Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 May 1891 — IN MEMORY OF GRANT. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

IN MEMORY OF GRANT.

GROUND BROKEN FOR A MONUMENT TO THE SOLDIER. Martial Mnslc and Sweet Voices of Children Hallow the Occasion Glowing Eulogies by General Horace Porter and G. A. K. Commander Freeman. Ground has been broken for the monument which is to be raised at Riverside Park, New York, where rests all that is mortal of tho great hero of the rebellion, Gen. Grant. The ceremony was performed amid the plaudits of thousands of citizens the blare of trumpets, the beating of drums, the booming of cannon, the melody of children’s voices, and the eloquence of orators. There, upon the hillside, gathered the members o? the Grand Army of the Republic and a number of other bodies, who, ranging themselves around the tomb, paid reverence to the memory of him whom all nations honored while in life. On tho Hudson River, decorator! with bunting, lay anchored opposite the tomb the warship Yantic, and at two o’clock her guns commenced to belch lorth a salute of twenty-one guns, which were fired at intervals of thirty seconds. On the plattorm near the mound were gathered the members of the Monument Association, the members of Alexander Hamilton Post, G. A. R., the leading members of the various Graud Army posts, and the orators who had been selected for the oeeas’on. Reforo tho regular ceremonies commenced Lawson W. Fuller, at tho head of 300 children from the Sheltering Arms institution aud a drum ami fife corps playing “America, ” marched past the tomb with flags drooped. Each child carried a bouquet of forget-me-nots, which were cast upon the tomb. The Marine Band played an overture, after which tho Rev. Dr. Clark Wright, chaplain, of Department Commander Freeman’s staff, offered prayer, and a chorus sang “The Star Spangled Banner. ” Commander Freeman presided and in a few well-chosen words introduced Geri. Horace Porter, the orator of the day. After sketching his career to the outbreak of the rebellion and pointing out the marked literary ability shown in his dispatches and memoirs. Gen. Porter

spoke of the soldier in the most touching manner, reviewing his brilliant record from the beginning of the war until the time of his death. The chorus sang “America,” when Commander Freeman arose to initiate the particular ceremony of tho day—the breaking of the ground for the monument. Before turning up the sod Commander Freeman said that Greece had its heroes, men who won fame by a single act, or gave their lives to ctrry out a noble purpose. The world is. full of monuments to the great and good of generations past—every nation has its sacred shrines. Romo thus kept alive the memory of her magnificent conquestsand victories and the men who achieved tliein. Eugland is full of memoria's to her distinguished rulers, generals, poess, and philanthropists. But the sacred shrines of America are dearer to us than any outer. We hold with reverence the consecrated soil of Mount Vernon, lest we may disturb the ashes of our beloved Washington. We bow our heads in silence and lift our hearts in gratitude at the resting place of him whose homely features and loving, loyal heart will never fall from memory. Our eyes fill with tears as we stand beside tho monument of our beloved Garfield. * * * Almost every city and town has its monument to the brave men who fell in tho battle-iiold, died in the hospital, or wasted away in the stifling air of the death-dealing prison, said Commander Freeman. But we come to-day to perform tho preparatory work for a monument to tho grandest soldier of them all —Ulysses S. Grant. Born in comparative poverty, he made his way step by step to the highest honor which this nation could beStow. Without brilliant genius or gifts of oratory, he furnished inspiration for others and pushed right on in his purpose until thp goal was reached. His ashes rest here, but our broad land is his burial place. We call him ours, but the nations of the civilized world vied with each other in showing him honor. “We gather,” sa d tho speaker, “not simply as the representatives of the hundreds of thousands of living and dead whom he led to victory, but of the entire nation, the men who wore the blue. Now, in tho presence of the Almighty God and these witnesses, wo, the representatives of the Grand Army of the Republic, break tho sod preparatory to laying the foundation of the monument which shall stand as a slight expression of the love of this nation for i s great chieftain and shall teil to all the world that the United States of America does not forget her heroic dead ” At the close of h's remarks Commander Freeman took the spade in his hands and with it tossed up the earth. This ended the ceremonies and the crowd dispersed.

PrANo lamps with brass-mounted v»-es and si k umbrella shades are as fashionable as ever; so are tho fine cut glass, porcelain and faience bouquet lamps iu brass aud gilt mountings. Pretty trays of various Sizes and designed for pens, pins and other small objects are this season out In decorated china and cut gia-s. the shapes being much the same as those occurring in silver. Theodors; Tilton is living in Paris, where he is writing articles on the syndicate system to cam subsistence and writing poems to satisfy and gratify himself. His articles go, but his poems are to be pub.ished only after death. Mohammed was born at Mecca about STO.

THE GRANT MONUMENT,