THE WASHINGTON COMMEMORATION T Washington, the nation's capital, the day was fittingly observed, although the President, Vice-President, and many other of the prominent figures in the life of the Capital were upon the programmes of celebrations in other parts of the country. In the House of Representatives, on Thursday, February 11, the Hon. Henry Sherman Boutell of Illinois delivered a memorial address, while on the Centenary Day itself, Mr. Boutell read Lincoln's Gettysburg Address from the Speaker's chair; Representative Frank M. Nye delivering an address on Lincoln. The Senate passed a joint Resolution declaring the Centenary Day a special legal holiday in the District of Columbia, and in the Territories of Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, and Hawaii, and authorizing the President to issue a Proclamation to this effect. At all of the schools of the city, commemorative exercises took place; and celebrations were held by the United States Historical Society, the Grand Army of the Republic, and other organizations. One of the most notable observances of the day was the morning celebration at Howard University, a University for colored students. Here Hon. James R. Garfield, Secretary of the Interior, presided, representing the Government, as patron ex-officio of the Board. The speakers of the day were Hon. Joseph G. Cannon, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Gen. J. Warren Kiefer. Speaker Cannon was received with a tremendous hand-clapping and cheering, which persisted throughout his inspiring speech. The demonstration ended with what is known to the students as the "Howard clap"-a rhythmical hand-clapping which ends with a shout. Gen. Kiefer made the time interesting with personal recollections of the days of the Civil War. One of the features of the meeting was the presentation of a painting by C. T. Webber "The Underground Railway." This picture depicts the aiding of a fugitive slave, and contains the portraits of Levi and Catherine Coffin, who, dur ing their life-time, assisted more than three thousand slaves to escape from bondage, and whom Harriet Beecher Stowe immortalized in her "Uncle Tom's Cabin," under the names of Simeon and Rachel Holladay-the Quaker couple who helped Eliza Harris to freedom. The presentation of the picture was made by William E. Curtis, the famous war correspondent Another presentation was that of a bronze tablet containing the Gettysburg Address, which was presented to the University by the Lincoln Educational League, of which Levi P. Morton and William Dean Howells are prominent members. At 3:30 in the afternoon, the mass-meeting of the day was held at the new Masonic Temple. This meeting was directly under the charge of Henry B. F. Macfarland, Commissioner of the District of Columbia. Coöperating with him were spe cial committees from the Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade. The result was a meeting vivid with interest, bringing together all classes and conditions of men in one united tribute to our old War President. Upon the platform, supporting Commissioner Macfarland, sat the former Commissioners of the District, the various committees in charge, and the heads of the Civil War societies. The speakers were men of national prominence, among them being the Hon. Joseph G. Cannon, Speaker of the House of Representatives; Thomas Nelson Page, the Southern writer; former Senator John B. Henderson, who penned the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution abolishing slavery; Joaquim Nabuco, Ambassador of Brazil; Justice Wendell Phillips Stafford, of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia; the Rev. J. G. Butler, who was Chaplain in several hospitals in the city during the War; and the Rev. Dr. Abram Simon, Rabbi of the Washington Hebrew Congregation. The Invocation was offered by Edward Everett Hale, Chaplain of the Senate. Bishop D. J. O'Connell, Rector of the Catholie University, pronounced the Benediction. The speech of Thomas Nelson Page was a tribute of the |