farm labor, or acting as a "sort of clerk" in a country

store.

Both being on the verge of civilization, the call for fighting men to repel the savages who were scalping their neighbors, brought these two men together for the first time at what is now Beardstown; Stuart as Major of a battalion, and Lincoln as Captain of one. of his companies. They stood on common ground. There was a foe before them, and both being young and fond of adventure, were intent on meeting him. Danger, and a willingness to face it, made them equal, and they both felt it. The war passed away and they met in the State Legislature, Lincoln for his first, and Stuart for his second term. They roomed together and while taking a morning walk at Vandalia, Lincoln asked Stuart's advice whether it would be best for him to study law or not. Stuart advised him to commence at once. Lincoln said he was poor and unable to buy books, and Stuart replied with an offer to loan him all the books he needed, and to act as his preceptor. At the close of the session, Lincoln visited Stuart at Springfield, obtained the books, with the necessary instructions, went to New Salem, twentyfive miles, and commenced the study of law. Two years pass on, and the preceptor offers to take his student into partnership, which brings Lincoln to Springfield. Three years later, Stuart is elected to Congress and the partnership ceases.

They both started out Whigs in politics, and continued so until the dissolution of the Whig party, when both, yielding to the force of early associations, formed new political relations; Stuart affiliating with the Democratic party, though never in full sympathy with its principles, and Lincoln aiding in the organization of the Republican party, but this divergence of political views did not in the least affect their personal friendship.

From that to the present time, the history of Lincoln is known to all the world. While he was serving his first term as President of the United States, Stuart was elected by the Democratic party to represent his district in Congress. This brought them together at the Capital of the nation. There is little doubt that Lincoln, left to the promptings of his own heart, would gladly have conferred office and honors, with their emoluments, on his early friend and benefactor, but to have tendered them might have been misconstrued. Stuart heartily reciprocated Lincoln's friendship, knowing that his own position was one of self-sacrifice, as he could not conscientiously place himself in a position to expect or receive official patronage. He quietly and conscientiously served out his term in the House of Representatives and returned home.

When the news came that President Lincoln had fallen by the hand of an assassin, there was no more sincere mourner in Springfield than John T. Stuart. As Chairman of a committee appointed at a public meeting of citizens on the day of Mr. Lincoln's death, Mr. Stuart reported a series of resolutions, the principal one of which was a request that the City Council appoint a committee to co-operate with the Governor of the State in bringing the remains of the fallen President back to his old home for sepulture. On the 24th of April, Mr. Stuart was one of those named by a public meeting of the citizens to form a National Lincoln Monument Association. When that body had raised funds, matured plans and commenced the work of building the Monument, Mr. Stuart was selected as one of the Executive Committee, and by his colleagues, Bunn and Williams, was made Chairman of the same.

During the time the Monument has been building, he has acted as President of the Springfield City Railway Company, President of the Springfield Watch

Company, also as one of the commissioners for building the new State House. He has, for many years, been the senior member of the law firm of Stuart, Edwards and Brown, and is now the third oldest practicing lawyer in the State. Notwithstanding he has been thus engaged, the building of the Lincoln Monument has been to him so emphatically a labor of love, that, without fee or reward, from the time ground was broken in September, 1869, his vigilant eye has watched every movement connected with the same, entering into all the minutia of detail until he saw it completed, and witnessed, in the presence of more than twenty thousand citizens, the unveiling of the bronze imitation of his military comrade, legislative colleague, law student and partner, whom he had seen rise to the highest official position on earth, become the emancipator of a race, and a martyr in the cause of liberty and good government. That he has witnessed all these changes and been more active than any other man in erecting this Masoleum, the like of which is no where else to be found on the continent of America, must be difficult for him to realize. Stretching like a panorama over so many years of his life, it must seem to him more like some strange vision of the mind than the veritable events of real history.

The case of Mr. Stuart presents the interesting and extraordinary spectacle of a man who was in successful law practice before Abraham Lincoln ever set foot on the prairies of Illinois; who advised and encouraged him to the study of law; witnessed his upward steps until his fame filled the whole civilized world; now, in the year 1874, nearly ten years after the tragic death of Lincoln, practicing his profession within a stone's throw of where he commenced, and who has not yet reached his three score years and ten, but, still strong in body and mind, is slowly and gracefully descending the sunset slopes of life.

The Executive Committee made a report October 28, 1874, showing that the architectural part of the Monument is completed, and every obligation paid. The report was received and approved. On the same day, the Association adopted a resolution appointing J. C. Power, author of this volume, Custodian, and on the 29th of October it was first regularly opened for the reception of visitors.

The Association now owns nine acres of land in a central and commanding position in Oak Ridge Cemetery, with right of way to and from it. According to the terms of the charter, the Association terminates its existence May 11, 1885. Unless the Monument Association is reorganized, the monument would be without a competent guardian. In that event it might fall unto the hands of the State. It is quite probable, however, that it will be reorganized under the provisions of "An act concerning corporations, approved April 18, 1872, and in force July 1, 1872.

It will thus be seen that the effort to build a Monument to the memory of the Illustrious Patriot, Abraham Lincoln, has proved a grand success. It is a magnificent structure, far surpassing every other work of the kind on the continent of America. In beauty of design it is unique. For all coming time it will be a Shrine at which patriots will delight to renew their vows to Truth, Justice and Liberty.

CHAPTER XXXI.

OAK RIDGE CEMETERY.

66

When Springfield was only a village, four acres of land about half a mile west of the old State House was donated by Elijah Iles for a grave yard," and a few years later another was laid out immediately west of it, called Hutchinson Cemetery. It consisted of about four acres also, and was regularly laid out. Lots were sold, and considerable effort made to ornament the grounds. As the town emerged from its village condition and manifested signs of larger growth, it became evident that some other arrangement should be made for the burial of the dead. With this object in view, Alderman Charles H. Lanphier, on the twentyeighth of May, 1855, introduced the subject of purchasing land for a permanent grave yard outside the city limits.

After it was decided by the city council to purchase grounds for the purpose designated, two sites were proposed, and on bringing the subject of location to a vote, it was found that the aldermen were equally divided. Gen. John Cook, then and now of Springfield, was mayor of the city. The position of the aldermen threw the responsibility of giving the casting vote on the mayor. The friends of the successful locality awarded to Mayor Cook the honor of naming the ground, and he called it Oak Ridge Cemetery. On the fourth of June the city received of A. G. Herndon and wife, a deed to a fraction less than seventeen acres of land, for which it paid three hundred and fifty dollars. On the fourteenth of May, 1856, eleven and a half acres