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diff --git a/old/63558-0.txt b/old/63558-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 58725ba..0000000 --- a/old/63558-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1799 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Harlow Niles Higinbotham, by Harriet Monroe - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Harlow Niles Higinbotham - A memoir with brief autobiography and extracts from speeches and letters - -Author: Harriet Monroe - -Contributor: Eugene Field - -Release Date: October 26, 2020 [EBook #63558] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HARLOW NILES HIGINBOTHAM *** - - - - -Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - HARLOW NILES HIGINBOTHAM - - -[Illustration: _HNHiginbotham_] - - - - - HARLOW NILES HIGINBOTHAM - A MEMOIR - with Brief Autobiography and Extracts - from - Speeches and Letters - - - Written and Edited - by Harriet Monroe - - - CHICAGO - 1920 - - - - - CONTENTS - - - Page - Biography 9 - - - Appendix A - - Lincoln in 1864 49 - - - Appendix B - - The power of personality 53 - - - Appendix C - - The man who did me a good turn 57 - - - Appendix D - - An inscription in a copy of “Echoes from the Sabine Farm” 61 - - - - - HARLOW NILES HIGINBOTHAM - - -Harlow Niles Higinbotham, represented, to a singular degree, the best -citizenship of the second and third half-centuries of the Republic. Born -on an Illinois farm October tenth, 1838; educated in his native state; -serving as a volunteer soldier through the Civil War; employed by a -small dry-goods house and working for it loyally and with perfect -integrity until it had become one of the greatest merchandising firms in -the world, and he one of its most active partners; responding with ardor -to every public call, whether it came from a newsboys’ and bootblacks’ -club or from the World’s Columbian Exposition; retiring from business at -sixty or more, and giving his later years, with beautiful devotion, to -his family and his favorite charities and public works; and dying at -eighty in full career and with faculties unimpaired; such a life -epitomizes the strength and character of the nation during its robust -and adventurous formative period. - -The story of his earlier years may be outlined in Mr. Higinbotham’s own -words; for a rough manuscript, autobiographical but written in the third -person, was found among his papers after his sudden death. It begins as -follows: - -“Harlow Niles Higinbotham was born on a farm near Joliet, Illinois, -October tenth, 1838. His father was Henry Dumont Higinbotham, who was -born on January tenth, 1806, and died in 1865. His mother was Rebecca -Wheeler Higinbotham. Both were born in Oneida County, New York. They -moved to a farm in the Township of Joliet, Illinois, in 1834. The -Higinbotham family came originally from Holland, removing thence to -England, thence to the Barbados Islands and from there to the United -States. - -“The farm, upon which Henry Dumont Higinbotham settled, was made up of -lands purchased from the Government by him and not previously under -cultivation. It is still in possession of the family, enlarged by -purchases and inheritance from the late Mrs. Harlow N. Higinbotham’s -estate; her son, Harlow Davison Higinbotham, being the present owner and -resident. For years a beautiful feature of it has been the carnation -greenhouses—for the subject of this memoir made that flower his special -hobby, and propagated many new varieties. - -“Henry Dumont Higinbotham built and operated saw-mills with water-power -furnished by Hickory Creek, a stream that runs through the farm. In the -early days farmers for many miles brought their wheat and corn there to -be ground, and his compensation was a percentage of the grain brought, -called toll. This he ground, and sold as flour and meal. He also kept -cattle and hogs that were fattened by feeding at or near the mill, the -tailings being used in part for that purpose. Being one of the early -settlers in that section, he was looked upon with reverence by his -neighbors, and was always called ‘Uncle Henry’ and his wife ‘Aunt -Rebecca.’ - -“When Harlow N. Higinbotham was a small boy the farther fence of his -father’s farm was the last evidence of civilization in that direction. -In later years he used to say: ‘I remember going with my father when he -went out to erect a flag-pole in the middle of the prairie as a -preliminary for a wolf-hunt that was held at least once each year. On a -given morning all the settlers would start on horseback, with dogs and -guns and horns, from the outer edge of a circle having a radius of ten -or more miles, and work towards the center, where the flag-pole had been -erected. In this way wild animals would be driven into a pocket, -surrounded and killed. This was made necessary to protect the sheep, -swine and poultry of the settlers. I have seen wolves kill our sheep in -our own fields.’” - -In one of his addresses is another reference to his early life: - -“Our fathers were pioneers on the prairies of Illinois. There we early -learned the lessons of Nature, and recognized and loved the message that -the recurring seasons had for us. The flowers of the field and the -forest were our companions, and we knew when and where to look for them; -we knew the habit and habitat of each, and they were an open book to us. -We knew the birds, and were not long in discovering that by their flight -and their notes we could tell the season, and almost the hour of the -day. When we heard in the field the love-note of the pinnated grouse, or -in the woods heard the drumming of his ruffed cousin on the logs, we -knew it was time to plough and plant. An approaching storm was announced -with certainty by the coming of the quail from his seclusion in the -thicket to a position where he could make his message heard. The -crooning of the cricket, and the call of the katydid, each had a meaning -and message that we understood. These constituted the catechism from -which we learned to believe in Deity, and the larger and diviner life -for man.” - -To return to the autobiography: - -“The farm was about three miles east of the village of Joliet, and the -early schools were the ordinary district schools with one teacher for a -few months in each year. In winter they used to have spelling contests -every week in one of the three schools located at three points of a -triangle named Jericho, Babylon, and Bagdad. Harlow had the distinction -of being the champion speller when he was so small that he had to stand -on a box to be as high as the others in the class. - -“In order to give his children a better school, Henry Dumont Higinbotham -built a house in the village of Joliet about 1855 and moved there. This -was his home until his death in 1865. - -“In 1857 the nineteen-year-old youth accepted a position as bookkeeper -and teller in a bank in Joliet, after which he was cashier of the Bank -of Oconto, at Oconto, Wisconsin. In 1860 he became entry clerk, -bookkeeper and cashier for Cooley, Farwell & Company, wholesale -dry-goods dealers in Chicago, a city he had first discovered long before -from the top of a load of hay which he had brought there to sell as a -boy. In 1862 he left Chicago to go to the Civil War. - -“He first enlisted in the Mercantile Battery, but was rejected on -account of poor health. Then he obtained a position as clerk in the -Quartermaster’s Department, and went to Clarksburg, West Virginia. His -service there being much in the open and on horseback, his health was -restored. While there he organized a company of infantry, as a guard to -protect Clarksburg as a base for supplies for the United States army, -which was always in the mountains, frequently leaving its base -unprotected. He was captain of this company, which was called the Kelley -Guards, General Kelley then being in command of the department. While in -Chicago Mr. Higinbotham had belonged to the old Zouaves, and had been -drilled in the manual of arms and company formation and tactics. The -Government supplied the Kelley Guards with arms and ammunition, and -their presence perhaps prevented raids that might have been made. The -company was made up of men employed in the Quartermaster’s and -Commissary departments. - -“In 1863 and 1864 Higinbotham served in like capacity in Kentucky and -Tennessee, and concluded his service at Hagerstown, Maryland, at the -close of the war. - -“Returning to Chicago in 1865, he engaged as bookkeeper with the new -firm just commencing business as Field, Palmer & Leiter. This firm -changed in 1867 to Field, Leiter & Co., and a few years later to the -present firm of Marshall Field & Co. Mr. Higinbotham was a member of -that firm and remained in that business until he retired in 1902. In his -later years he was the only original member of that firm still living.” - -On December seventh, 1865, occurred his marriage to Miss Rachel Davison, -of Joliet. Her mother was Priscilla Moore, whose ancestors were of -Scotch descent, and came to this country in 1723, settling in -Londonderry, N. H. The two had been acquainted since childhood, their -fathers’ farms being side by side. They attended the same school, and -later, when Rachel Davison was the