gfield; I heard him utter his simple
farewell to his friends and neighbors when he departed to assume
a task greater than any President had been called upon to assume
in our history; it was my sad duty to accompany his mortal remains
from the capital of the Nation to the capital of Illinois; and as
I gazed upon his face the last time, I thanked God it had been my
privilege to know him as a friend; and I felt then, as I more fully
realize now, that the good he had done would live through all the
ages to bless the world.

"Springfield, his only real home, the scene of his great political
triumph, was his fitting resting-place. In the midst of this great
continent his dust shall rest a sacred treasure to myriads who
shall pilgrim to his shrine to kindle anew their zeal and
patriotism.

"Again expressing regret that I can not be with you to take part
in honoring the memory of our greatest President, on the one
hundredth anniversary of his birth, and feeling sure that the
Springfield celebration will be the most notable of all, as it
should be, I remain

"Sincerely yours,
"(Signed) S. M. Cullom."

Of all the notable celebrations held on the one hundredth anniversary
of the birth of Lincoln in every part of the United States, the
Springfield observance was the most dignified and impressive; and
it was determined that on Lincoln's birthday each year, under the
auspices of the Lincoln Centennial Association, fitting memorial
exercises should take place in Springfield, to which guests and
speakers of national and international renown, from all parts of
the United States, should be invited.

Springfield has a great public library, called the "Lincoln Library,"
toward which Andrew Carnegie very generously contributed seventy-
five thousand dollars. I took considerable interest in the
Springfield Library, and I did what I could to prevail upon Mr.
Carnegie to make as generous a contribution as he would toward the
project. I remember that I wrote him a letter on the subject.

It was at first proposed by the Springfield people to name the
Library "The Lincoln-Carnegie Memorial Library"; but after Mr.
Carnegie had made his contribution, through his secretary he informed
the Rev. E. S. Walker, of Springfield, who carried on the correspondence
with him, that he would consider it a desecration to have any name
listed with that of Lincoln. "He trusts that the library will be
known as the 'Lincoln Library,' not the 'Linco