the Black Hawk War, and it was there that he had his love romance with Ann Rutledge.

From New Salem the road would lead a short distance and take you past this spot where Ann Rutledge is buried. A little bit farther on you would come to the place where she lived and died and where it is said Lincoln spent about two hours at her bedside just before her death.

Unquestionably the death of Ann Rutledge was the greatest tragedy of all his life, and it nearly terminated his life through the grief which he felt over her loss. It left a shadow of sorrow and, I believe, also a feeling of human sympathy in his heart which lasted as long as he lived.

From there on the road would take you past several places that Lincoln laid out while he was a surveyor on the prairie. It would also take you past several places of historic interest for other reasons. There was an old Indian chief there who refused to leave the country, and he was quite a character.

The road would then take you finally to the Illinois River at Beardstown, Cass County. It was there that Lincoln tried his famous case, in which he was successful in acquitting Duff Armstrong on the charge of murder. Armstrong's father was the champion wrestler of the Cleric Grove boys, a little settlement near Salem. They were a very rough element, and they would come over from time to time to terrorize the people of New Salem.

Lincoln, who was 6 feet 4 in his stocking feet and very powerful, finally challenged the wrestler and downed him, but, with his great heart, he seemed to win his friendship, and Armstrong and he became friends.

When Duff Armstrong, the son of this man, was accused of murder, Lincoln volunteered his services. The case was tried in a little red brick courthouse at Beardstown, which is still standing. Incidentally, I may say that in my lectures to law schools on trial practice I have often cited Lincoln's cross-examination of the presecuting witness in that case as a triumph of cross-examination. Perhaps I ought not to go into too much detail, but he was the only witness who claimed to have seen Armstrong strike the deceased on the head with some instrument and kill him.

Lincoln first got him to say he was some little distance away, then that it was night time and then that there was no lantern or other light there, and then he asked the man how he could see. The man replied, "By the light of the moon."

Thereupon Lincoln produced an almanac showing that the moon did not shine that night, and his client was instantly acquitted.

Through all this region Lincoln traveled a great many times when he rode the circuit, as they had to in those days, and every foot of ground is filled with his memories. The people of that part of the State are intensely interested and take great pride and I think a pardonable pride in the fact that this was Lincoln's home country in what has been termed his prairie days. They would very deeply appreciate assistance in having such a road constructed. It should have proper markers at the different points of interest, and it should be beautified to a reasonable extent by trees and other things which would make it attractive.

That, in substance, is the purpose of the bill. The details could be worked out later. It should be a handsome highway, not too narrow. The width and the character of the highway while passing through incorporated towns or villages would have to be determined by the local law and regulations, but otherwise it should be of ample width. The CHAIRMAN. Is there a road constructed along this path you described now?

Mr. RATHBONE. There is a sort of a dirt road, but it does not follow exactly this line. This highway is designed to be projected through the points of historic interest.

The CHAIRMAN. But is there a highway now passing these points? Mr. RATHBONE. Not following this exact line; but what there is of it is just a dirt road. However, as I stated, it connects up with the road from Springfield to New Salem and would form a side road to the great highway from Chicago to St. Louis.

The CHAIRMAN. Is it your idea that a new route should be established on this path?

Mr. RATHBONE. It would be practically a new route for the distance I have said, not to exceed 40 miles. In other words, suppose a person should start out in the morning from Chicago with St. Louis as his objective. He could travel down this main highway that is already constructed and, when he got to a certain point, if he were a lover of Lincoln's memories, he could take a short ride to the west over toward the Illinois River on this newly constructed highway and could pass all these points of interest.

There was more of Lincoln's life in that little territory than there was in all the rest of the globe together.

The CHAIRMAN. Does that connect at the other end of this new road you refer to with some other highway?

Mr. RATHBONE. Not with any main highway, but, of course, on a good road 40 miles is not anything much to travel.

The CHAIRMAN. What I am getting at is, does this make a connection with some other highway at the terminus of the road you have described?

Mr. RATHBONE. If I understand you, there is no especial connection over there. You can not connect up with other roads. There is a very good road system all through Illinois, but the main highway from Chicago to St. Louis would be to the east of it, and this would branch off two ways.

The CHAIRMAN. Has the State procured its right of way over this territory?

Mr. RATHBONE. No; nothing has been done that I am aware of by the State.

The CHAIRMAN. Does your bill provide that the Government shall secure that highway?

Mr. RATHBONE. It provides for a Government appropriation. The CHAIRMAN. But I am referring to the securing of the right of way also. Is that included in your bill?

Mr. RATHBONE. I presume it would be included in the language of the bill.

The CHAIRMAN. What width of road would you provide for?
Mr. RATHBONE. The bill states, in section 4, on page 3:

The highway authorized to be constructed under the provisions of this act shall have a right of way of not less than 60 feet in width

That is, the right of way; not necessarily the road itself

outside the limits of any incorporated city or village and shall be constructed only of such durable types of surfacing and material, to be determined by the Secretary of Agriculture, as will adequately meet the existing and probable future traffic needs and conditions thereon.

Mr. GARDNER. I had not seen the bill until just now, but you do not propose to bring this under the Federal aid? This is a direct appropriation, in addition to the Federal aid given to the State? Mr. RATHBONE. That is it.

Mr. GARDNER. And it does not come under that and the State under this bill would pay no part of it?

Mr. RATHBONE. Not as contemplated in this bill; no.

Mr. HUDSPETH. Following up the line of inquiry by the chairman, you state that this road would be 40 miles long?

Mr. RATHBONE. Not quite that long. About 39 miles is as nearly as we could figure it.

Mr. HUDSPETH. Then you come down the main highway and you run off at a point 40 miles along this road. Does that connect again with the main highway without retracing?