belle of Joliet, their friendship -grew and culminated in their marriage. Six children—two sons and four -daughters—were born of this union. Two of the daughters died in infancy. -The four surviving are Harlow Davison Higinbotham, Henry Mortimer -Higinbotham, Florence, wife of Richard T. Crane, Jr., and Alice, wife of -Joseph Medill Patterson. - -During the presidential campaign of 1864, when a large parade was to be -held in Joliet in honor of McClellan and Pendleton, the democratic -candidates, Rachel Davison had been selected to head it because of her -great beauty and fine horsemanship; and this beauty remained with her -until her death on June twenty-fifth, 1909. - -Although modest and shy, Mrs. Higinbotham was a strong personality. She -cared little for social life, never seeking conspicuous position, her -home and children being always uppermost in her thoughts. Her sense of -duty, and her thrift when a young matron, aided her husband to attain an -influential position in the community. She exerted a strong influence, -and during their life together was companion, adviser, and assistant in -large business undertakings and in philanthropic work. Like him, she was -always kind, and always mindful of those in need. - -During the World’s Fair, her gracious hospitality made their home the -centre of Chicago’s social life. Their house on Michigan Avenue, -designed in early French renaissance by F. Meredith Whitehouse, was a -charming setting for the many entertainments given for distinguished -visitors. - -We now return to Mr. Higinbotham’s narrative: - -“At the time of the Chicago fire on October ninth, 1871, Higinbotham was -in charge of the Insurance and Accounting Department of the business of -Field, Leiter & Co., and was only an employe of the firm. Without -waiting for instructions, he went to their barns and called out all the -drivers with their teams; and he and they went at once to the store and -commenced carting away the most valuable goods to a point south of the -fire limit or belt. They continued this all night, and at the same time, -by changing blankets in the windows and keeping them wet, they kept off -the fire until it had passed them on the opposite side of State Street, -gone north a mile or more and burned the city waterworks. This occurred -at about seven in the morning of October tenth, Higinbotham’s -thirty-third birthday. - -“With their water supply thus cut off, they were helpless and had to -abandon the store and its contents to the fire that slowly backed up -from the north and drove them out. A later inventory showed that they -had saved a little over six hundred thousand dollars’ worth of goods, -their proofs of loss showed that a little over two million and a half -had been burned, and their insurance amounted to nineteen hundred -thousand dollars. This would indicate a loss of six hundred thousand -dollars. It was, however, much greater for the reason that many of the -insurance companies were unable to pay their obligations, a number not -more than ten cents on the dollar. A portion of the saved goods were in -the car barns at Twentieth and State Streets, some in a wooden church at -Thirty-second Street and South Park Avenue. Higinbotham’s home was then -on Prairie Avenue near Twenty-seventh Street. - -“Higinbotham went from the fire directly to Mr. Leiter’s home, and told -him of a plan he had formed for the re-establishment of the business. -Mr. Leiter threw up both hands and exclaimed, ‘Oh, Higinbotham! It is -too early to make plans—Chicago is gone!’ Mr. Higinbotham replied, ‘No, -no—we have got to do these things anyway.’ His plan was for Mr. Field to -give his attention to finding a place wherein to re-establish the -business; Mr. Leiter was to take charge of the saved goods, and have -them inventoried so that the inventory would show the contents of each -case. Higinbotham had in mind the adjusting of the loss, as that was one -of the first essentials. Mr. Willing, a junior partner, was to go to -Valparaiso, Indiana, stop all goods coming from the east, and warehouse -and insure them until the Company was ready to have them sent in. Mr. -Higinbotham was to take his family and Mr. Leiter’s, and all the -bookkeepers and books of account, cash and valuable papers, and go at -once to Joliet and there remain until a place had been arranged for at -least an office in the city. This plan, which was formulated while he -was saving the goods, was carried out in every particular. In Joliet the -office of Field, Leiter & Co. was for two weeks in his mother’s house, -and she took care of a number of the bookkeepers during their stay. He -then went with his wife and baby to Cincinnati, St. Louis and San -Francisco to adjust and collect insurance. A number of the companies in -these cities having no agencies in Chicago had failed. It was his -business to ascertain how much their assets would pay, collect the money -and return as quickly as possible. - -“The business was soon re-established, and went through that year with a -net profit of over three hundred thousand dollars, notwithstanding that -two and a half millions had been burned up in a single night. It was -then that Mr. Leiter said, ‘Higinbotham, we are going to give you an -interest in this business!’ meaning, of course, a share in the profits. -Later he was made a partner and remained in the firm until 1902.” - -Unfortunately, Mr. Higinbotham’s sudden death prevented his completing -this autobiographical sketch with any fulness of detail. We have merely -a few rough notes—two or three typewritten pages—in regard to his public -activities, of which his work for the World’s Columbian Exposition was -the most important. - -From the first he was an enthusiast in this movement for a fit -celebration of the great quadri-centennial anniversary, and for the -location of the world festival in Chicago. As he said years after, at a -banquet to a group of Japanese commissioners, who were promoting a -proposed exposition in Tokio: “In the years preceding our Columbian -festival, peace reigned throughout the world. It was an opportune time -for the assembling of the animate and inanimate parliaments, a time for -the world to pause, take account of stock, to note progress in all the -things that make for peace and humanity’s good; a time for the exchange -of greetings between the peoples and the nations of the earth. You will -all remember with what zeal Chicago entered into competition for the -honor of being the host on that occasion. You will also remember the -satisfaction and pride that filled our hearts when we had won the -distinguished honor, and the heroic efforts we put forth to fulfil our -pledge. To the older civilizations of the world it seemed presumptuous -that a new city in a far country should appear in such a role. Our -nearer neighbors predicted failure, and this stimulated us to greater -effort; with a result that it is not even necessary to refer to, except -in so far as to show its beneficent influence and substantial value to -the world.” - -And this further extract from the address shows that his motive was not -merely local, that his vision embraced a world-wide ideal of humane -values involved in these great festivals of peace: - -“The International Exposition, where the richest and rarest products -meet in friendly competition, where the ripest wisdom of the ages is -represented by the scholars and thinkers of all the world, cannot but -result in great and lasting good and in promoting peace and good will. - -“The Exposition stands at the meeting of the world’s highways, where -gather the nations of the earth, burdened each with the evidences of its -newest and noblest achievements. It is an epitome of the world’s -progress, a history and a prophecy. - -“The latest discoveries, the newest inventions, the triumphs in art, in -science, in education, in the solution of social and even of religious -problems, are here arrayed; whatever testifies to the industry, the -skill, the creative and almost divine power of human thought when -stimulated to its most earnest endeavors. - -“The more we share with others the good we possess, the more shall they -share with us the things and thoughts that make for peace with them. The -more we all strive for the common good, the nearer we shall attain to -universal brotherhood.” - -Thus inspired, he was deeply engaged in the enterprise from the first. -In 1890 he had much to do with securing from Congress the honor of -holding the Exposition in Chicago. After it was so decided, he was -commissioned to go abroad to promote interest in the Fair—was a director -and a member of important committees—Finance, Ways and Means, Foreign -Exhibits; and later, in August, 1892, was made President of the -Directory and Chairman of the Council of Administration, a body of four, -chosen half from the Directory and half from the National Commission -created by Congress. This Council was clothed with the full power of all -other bodies and committees, and charged with the completion and -administration of the Exposition at a time when the treasury was empty -and the enterprise was thought to be a failure. During that summer Mr. -Marshall Field, Mr. Higinbotham’s partner and head of the firm, was -absent in Germany; and he withheld his consent to Mr. Higinbotham’s -accepting the Presidency, because he felt that the probable failure of -the enterprise would reflect on their business. To convince him, Mr. -Higinbotham wrote him the exact status of the Fair, what he thought he -could do with it if Mr. Field would consent, and his reluctance to -refuse his services at a time of crisis. - -In regard to this, Mr. Higinbotham has stated: “I remember saying that -he would not be glad he lived in Chicago if the Fair was a failure, and -his property would not be worth half as much. I also wrote him how many -people would attend the Fair and how much we would receive from -concessions, estimating about as follows: - - Admissions, 22,000,000 $11,000,000 - Concessions 4,000,000 - Residuum, Building Material, etc. 1,000,000 - ——————————— - $16,000,000 - - “Then I wrote him that it would cost to complete and - administer the Fair 9,000,000 - ——————————— - and we would have $7,000,000 - -to pay back to bondholders and stockholders. These were arguments that -he could understand when far away, and he cabled me, ‘All right, go -ahead.’ I did, and we made the prognosis good and a little more. I wish -I had time, space and patience to tell you how I based my estimates for -attendance, and then tell you how hard I worked to make it all come -true. The other members of the Council of Administration agreed at the -first meeting to stand by and support me all the time and always. This -they did, with the result that at the conclusion, with six thousand -written pages, we did not have a single negative vote recorded in the -minutes of our meetings. The members of the Council of Administration, -besides the Chairman, were: George V. Massey of Dover, Delaware; J. W. -St. Clair of West Virginia and Charles H. Schwab of Chicago.” - -Mr. Massey, the only surviving one of the four, corroborates this -assertion of harmony, and adds the following appreciation of his dead -colleague’s services: - -“As one of his associates in the Council, I was afforded exceptional -opportunity to become acquainted with his wonderful capacity for -effective work along the most judicious and practical lines; and the -knowledge of his envied characteristics, thereby derived, warrants the -statement that the successful results of the Exhibition were more -largely attributable to his untiring and energetic efforts than to any -other official related to the undertaking.” - -The year or two covered by those six thousand pages of minutes was a -period of dramatic intensity for the man at the head of the vast -enterprise. The local Board of Directors, composed of Chicago business -men, was the great working body which organized, paid for, and ran the -Fair, the National Commission being a more or less ornamental consort -appointed by the Government to give the Exposition authority and dignity -in the eyes of the invited nations. When Mr. Higinbotham, on August -eighteenth, 1892, accepted the presidency of the Directory, after the -successive resignations of Lyman J. Gage and William T. Baker, the early -local enthusiasm had given way to despondency, for the impression had -gathered force that soaring expenses could never be met even to the -extent of repaying the bonded indebtedness, not to speak of the -stockholders. - -As president of the Board of Directors, Chairman of the Council of -Administration, and member of the Bureau of Admissions and Collections, -Mr. Higinbotham held three offices, each involving “heavy -responsibilities which could not be delegated, resting upon powers which -were ill-defined, yet were co-extensive with the purposes of the -company’s incorporation.” For over two years these duties required his -entire time—often from twelve to sixteen hours out of the -twenty-four—and more than a man’s due share of physical and mental -energy. - -The story is told with outward completeness in the “Report of the -President to the Board of Directors of the World’s Columbian -Exposition,” a volume of 323 octavo pages (exclusive of appendices) -written in that clear, concise and vivid narrative style which was -always at Mr. Higinbotham’s command. Outward completeness only, for one -must read between the lines of any formal report to discover the -heart-story involved; and in this case, as in all Mr. Higinbotham’s -activities, the heart-story was the central motive. - -He undertook this public service from the purest instinct of civic pride -and loyalty—love of his city and state, pride in the great festival and -delight in the ideal involved—its consummation of democracy in beauty -representing the union of many creative wills. The Exposition was the -first effort of our American democracy to achieve, in any large sense, -such a consummation. Thus, to any man of vision, it was prophetic of a -new era, and worthy of all that the individual could give. Mr. -Higinbotham’s gift was an indomitable will and a mind trained to -finance, knowledge of men, quick decision of difficult problems, and -unfailing resource in initiative. - -One cannot tell the whole long story here, but a few characteristic -incidents may be referred to. The electric light contest, for example, -illustrates Mr. Higinbotham’s skill and patience in handling would-be -profiteers—for public spirit among contractors was not the universal -rule. At this time, the spring of 1892, he was vice-president of the -Board of Directors, but acting as president in Mr. Baker’s absence. -Powerful companies in collusion presented bids averaging $18.00 per -incandescent lamp for the six months the Fair was to endure; but by -playing other companies against them, and refusing to be stampeded into -immediate action, he gradually reduced this bid to $5.95 per lamp, and -finally gave the contract to another company at a still lower figure. In -the end the sum paid for the entire service was $399,000, as against the -$1,675,720, originally demanded. - -Indeed the financial history of the Fair was one long series of contests -and anxieties for its president. Again and again the enterprise would -have failed for lack of funds if the situation had been less skilfully -handled; and although failure would have meant national dishonor, the -Congress at Washington did not show any proper sense of partnership in a -great national festival which was to cost over twenty-eight millions. -Instead of the five millions which had been listed for eight months in -the appropriation bill and counted upon with reasonable assurance, the -government at last, during the hot summer of 1892, compromised on two -millions and a half in souvenir coins of uncertain sale; and afterwards, -at a moment of imminent financial crisis, it withheld more than a fifth -of that sum ($570,880) to pay the expenses of its own department of -awards, a department over which the Directory had no jurisdiction -whatever. - -What this cost the company’s president during the following months of -enormous expenditure, when construction bills for material and labor had -to be met if the work was to go on, can hardly be estimated. The year -from August, 1892, to August, 1893, was a time of incredible strain for -the man at the helm. The writer vividly remembers a chance meeting with -Mr. Higinbotham in July, 1893. Although she had felt that the attendance -thus far was slight, she had not realized the financial issue involved. -One glance at the familiar face, however, informed her of the danger; -gave her an emotion of anxiety which she will never forget. The face, -usually smiling and even tender with friends, was white and stern and -drawn; incredibly strong and firm, but cold and hard; the face of a ship -captain through a tornado, of a general when the battle seems going -wrong; recording a moment when individual emotion was swallowed up in -the tragic passion of leadership through imminent disaster. - -Fortunately this long and ever increasing strain began to diminish soon -after. In August the gate receipts began to creep up, so that the -bondholders became less clamorous and the Board of Directors less -apprehensive; and the phenomenal “Chicago Day” attendance of October -ninth—the twenty-second anniversary of the Fire which a young employe -had fought for Field, Leiter & Co.