilgrims have walked
and will walk that path. They Will
stand within the granite temple that
now enshrines the log walls within
which, at Hodgenville, the maternal
pain of Nancy Hanks gave to the world
her son Abraham; and they will tread
revently through the leafy aisles of
the State park at Gentryville, where
massive granite stone now marks the
spot which Abraham Lincoln in his
boyhood watered with his tears.
He loved his mother while she lived,
and he loved her memory afterward.
1t was a pathetic memory, and had In
1t elements concerning which he was
properly reticent; but as to his inheri-
lance through her of the qualities
which he deemed to be some Of the best
within him, he spoke with deep feel
ing, God bless my mother. ALI that
I am or hope to be I owe to her." AL
though in this utterance, her son spoke
of the mental traits he thought him.
self to have inherited from her, rath-
err than her direct influence over him,
1t was of her mind and character he
spoke when he said that however un-
promising her early surroundings
might have been 'she was highly in
tellectual by nature, had a strong
memory, accurate judgment, and was
cool and heroic"
To him, as he looked back upon 1t
from the standpoint of later expert
ence, 1t seemed her life had been
tragedy. But we are not sure that
she SO regarded it. She had sad ex-
periences, and times of depression, but
she had lived and learned and loved.
She had known the joys Of wifehood
and motherhood. She had never suf-
fered hunger or neglect Always there
wers those who cared for her and for
have seemed that hers had been a sad
life; and she left that which perma-
nently frightened the life Of humanity.
Though the world has acclaimed
Abraham Lincoln as one of the great.
est men who ever lived, they were
simple people, this mother and this
son. So the simplicity of his char
acter is stressed by the architect,
Thomas Hibben of Indianapolis, in his
statement of the aims he has sought
to attain in the main building of the
proposed Lincoln memorial.
''That which we have sought to
build" Mr.. Hibben says, ''is symbol
of that great power and gentleness
that is Abraham Lincoln. We have,
therefore, conceived this memorial as
such monument as may be made In
the simple truth of structure and
grandeur Of scale as was the charac-
ter Of Lincoln"
The building takes the form Of
series of four quadrangular courts
which surround the main structure,
from which rises carlton tower.
These courts are bounded by open
cloisters which connect through the
axial pylons. Within each court Is q
pool with flowers and ivy on the walls.
Above the arches of the cloister there
runs a band Of low relief sculpture,
which takes It's definition out of the
natural structure of the wall itself
and in which is portrayed the birth
and development Of a race.
The vaulted ceilings and the walls
Of the cloisters are treated with fres-
Goes. Through the arches of these
cloisters are countless vistas of the
other courts Of the pools and of the
tower which rises about $50 feet above
them.
The tower is pierced with long YER
teal openings and within hang the
chimes. Under the chimes is placed
an organ for those occasions Of cele-
brating in music the memory which
we hear symbolized. On each side OF
the tower Is an inclosed hall with high
clear windows lighting 1t from both
sides and on the walls and ceiling are
mural paintings In character with the
building. There is provision for rest
rooms and a small restaurant. The
whole group is about 200 feet in each
direction and of sufficient size to care
for about 1000 people within the shell
tered portions and an additional 1000
In the courts.