National Affairs: Hometown Birthday

The scene, on a chilly day last week, was an old sepia-toned photo come to life. In the background was "Old Abilene Town"—opera house, livery stable, chapel, railroad depot—all restored to preserve the flavor of the cattle-trail days of early Kansas. In the foreground on the lawn of the Eisenhower Museum were dignitaries, schoolchildren, townsfolk—10,000 people in all. Across the way, where soon would come the slam and crunch of bulldozers, was the site of the Eisenhower Presidential library; near by. the white clapboard house where Ike Eisenhower was reared.

As the north...

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