—a day when 761,942 persons went -through the turn-stiles, enabled the Treasurer of the Exposition to pay -the bondholders in full. - -But finances were only one detail, though of course the most important, -the most fundamental, to the responsible Company and its president. -Other issues involved brought less anxiety and more joy, introducing an -infinite variety of experience and motive into the life of a -middle-western American merchant. Of these were the president’s -relations with the board of architects, those distinguished artists from -far and near who designed and built the Fair. In this connection may be -mentioned his life-long loyalty to the memory of John Wellborn Root, the -first consulting architect, who made the ground plan of the Fair, -admittedly a master-piece of great-festival design, but suddenly died—in -January, 1891—before he could lead in carrying it out. Mr. Higinbotham, -to the end of his life, loyally insisted on ascribing the beauty of the -Fair chiefly to the genius of this man, contending always against rival -claims and the forgetfulness of time. - -The aesthetic and picturesque aspects of the Fair building included also -personal relations—which often, to a warm-hearted man like Mr. -Higinbotham, became friendships—with painters, sculptors, musicians, -even poets; with foreign Commissioners, government and state officials; -with eager concessionaires from far and near; indeed with all the -various types of human self-interest and idealistic enthusiasm which a -vast festival gathers together. In each case the president, in his -council of four, must hold the even scales of justice, settling all -disputes aesthetic or temporal, and getting or giving a reasonable price -for what was granted or secured. - -Many of these disputes were little less than agonies to the persons -involved, and in these cases Mr. Higinbotham’s quick sympathies became -deeply engaged, and he spent over them many hours which should have been -given to sleep. One such incident may be briefly dwelt upon, not because -it was more important than others, but because it was typical of -countless minor disputes which went for final settlement to the Council -of Administration, and because the writer, as the author of the poem -involved, happens to know about it. - -This was the “Columbian Ode” episode—a story which Mr. Higinbotham -delighted to tell to the end of his life. This poem had been unanimously -requested of the author by the Committee on Ceremonies and definitely -accepted by that body for the great day of the Dedication of -Buildings—the four-hundredth anniversary of the Discovery of America. -But a small group in the committee suddenly ceased to favor the poem, -and set up a violent opposition in the effort to have it annulled as a -feature of the Dedication Day program. The dispute became so bitter that -a peaceful decision in the Committee became impossible, and the matter -was referred to the Council of Administration for settlement. - -This was in mid-September, 1892—the Dedication of Buildings was only a -month away. The writer, who had just returned from a summer outing, was -summoned to present her side of the question at an evening session of -the Council of Administration. At this time she had never met Mr. -Higinbotham, who took the chair soon after her arrival—a simple, quiet -man in the prime of life, of slight figure, fine shapely head, regular -features rather delicate in contour, and dark wavy hair and beard -streaked with a few threads of gray. Near him were two other members of -the Council of Administration. - -It was strictly a business session, and the writer was interested to -observe how simply and easily various widely differing details were -disposed of, either directly or by reference to individuals or -committees; details of the roofing contract, the power plants, the -sewerage system; applications from would-be concessionaires; and -Dedication Day arrangements—program-printing, livery charges, the -military procession, plans for transporting and seating the vast throng -of over an hundred thousand persons who were being invited to assemble -under the lofty glazed and vaulted roof of the Manufacturers’ Building, -to celebrate the quadri-centennial anniversary of one of the supreme -events in the history of the world. And one of these details was the -dispute, inherited from the Committee on Ceremonies, about the -“Columbian Ode”—whether or not a portion of it should be read and sung -before the great audience on the great day. - -The opponents presented their case; they were not satisfied with either -the author, who should have been a poet of distinction like the aged -Whittier, or the ode itself, which was too long for the occasion, and -which contained, moreover, a sixty-line tribute to a deceased relative -of the author—a tribute which she had declined to omit. - -The writer met these objections as well as she could, pointing out -especially that the tribute in question—to the Fair’s first -architect-in-chief—was due to his memory on this great day, especially -as it was only three lines and a half long instead of the sixty-four -complained of. - -Mr. Higinbotham asked the writer to read the questioned tribute, and -then remarked: “It’s hardly enough to say of the great architect who -planned the Fair, whose death at his post during that first year was the -heaviest blow it could possibly have received. A poem for this -dedication which did not refer to him would be gravely defective, in my -opinion.” - -Mr. Higinbotham used to say afterwards: “Her poem had been asked for, -approved by experts and accepted by the Committee on Ceremonies, and I -made up my mind that as much of it should be read as we had time for in -the program, including the tribute to John Root.” And it was so ordered. - -At last the long anticipated anniversary arrived. It is impossible to -exaggerate the beauty of the late October day, the dramatic splendor of -the festival, or the ardent spirit of that vivid audience, whose gay -colors fluttered into rainbow brilliancy as the sun struck down through -the glass roof. Mr. Higinbotham wrote in his report: - -“The scene in the Manufacturers’ Building will never be forgotten by -those who witnessed it. The grand platform was occupied by officers of -the national government, members of the diplomatic corps, officers of -the various States, senators and representatives, directors and -commissioners. The eye and brain could scarcely comprehend the vastness -of the audience stretching out before this platform. There was little -motion, but the air was resonant with an indescribable hum of voices. At -the south end of the building the chorus of five thousand persons seemed -but a mere island in an ocean of humanity.” - -Mr. Higinbotham’s share of the program was a quiet speech in which he -accepted the completed grounds and buildings from Daniel H. Burnham, -Director of Works, saluted “the master artists of construction” whom the -Director had presented, and offered to him for distribution the medals -which had been struck off by the Directory for presentation to the -artists of the Fair. Everyone noted the simple dignity of his bearing -and speech on this conspicuous occasion. - -I have already referred to the anxieties of the Fair’s president during -the nine months which followed the Dedication. The reward for his long -labor came during the last three months of the gorgeous festival, when -he could enjoy the beauty and share the gay spirit of that ephemeral -White City which he had done so much to create. For, though there have -been world’s fairs before and since the Columbian, no other has rivalled -it in delicate Venetian magic. No other has attempted its inter-weaving -of water-ways among buildings and colonnades, whose shining day-time -beauty turned to glory at night, when the long rows of lights trailed -their golden fringes in the wide lagoons. Mr. Higinbotham delighted in -the joy of the people as the festive spirit of the crowd rose and -gathered force during those last months of the gala season. - -The most important social event of the Exposition season was the banquet -given by the Board of Directors on October eleventh to the Commissioners -of foreign nations. The great Music Hall on the grounds was transformed -into a brilliantly lit bower of ferns, palms and flowers for this -occasion, fitly adorned with the flags of the forty-eight nations and -the yellow and white banners of the Exposition. Mr. Higinbotham, as -presiding officer, opened the exchange of compliments with a brief -salutation, and the program closed with his address on “The Future -Influence of the Exposition,” of which a few sentences may be quoted: - -“The impress of our work will be so delicately and imperceptibly woven -into the fabric of the future that it will have a finer and more -beautiful texture. It will sink deep into the minds of the learned and -unlearned alike. It will stimulate the youth of this and later -generations to greater and more heroic effort. It will give to the -wheels of commerce a new impetus; thereby bring the people of the earth -into more intimate and, I trust, happier relations. - -“Let us hope that future generations will look back to this place with -reverence, satisfaction and pride, as the spot where was laid the deep -foundation of a monument that should mark the dawn of a new era, -emphasizing the benign influence of the gospel of peace, the fatherhood -of God, and the brotherhood of man. Let us indulge the fond hope that -its influence will increase until it encircles the globe and encompasses -the race. - -“I have long sought for some consolation to justify the imminent -destruction of our beautiful city, and I can find only this thought as -comforting: - -“Whenever a people have gained distinction by the creation of some -specially meritorious work, have declared it finished, and then rested -to contemplate its grandeur and magnificence, feeling that there was -nothing greater for them to do, they have fallen into a condition of -decay, and from that time become effeminate. It is better, therefore, -for us to efface our work, and cease to delude ourselves with the -thought that there is nothing for us, and those that come after