Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-31

Maj. Gen. John 4. Logan.
and the Committee on Decorations with Mrs
Senator Trumbull president of the Soldiers and
Sailors Orphan Asylum, assisted by a large
number Of ladies and gentlemen, deserve great
credit for the excellent manner in which all ar
rangements were made and executed. The
celebration was In all respects q most solemn
and impressive one"
IT 10 probable that memorial services we're
not conducted upon this occasion at any
Of the other cemeteries In this city, for no men,
ton was found to this effect. However q wreath
was placed on the Lincoln statue at the sug-
gestion Of Mrs z. A. KimbaI who wrote the
mayor, on behalf Of the Committee on Decora-
TONS as follows:
"Honored Sir:
Feeling sure that no higher respect could be
paid by US to our Union dead today than by
making our first Offering by love and respect
to the memory Of Abraham Lincoln their well
beloved commander we most respect
fully request you to have the accompanying
laurel wreath placed upon the monu rent that
your zeal was SO successful in erecting"
The Lincoln statute In front of the Court
House had then been put IN position but Q
short while, and Mayor Wallach gave the matter
Engineer Sessford to put the wreath in position
which he did by ordering the Hook and Ladder
Companys truck to the front of the City Hall,
and about noon one of the ladders was put in
posi- ion and the wreath was placed on the brow
Of the statue.
Just to think! This was the statue that only
Q few years ago several prominent cities en-
deavored to appropriate to themselves through
peculiar legislation, while everybody seemed to
be fast asleep. But that was one time that the
back, and recovered and reinstalled what 1t had
bought and paid for many years ago. But 1t
was not so easy job, then, to place a wreath
on Lincolns head as it would be now for at
that time, and up to q few years ago, the statue
stood on a high shaft while today it stands
on a pedestal not far from the ground.
A/HAT attracted the writer's attention most
when he read The Stars account of the
first Memorial day was the part taken in the
exercises by the orphaned children upon that
occasion, since q somewhat Sd nilar part is ale
ways taken at the Battle Ground Cemetery by
the school children of the neighborhood
OF course, at that date-1S6s- feature
would ut IN well with the exercises at Arlington,
for 1t Is probable the interments up to that time
did not exceed thousand or two while today the
number viii probably mount as high as 80 OOO
anu consequently IL WOulQ DC quite impossible
to include this feature in the same way now
The number Of interments at Battle Ground
National Cemetery includes but 40, and no
burials have taken place there since the period
Of the Civil War, while at Arlington the number
is always increasing.
How interesting, too, that GARFIELD should have
been the orator upon that occasion. major
general In the Civil War; he was then q mem
Der Of the House Of Representatives Both he
and Logan, through their long terms in Congress
became almost Washingtonians, and indeed,
both thoroughly interested In the District Of
Columbia and could be depended upon at all
times to protect its interests.
Both usually had their families with them and
both usually maintained their own homes.
Logan, when he was serving his first term in
the House, from 1858 to 1850, according to the
city directory resided ut 492 street told num-
bering). when he returned to Congress, IN
1871 he made his home at Grant place. and
remained there until 1873, when he moved to
2O0 street southeast after stopping for q
brief while that same year ut the willard Hotel.
During 1877 and 1878 he was practising Law
in Chicago, and when he returned to Congress
In 1879 he took up his residence at o12 Twelfth
street northwest, In . building stin standing,
where he continued to live until 1885, when he
ward he bought the old Stone homestead.
OF Thirteenth and Chiffon streets, which he
named Calumet Place end where he died O.
Sunday, December 20, 1eoe. But Decoration
day-or Memorial day, 90 at is~nOw generally
ealled-tlid not become 1zed holiday IN ths