Mr. RATHBONE. The people interested have a very fine map, but they took it back with them. Now, this sketch that I am making is very crude, and I will not vouch for its absolute accuracy, but it will give you in general the way things are.

Now, we will say that here [indicating] is Springfield, that I spoke of, the State capital. About here [indicating] is New Salem, and about here [indicating] is the Illinois River. Here [indicating] comes the Sangamon River, we will say.

Now, there [indicating] is a road already constructed.

The CHAIRMAN. For the purpose of the record, from what point? Mr. RATHBONE. From Springfield up to about where New Salem was. Petersburg is practically the same thing.

The CHAIRMAN. That is, in relation to this road that you are proposing, except that it connects?

Mr. RATHBONE. Except that it connects.

Here [indicating] is Beardstown. Now, this road to be constructed will be something like that [indicating on sketch] and, as I understand it, the main highway from Chicago to St. Louis will run along here [indicating].

The CHAIRMAN. That is a primary interstate road?

Mr. RATHBONE. Oh, yes; that is as fine a road as you can find anywhere.

Mr. GARDNER. How far is the starting point of this highway that you propose from that interstate road?

Mr. RATHBONE. As I understand it, it would connect right up with it. You would come down from Chicago on this main highway, and then if you wanted to branch off through this Lincoln country you would take this road to be constructed.

Mr. GARDNER. Do you mean that the entire length of that is 39 miles?

Mr. RATHBONE. This portion to be constructed is 39 miles.

Mr. GARDNER. And what would be the distance of that road from Springfield to Petersburg?

Mr. RATHBONE. I can not give that to you exactly, but I think it would be about 30 miles.

Mr. PEERY. Then does it connect with either a primary or secondary road at Beardstown?

Mr. RATHBONE. I do not know anything about the roads over there toward the Illinois River. I do not think that there is any main highway in that part. If they had business in the western part of the State they could find roads to go across.

Mr. GARDNER. Is the river bridged at that point?
Mr. RATHBONE. At Beardstown?

Mr. GARDNER. Yes.

Mr. RATHBONE. Yes. It is a broad river there.

The CHAIRMAN. And there is a road that continues from the termination of this road across the river, is there?

Mr. RATHBONE. There are roads over there. I do not know & great deal about them, and they are not of the main highway character that this is, but if you had some business in the western part of the State you could get there over some of the roads that are there.

Mr. ROBSION. You are not connecting us up with a bridge, are you?

Mr. RATHBONE. There is a bridge at Beardstown.

Mr. HUDSPETH. The object of the bill, of course, is to complete this memorial highway. I take it there will be markers along there? Mr. RATHBONE. Oh, yes; I stated that just before you came in. There should be markers marking these points of historic interest. Mr. GARDNER. Are there any historical societies or patriotic organizations backing this bill?

Mr. RATHBONE. They are very much interested, as I stated at the outset. There was a banquet last November at Beardstown at which this movement was launched. I was asked to make a speech there. I understand that Mr. Logan Hay, of Springfield, a very prominent citizen, is at the head of the movement, and the local people are very deeply interested in it.

Mr. HUDSPETH. Mr. Rathbone, if we should have the Government build this road, then will the State or some local organization keep it up, it being in the charge of the State highway commission or the Federal highway commission?

Mr. GARDNER. The bill provides that the Government should keep it up.

Mr. RATHBONE. I think so; yes.

Mr. HUDSPETH. Yes; I see that it does provide that.

Mr. RATHBONE. I do not think that the upkeep of a road of that kind would be very much.

Mr. HUDSPETH. No, I would not think so.

Mr. RATHBONE. It is not like an intensely settled community where there would be great trucks wearing out the roadway all the time.

Mr. PEERY. Is that an agricultural country?

Mr. RATHBONE. It is not a densely settled country; it is rural. There are no large cities or any considerable sized towns. Beardstown is a very good sized place, from 5,000 to 10,000 people.

Mr. GARDNER. And what is the population of Springfield?
Mr. RATHBONE. From 50,000 to 60,000.

Mr. GARDNER. And New Salem?

Mr. RATHBONE. There is nothing more of it left. There were only 100 people there at Lincoln's time. Petersburg is only a little county seat, of not over 2,500.

Mr. HUDSPETH. This is simply for the purpose of perpetuating history?

Mr. RATHBONE. That is it exactly. If the memories of the past are worth anything to the coming generations, why, then, this highway ought to be worth while. We all know that these are days of travel and the memory of Lincoln is attracting ever greater attention for all over the world. Here at Springfield is Lincoln's monument, where he is buried. Do not forget that. And here is the State capitol, and the old State capitol is now the county building and the centennial building. This territory is just filled with memories of Lincoln; it is Lincoln's old home territory.

Mr. GARDNER. What kind of a monument does Lincoln have at Springfield?

Mr. RATHBONE. It is a fine monument where he is buried. It is quite a shaft.

Mr. GARDNER. And by whom was that constructed?

Mr. RATHBONE. That is a State affair.

Mr. HUDSPETH. There has been no Federal activity regarding Lincoln up to this time?

Mr. RATHBONE. Not that I am aware of. Lincoln's old home, of course, is there at Springfield. I do not recall now any Federal activity.

Mr. HUDSPETH. Mr. Chairman, I am a great believer in perpetuating history for future generations, and especially the history of a great man like President Lincoln, and I move that the bill be favorably reported.

Mr. GARDNER. I second the motion.

The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen, we want an executive session before we take up this question.

Mr. RATHBONE. I will then retire, and wish to thank the chairman and the gentlemen of the committee.

(Whereupon, at 10.30 o'clock a. m., the committee went into executive session.)