us, to -do. Let us rather hope that what we have done will live, as a -stepping-stone to grander and more heroic efforts, compensated with -richer and rarer fruits. Let us not take to ourselves the credit, and -seek to magnify unduly our creation; if it has merit and excellence it -will speak for and defend itself. Let us rather rejoice in the thought -that what has been done is the culmination of a period in the progress -of the world; that especially it declares and emphasizes the wisdom of -our fathers in the creation of a government founded on the broad and -enduring principles of human liberty. - -“These buildings will disappear and mingle with our dust, but their -glory will ever live, and continue to mark an era in the progress of -civilization long after their creators have been forgotten. - -“There is a sense in which the material side of our work seems -insignificant; compared to the kindly feeling that has been augmented by -the gathering of representatives of the nations of the earth it is of -slight importance. The culmination of these close relations of the heart -will have more lasting benefit, will permeate more peoples, enduring -through all time, and growing brighter and brighter unto the perfect -day.” - -In every detail of his connection with the national festival, Mr. -Higinbotham was an effective presiding officer. While making no pretense -of oratory in addressing an audience, his personal distinction of manner -and the quiet earnestness of his voice added to the force and beauty of -a diction concise and vivid. In closer contacts he never lost his -patience, yet never retreated from a just decision. In the personal -intimacies which developed with all kinds of people, he was unfailingly -sympathetic and generous; and when these ripened into friendship, his -warm-hearted loyalty became a precious possession in his own spirit and -in those it honored. - -On May first, 1895, the Board of Directors presented a silver vase as a -testimonial to their president, his work now almost over. Their -spokesman, Edwin Walker, in the course of his address, said: - -“I am commissioned by all who are or have been Directors to make, in -their name, public recognition of the invaluable services of our -President, Harlow N. Higinbotham. We all recognize his incessant labor, -his zeal and loyalty, from the first organization of the Board, but more -especially from the date of his official relations until the present -time. He is still our President. - -“Possibly in some respects I have more intimate knowledge of the -magnitude of his labors than other members of the Board, on account of -the close relations of our official positions; but we all know that -during the lifetime of the Exposition proper the cares and -responsibilities of his office were almost beyond human endurance. He -brought to the work all his mental and physical strength, his integrity -of character, and all the elements of a generous manhood. His work did -not close with the Exposition. He was charged with the settlement and -adjustment of a large proportion of the varied claims made against the -Exposition. These labors have been especially annoying and perplexing. - -“But the end of all his and our special work is rapidly approaching. -Within a reasonable time we shall be able, as a corporation, to -surrender back to the people the trust confided to us, with the hope -that all the people will give us the credit of having assumed and -honestly discharged a public duty and great public trust. - -“And now, President Higinbotham, in behalf of your friends of the -Directory, I present this testimonial. I repeat the inscription engraved -thereon as the better expression of the earnest appreciation by your -friends, of your unswerving fidelity to official duty: - -“‘By this testimonial, the Directors record their thorough appreciation -of the untiring labors, and unselfish devotion to official duty, of -their President, Harlow N. Higinbotham—a souvenir of pleasant -associations, abiding friendships, and of the inspiration, -administration, and glorious ending of the World’s Columbian Exposition -of 1893.’” - -In closing this chapter of his life we must, for the moment, pass over a -quarter-century to that May-day of 1918 when Daniel Chester French’s -statue of the Republic was dedicated in Jackson Park as a memorial of -the Exposition. To reproduce in bronze of heroic size this figure, which -had dominated the Court of Honor in 1893, the last residue of Exposition -funds was used, Mr. Higinbotham having successfully resisted numerous -efforts to spend the money less fitly. All the members of the old Board -of Directors who were alive and in Chicago surrounded its president as -his little grand-daughters, Florence Crane and Priscilla Higinbotham, -unveiled the monument, and portions of the “Columbian Ode” were read by -its author. - -Mr. Higinbotham made the following address, which happened to be his -last public utterance: - -“It is my pleasure to deliver into the care and keeping of the South -Park Commissioners this statue. It has been created as a memorial of the -Exposition held here a quarter of a century ago to celebrate the -Four-hundredth Anniversary of the Discovery of America by Columbus. The -Discovery and the celebration four hundred years later, in which the -peoples of the earth so generously united, are landmarks, milestones, on -the highway of civilization. - -“This statue is intended to commemorate both events, and is in such form -as to do them the highest honor. It is made of purest metal. It is of -heroic size, thus indicating that the events it commemorates were -notable. It is in the image of a woman, typifying purity, strength, -motherhood. Thus it suggests those qualities that in all the ages have -commanded love and respect. - -“I cannot allow this last opportunity to speak of the World’s Columbian -Exposition to pass without paying tribute to its high purpose, its -beauty and beneficent influence. It sprang into being under -circumstances and conditions that made it akin to a miracle. A new city -in a far country was responsible for its conception, creation, and -administration. Its magnificence caused the world to wonder and almost -worship. Its Court of Honor will be remembered as worthy of a place -beside the most beautiful creations of man. It won the smile of the -world and had the blessing and benediction of the Divine. Its author did -not live to witness its grandeur. The ‘Columbian Ode’ said of him: - - ‘Beauty opened wide her starry way, - And he passed on.’ - -“The unanimity with which the Nations of the Earth united in the -celebration is an indication of the value that the Discovery of the New -World was to mankind in its onward march.” - -Soon after the close of the Exposition Mr. Higinbotham returned to -active business. Unfortunately that part of his life is less a matter of -public record, and in its history the present writer is wholly -uninformed and incompetent. She once read an article by Mr. Higinbotham, -intended for young would-be merchants, which set forth so clearly the -qualities of mind and temperament required for such a career, and -described many typical incidents so picturesquely, as to convince her -that its author should use his literary gift to tell the whole dramatic -story of the growth of the great business which engaged him for nearly -forty years—from its small local beginning with Field, Palmer & Leiter -in 1865, to the enormous world-wide commerce of Marshall Field & Co. -from which he retired in 1902. Such a story would be, in effect, a -commercial history of the great formative period of the nation, and its -value can hardly be estimated. - -Mr. Higinbotham’s public activities did not cease with the World’s Fair. -After its close, the Field Columbian Museum of Natural History was -organized, and he served for seventeen years as its president. For its -occupancy the authorities reserved, during a quarter-century, the -beautiful Fine Arts Building of the Exposition, from which it removed, -in 1920, to the permanent structure south of Grant Park. To this museum -its president contributed not only seventeen years of devoted service, -but also the collection of precious stones made by Tiffany & Co. for the -Exposition, which was installed as the Gem Collection in Higinbotham -Hall. - -Indeed, during the last twenty-five years of Mr. Higinbotham’s life, -most of his leisure was devoted to the people of Chicago, especially the -poor and suffering. In 1897 President McKinley offered to appoint him -Ambassador to France, but excessive modesty, and love of his own place, -caused him to decline. When the city proposed to spend thirty-five -million dollars for a new drainage district, and the project was in -danger of capture by incompetent politicians, he was active in -organizing a non-partisan opposition, and accepted membership in a -nominating committee which presented to the voters an able and -incorruptible group of six candidates. Then, as chairman of the Finance -Committee, he personally collected thirty thousand dollars for campaign -expenses, and conducted a whirlwind campaign of only thirty days which -resulted in the election of the entire independent ticket. Thus the city -was assured not only proper economy, but such professional competence in -the construction of the Drainage Canal as should insure the future -health of its citizens. This was but one instance of his many -inconspicuous but valuable public services. - -Besides countless private philanthropies, certain charitable -institutions deeply engaged his interest. For many years he was -president of Hahnemann Hospital and of the Newsboys’ and Bootblacks’ -Association; and he organized, and was the first president of the -Municipal Tuberculosis Sanitarium, located on a tract of one hundred and -sixty acres in the northwestern part of the city. - -But the Home for Incurables was his best beloved philanthropy—if one can -call by that name a veritable child of his spirit which engaged his love -and devotion for nearly forty years. When he was first importuned, in -1880, to become a member of the board of such an institution, which had -then gone no further than to take out incorporation papers, he felt that -he could not consent, in justice to other charitable institutions with -which he was connected, not to speak of the arduous and exacting duties -of his private business. - -However, he was persuaded, and duly elected, made chairman of a finance -committee, and soon succeeded to the presidency, which he held until his -death. Within a few days he had raised thirteen thousand dollars and -rented a vacant house at Fullerton and Racine Avenues. This first Home -ran along with some difficulty until 1887, when under the will of Mrs. -Clarissa C. Peck, an eastern woman, it fell heir to over six hundred -thousand dollars. Mr. Higinbotham became president of the nine trustees -under this will, and at once property was purchased and buildings -erected at Ellis Avenue and Fifty-sixth Street, the present location. -The property has been increased by numerous bequests—notably six hundred -thousand dollars from Otto Young and a quarter of a million each from -Albert Keep and Daniel B. Shipman—until its value is now nearly two -million dollars. - -A little while before Mr. Higinbotham’s death he said: “Since the -Chicago Home for Incurables was opened in 1890, it has had but one -superintendent, Mr. Frank D. Mitchell; one matron, Miss Hattie I. -Miller; one physician, Dr. W. P. Goodsmith; and one president. And they -are all still on duty.” - -Miss Eleanor Quin, secretary to Mr. Higinbotham for the past ten years, -is still assisting; without these people, whose love and devotion has -been unfailing, the work could not have been carried on successfully. - -It is difficult to follow without emotion the story of Mr. Higinbotham’s -devotion to the Home. From the time of his retirement from business in -1902, it became, after his family, the chief interest of his mind and -heart, with which nothing was allowed to interfere. When in town he made -daily visits, always becoming personally acquainted with—indeed, the -friend of—each inmate, and cheering them all on with unfailing sympathy -and humor. The coldness of many institutional “charities” was never -allowed to enter here, and the love which rewarded him in life, and -mourned his death, was pathetic in its fervor. - -When the death of other early benefactors had made him the sole -survivor, he presented to the Home, as a memorial to those who had been -associated with him in its establishment, a bronze tablet bearing the -following inscription: - - A. D. 1909 - - “This tablet is placed in loving memory of those good and faithful - women and men who gave unselfishly of themselves, and generously of - their means, for the establishment of this Home. Their names are not - recorded here. Yonder in the Infinite they are written on pages more - glorious and far more enduring. This tablet is the gift and the - tribute of one who knew them well and loved them fondly. - - “May patience and peace and plenty ever abide within its walls. - - “May those who suffer and those who serve, those who sing and those - who pray, as well as those who, unable to do more, stand by and - cheer, be equally blessed. - - “May this great city, and all the agencies here employed to heal the - sick, alleviate suffering and advance the interest of humanity, be - prospered always.” - -Among the many incidents which portray the tenderness of his nature was -one relating to a poor woman in the Cook County Hospital, who, when told -that Mr. Higinbotham had come to see her, said: “Is this really Mr. -Higinbotham!” Bursting into tears, she drew from beneath her pillow his -picture, cut from a newspaper which she had carried many years, as a -help to make her patient in suffering, as an inspiration to be gentle -and kind. Many other stories of his kindness to those in sickness and -distress might be told; particularly details of his daily visits to the -Home for Incurables. - -A few other incidents may be mentioned to illustrate further Mr. -Higinbotham’s keen sympathies and his untiring activity in obeying their -commands. The case of Leo Frank, whose conviction he felt to be unjust, -interested him so deeply that, unsolicited, he went to Atlanta to -intercede with the Governor and the Commission for his life. His efforts -were successful, as the sentence was commuted and Frank was removed to -another city; but the lynching of the prisoner soon after prevented -further action in his favor. - -Many men now prominent in affairs tell with what kindly sympathy and -affection Mr. Higinbotham aided them in youth. Among these, one who -early entered the credit department of Marshall Field & Co. says: “I -never knew a man so sympathetic with boys; he never tired of helping -young men to get a start in life, and no one could show more tact, -perseverance and energy in their service.” - -A friend tells a story of one of the walking-trips which were Mr. -Higinbotham’s favorite athletic diversion; for three times—in 1862, 1886 -and 1897—he tramped over the mountains of West Virginia, a distance of -one hundred and sixty-five miles, either alone or in company; this -besides many shorter mountain tramps. The story illustrates not only his -love of boys, but his determination to overcome all obstacles. - -“Two young employes at Field’s planned to take a walking-trip, and asked -for the necessary vacation. Mr. Higinbotham was enthusiastic, and said -that if they wouldn’t mind his company he would make it possible for -them to take quite a long tramp through the mountains of West Virginia. -They were delighted—no one could have been a more agreeable companion. -This was the second or third tramp he had made through this region, -whose wild scenic beauty he had learned to love while he was stationed -at Clarksburg, West Virginia, during the Civil War, when he was obliged -to explore the region on horseback. - -“He took the phrase ‘walking-trip’ very seriously, and would not accept -any invitation to ride an inch. At one place, for example, where we had -to cross an unfordable stream, he refused to ferry over, and ordered a -local carpenter to make a pair of stilts on which he stumbled and -splashed, and fell down and got up, and tumbled again, finally arriving, -drenched but triumphant, on the opposite bank.” - -An incident of another walking-trip began at the grave of General -Pettigrew, who had been fatally wounded while in command of the rear -guard of Lee’s army on its retreat from Gettysburg. It was in 1897, in -North Carolina, that Mr. Higinbotham found a moss-green grave-stone, -which told how General Pettigrew had died at the house of a man named -Boyd, near Martinsburg, West Virginia. As it was in Martinsburg that Mr. -Higinbotham, while a young Union officer, had been stationed during -1864, and as he had there “received many courtesies from the people of -the South both during and after the war,” he was much interested. But it -was not until 1918 that he could learn anything about the General’s -family. A few letters then passed between him and Miss Mary Johnstone -Pettigrew of Tryon, North Carolina, in one of which he says: - -“You mention the mysterious way in which peoples’ lives cross or touch, -and inform me that the General’s great-great-grandmother was Rachel -Higinbotham. You will, I am sure, feel that truth is stranger than -fiction when I tell you that my wife’s name was also Rachel -Higinbotham.” - -And he tells of a quite recent trip on the James River, during which he -had met, at Hampton, a cousin of Robert E. Lee who had known the Boyd -family, in whose house General Pettigrew died. - -He always emphasized the necessity of human sympathy and service, and we -have plenty of testimony showing the quick response of his big heart to -appeals public and private. A poet once wrote to him, after he had held -out his hand at a crisis: - - “Who cares for the burden, the night and the rain, - And the long steep lonesome road, - When at last through the darkness a light shines plain, - When a voice calls hail, and a friend draws rein - With an arm for the heavy load! - - “For life is the chance of a friend or two - This side the journey’s goal. - Though the world be a desert the long night through, - Yet the gay flowers bloom and the sky grows blue - When a soul salutes a soul.” - -In religious matters he was extremely liberal, feeling that “It is what -we do, yesterday, today, and tomorrow, more than what we believe, that -will be important in the final round-up.” In June, 1893, he said, in his -address of welcome at the opening of the World’s First Parliament of -Religions: - -“The meeting of so many illustrious and learned men under such -circumstances evidences the kindly spirit and feeling that exists -throughout the world. To me this is the proudest work of our Exposition. -Whatever may be the differences in the religions you represent, there is -a sense in which we are all alike. There is a common plane on which we -are all brothers. We owe our being to conditions that are exactly the -same. Our journey through this world is by the same route. We have in -common the same senses, hopes, ambitions, joys and sorrows; and these to -my mind argue strongly and almost conclusively a common destiny. - -“To me there is much satisfaction and pleasure in the fact that we are -brought face to face with men who come to us bearing the ripest wisdom -of the ages. They come in the friendliest spirit, which, I trust, will -be augmented by their intercourse with us and with each other. I am -hoping, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, that your Parliament will prove to -be a golden milestone on the highway of civilization—a golden stairway -leading up to the tableland of a higher, grander and more perfect -condition, where peace will reign and the enginery of war be known no -more forever.” - -This hope of a better era is referred to again in the address to the -Japanese commissioners quoted above. On that occasion—in 1909—he said: - -“I am hoping that future expositions will leave out the machinery of -war. I know that we had a warship and the Krupp gun at our own, but I am -older now, and I have a higher appreciation of the implements of peace, -and an intense dislike, amounting to hatred, of war and all its -trappings. - -“Let us all hope that this twentieth century will witness the dawn of a -new era, that it will go down in history as the age of peace, the age -when a common desire seemed to take possession of humanity everywhere to -share with all others the blessings they enjoyed. Thus would be -augmented the great sum of human happiness. - -“The nations of the earth should unite in a movement to maintain a -universal court whose duty it will be to determine and adjust all -national differences. I would have, representing this court on the high -seas, one navy and only one, whose duty it would be to police the seas, -prevent possible piracy or improper or illegal commerce, and assist the -merchant marine in time of disaster or distress. The money thus saved -would go far towards the care of the sick and unfortunate the world -over, and would add to the peace and prosperity of the people -everywhere, far beyond the power of the human mind to conceive or -calculate.” - -To such feeling as this, developed and cherished through a long life, -the world catastrophe of 1914 was a cruel strain; and for over two years -Mr. Higinbotham hoped that his own country might keep out of the -struggle. Nevertheless, both before and after the United States declared -war, he did what he could to alleviate distress in the suffering nations -and to encourage heroic spirit in our own. - -The Armistice brought to him, as to all the world, deep relief after the -long and bitter strain. It was good that he lived to see the collapse of -the anachronistic military autocracy which had caused the war, and to -return, in spite of this cataclysm, to his firm belief that the days of -war are numbered. - -The fatal accident of April eighteenth, 1919, in New York, closed his -life while he was still scarcely conscious of old age, and in full -possession of vigor of body, mind, and spirit. To the last he was -thinking of others—he was on his way to greet returning soldiers of -Illinois when he was stricken down by a government ambulance. - -One is tempted to apply to him a few sentences he once wrote for a -friend who had died: - -“He discovered to me a nature rich in every higher attribute, and his -communication was so charming in diction, and so sweetly simple in its -mood, that I was deeply moved by his conversation. I was impressed by -his love for humanity, his patriotism, and the pride he felt in his -profession. He was a pure type of the old-school gentlemen. His was the -habit and mien of the scholar. His character has stamped itself upon -many people, and his example will influence the generations; as his -perfect life has blessed the community in which he lived, and benefited -those who knew him. - -“It is well with our friend. He sleeps the slumber of peace. The night -wrapped his body in death, but his soul saw the dawn of life.” - - - - - APPENDIX - - - - - APPENDIX A. - LINCOLN IN 1864 - -_The following article, suggested by the controversy over Mr. Barnard’s -statue of Lincoln, was written for the New York Sun, and published in -that paper during the summer of 1917_: - - -I am impelled by your full-page illustrated article on Lincoln, and the -artist’s representation of him to be given to a nation that believed in -and sympathized with him and that desires to honor him and perpetuate -his memory, to give you and the public my views: - -I was born in Illinois in 1838 and have always been a resident of that -State. I knew Lincoln, not intimately, but well. I saw, and heard him -speak frequently during the years next preceding the Civil War. I knew -him before he was a candidate for the presidency, and best during the -contest between him and Douglas for the senatorship. It is, I think, -well understood that the contest between these two great men was the -stepping-stone to the presidency for Lincoln, and gave him to the nation -and the world as one of its foremost noble and heroic characters. I knew -him later as president, and I am the only person living who was present -on the occasion of the first meeting between Lincoln and General U. S. -Grant. This meeting took place in the White House on the evening of the -eighth of March, 1864, when General Grant came to Washington, escorted -by Congressman E. B. Washburn, to receive his commission as -Lieutenant-General of the Army. Those present on that occasion, all from -Illinois, were Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln, General Grant, Hon. E. B. -Washburne, Mr. and Mrs. B. F. James, and myself. - -In Harper’s Weekly published at that time is a full-page illustration of -the presentation of the commission by President Lincoln, in the presence -of the members of the cabinet, on the day following the first meeting. -The presentation took place at the Capitol. It may not be generally -known, but General Grant was the first to enjoy the full rank of -Lieutenant-General after Washington; General Winfield Scott having -received it by brevet. I was engaged in the Quartermaster’s Department -at this time and was on duty in Knoxville, Tenn., and had been sent to -Washington to confer with the Quartermaster General, M. C. Meigs. This -visit gave me opportunity to see Lincoln under conditions vastly -different from those when I had seen him in Illinois. He was, however, -the same Lincoln that I had known. If there was a change, it was that he -seemed shrunken in stature. He was, however, both in manner and dress, -quite in keeping with his exalted station. He was at ease and well -poised; nothing in his manner, dress or speech even suggested -awkwardness. He had indelibly stamped on his features more than a -suggestion of nobility. There were clearly outlined and defined those -characteristics that made him famous; that made him the Saviour of his -Country and the liberator of a race from bondage. It seems to me, that -any representation of Lincoln should, at least, aim to show him as -teeming with and, in fact, overflowing with those qualities and -characteristics that he was known to possess. On the contrary, the -artist has gone far back to his early life, and has sought to represent -him even worse than he could have been under the most adverse -circumstances. The statue is what the artist seemingly intended it to -be—a splendid, a magnificent misrepresentation of Abraham Lincoln as he -was _in the later years of his life_, for it reverts to what he -conceived him to have been back in Kentucky before he had found himself. -As evidence of this, it is stated that the sculptor went to Kentucky and -found a man who was, and always had been, a rail-splitter and nothing -else; and he gives it as Lincoln. Those of us who knew him cannot accept -such a substitute. - - H. N. HIGINBOTHAM. - - - - - APPENDIX B - THE POWER OF PERSONALITY - -_At the Commencement exercises of Lombard College, June fifth, 1901, Mr. -Higinbotham delivered a eulogy in memory of the Rev. Dr. Otis A. -Skinner, whom he called “my exemplar,” “my ideal of a grand and noble -manhood,” “the most splendid and attractive man I have ever beheld.”_ - -_As this address expresses intimately its author’s philosophy of life -and death, we append the following extracts_: - - -We have been told by a world-famous student and philosopher that -self-sacrifice is the surest means of securing happiness and repose, -that life is only of value through devotion to what is true and good. -But in turning aside at this hour from other claims upon my time and -attention to consider briefly the power of personality in life, as -exemplified in the career of a good man, it is not so much the spirit of -self-sacrifice as it is the feeling of inadequacy that enters into my -task. It is friendship that interrogates me; it is frankness that will -respond. It is a pleasure to lay a wreath, however simple, upon the -grave of one to whose noble example and beneficent influence I am -largely indebted for any humane endeavor or philanthropic spirit that -has found expression in my life.... - -On Sunday afternoons it was his custom to go into the country to preach, -and on many of these occasions it was my privilege to accompany him. He -talked and thought a great deal about the happiness of others. He always -seemed to be looking for a soul that he could cheer by loving and -thoughtful words. He knew that no man could live unto God except by -living at the same time unto his fellows.... So this man’s good works -follow him and will be reflected and multiplied in the lives of others -to the end of time.... - -It is wonderful how indestructibly the good grows and propagates itself, -even among weedy entanglements. Evil things perish, but the good goes on -forever. Music heard from afar is all harmony; the discordant notes -perish by the way and never reach the ear of the listener.... - -If men are changed by events and environment, they are changed much -more, either for good or ill, by their fellow-men. This is the alchemy -of influence. We, all of us, are apt to minimize our power or influence, -arguing to ourselves that what we may say or do is not noticed or -observed, and is therefore of little moment or consequence. There was -never a greater error. - -For every good deed of ours the world will be better always. And perhaps -on no day does a man walk the street cheerfully without meeting some -other person who is brightened by his face, and who unconsciously to -himself catches from that look an ineffable something—an inspiration -that gives him new courage and saves him from a wrong action. -Usefulness, after all, is nobler than fame—so noble, indeed, that man -should not demand a higher reward for his labors under the sun than the -consciousness of having done his neighbor some form of service. - -Every person who has lived in the past, who lives in the present or may -hereafter come into being, either has exerted or will exert some -influence for the good or ill of his fellows. Even in inanimate nature -this seems to be the law of existence. The glacier, that had its -beginning when the earth was new, carries in its icy grasp objects which -today tell the story of its course as plainly as if by written or spoken -word. The tree standing by the wayside, barren of either flower or fruit -and seemingly useless, may have a beneficent office. Some tired and -lonely traveler, discouraged and disheartened, resting beneath its -shade, may be lured back to a life of usefulness and happiness by the -song of a bird in its branches. And so it is too in the animal kingdom. -The beasts of the field and the fowls of the air in divers ways make -their impress upon nature and upon all life. - - “When our souls shall leave this dwelling, - The glory of one fair and virtuous action - Is above all the ’scutcheons of our tomb.” - - - - - APPENDIX C - THE MAN WHO DID ME A GOOD TURN - - _Written by Dr. Frank Crane_ - - -Is there any feeling quite like that with which you pick up the Morning -Paper? - -You yourself, child of mystery, have just come from a brief visit with -Death, in the house of Sleep, and are upon the stoop of another Day, and -when you look at the Paper, it is as if your hand lay upon the latch -that opens the Door of another Room in that great House of -Adventure—Life. - -What will you see? Kings fallen? New wonders of strange lands? Another -crime? What new shifting in the kaleidoscope of Fate? - -The other day I read that Harlow N. Higinbotham, sometime President of -the World’s Columbian Exposition, man of affairs, wealth, business, and -philanthropy, had died. At eighty-two years of age, still active and -vigorous, he had fallen beneath an automobile in the street. - -This is not the story of his life. Others will write his biography. They -will tell of his plans, achievements, honors. - -But certain men, to you, are types. They are symbols. Whatever may be -their order in the usual chronicle of the world, to you they stand for a -point of sentiment, a mark of an idea. - -Harlow N. Higinbotham will always be to me the concrete representative -and ikon of - -“The Man Who Did Me a Good Turn.” - -It matters not what it was all about, but once he, wealthy and busy, -stopped his work, left his office and walked with me, little and -unknown, down the street, to do me a favor, for no reason except that he -took a fancy to me. - -That was more than twenty years ago. So he is gone now! I wish I might -drop a tear upon his folded hands; perhaps the Recording Angel, checking -up his account, might see it, and think it was a pearl, and put it to -his credit. So only can I pay my debt. - -Reading of his death has set me thinking. How many persons there are who -have done me a Good Turn! Just casual people, I mean. All kinds. Let me -recall. Alas, that my memory for kindness is so poor! - -I cannot understand those who say they owe no man anything. My days are -crowded with undeserved Good Turns. I shall never pay my debts, if I -live a thousand years. - -There’s the man who gave me a match, the girl who gave me a smile, the -farmer who gave me a ride, a cobbler in Munich once mended my shoe and -would take no money, a man made way for me in a crowd to see the parade, -a baby once smiled at me and held out her arms—I would not forget these -small things, little sparkles in the life-stream. - -And men have given me a chance, and some have stopped to praise me, and -I have seen the little flame in women’s eyes as they looked on me, and -years ago George Armstrong and Jo Holmes lent me money when I am sure -they did not know they would ever get it back. - -There are others, appearing out of the stranger throng, that have stood -by me, defended my name, spoken out boldly and called themselves my -friends. - -Of all these Harlow N. Higinbotham is the type, because my acquaintance -with him was but casual, because he had no reason for his kindness -except the human spark, because he emerged from the multitude, did me -his Good Turn, and receded again into the mist. - -Always his strong face, shrewd and understanding, will stand out from -among the sea of human faces in my memory, and rebuke my dark moods, -saying unto me that this world of men and women is a good place, full of -unexpected impulse, not a vale of tears, but a place of Heart and -Humanity. - -So, Recording Angel, when the case of this man comes up on the Day of -Judgment, let me bear my testimony. - - HARLOW N. HIGINBOTHAM - - One of the workers of the world - Living toiled, and toiling died; - But others worked and the world went on, - And was not changed when he was gone. - A strong man stricken, a wide sail furled; - And only a few men sighed. - -Well, I am one of them. - -[Illustration: - - _Facsimile of ms. page_ - _Written by Eugene Field._ -] - - - - - APPENDIX D -_In a copy of “Echoes from the Sabine Farm,” given to Mr. Higinbotham by - Eugene Field we find inscribed, on the fly leaf, the following_: - - - Dear Mr. Higinbotham: I am sending you this book for several - reasons. In the first place, I should like to have it serve as a - token of that sense of pleasure which, in common with the rest of - our townsmen, I feel to have you back in Chicago after months of - absence in foreign lands. Then, again, I am glad to give you the - book because I know that you will regard it with the appreciative - and jealous tenderness which every author loves to see others bestow - upon the creations of his brain and pen. But above all I am hoping, - dear sir, that you will look upon this gift as a cordial expression - (however modest) of my feeling of indebtedness to you for the - goodness you have shown to me and to my friends for my sake. - - (Signed) EUGENE FIELD. - - Chicago, February, 1892. - - _And in Mr. Field’s hand writing this little poem referring to Mr. - Higinbotham’s return from a three year’s absence in Europe._ - - Pompey, ’tis Fortune gives you back - To the friends and the gods who love you! - - · · · · · - - Once more you stand in your native land, - With the stars and stripes above you! - Come, just for once, let’s celebrate - In the good old way and classic— - Our skins we’ll nard with Fairbank’s lard, - And soak our souls in Massic! - And when the bill for the same comes in, - I pray you’ll be so partial - As to charge my share in the costly affair - To my prosperous cousin Marshall! - - - - - RALPH FLETCHER SEYMOUR - DESIGNER—PRINTER - FINE ARTS BLDG., CHICAGO - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES - - 1. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling. - 2. Archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings retained as printed. - 3. 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