The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-11-29
Any HERALD TUESDAY NOVEMBER 49, lsslEsE g1T23 9#H9
TELEGRAPHIC NEWS
MRS. LINCOLN.
she is Poor as Usual. and
Thinks Congress Should do
Something for Her.


New York, 27.-Mrs. Abraham Lin
coin at present resides at No. 80, Yves
Twenty-six street, this city, where sh'
| il undergoing course Of electrical treat
ment. Her physical condition, while
not precarious, is such as to demand con
stant care, for she is troubled with 6
spinal difficulty that renders it inpossi.
| bic for her to wslk and which will I'm.
questienably keep her on her back the
remainder Of her days. Mentally Mrs.
Lincoln is active and clear. She talks
with rspidity, and is pleased to meet her
friends, who may call to visit her.
spent two hours with her this afternoon,
the conversation turning mainly upon
the subject now uppermost in her mind,
and which has during the past week, re-
eeived and excited a great amount of
criticism, which is the possible increase of
her pension by Congress. Mrs. Lincoln
says she has felt much grieved to hear
that the people of Illinois should give
expression 10 any such statements as
have found their way into the press con-
corning her, and she knows full well the
particular source from which these re-
ports have emanated, and the personal
feelings which prompted them, This
government, she says, owes it to her 10
see that she is provided for in manner
that her wants may be fully
met, aud there is no reason
why she should not receive
the same consideration at the hands Of
the nation, that may be contemplated for
another. Not On her own account so
much as an act Of justice 10 the memory
Of the man to whom this nation owes
great debt Of gratitude, Abraham Lin
coin. So far as her present financial con-
ditiOn is concerned, Mrs. Lincoln says
most positively that she has not enough
from government 10 maintain her. She
is under expenses, medical and other,
which are large, no matter how simply
she may live, and SIS for being charity
subject on the hands of her relatives, she
will never consent to that. Some had
criticized her son, Robert, because he did
not take care of her. She did not desire
to have him do so, for he had his own
brood to look after, and his hands we're
full. His kind heart had urged this
the same, but she had insisted that it was
her duty to live upon her own resources.
There had been story floating about,
said Mrs. Lincoln, and it was now freshly
in western papers, that she had
received SO, 600 from Congress, and that
the interest upon this sum, added to her
$4,000 pension, ought to be enough to
maintain her handsomely. There never
was greater falsehood. Congress never
gave her $40, 600, but Immediately after
husbands death that body did vote her
.he amount of the Presidents salary
'or one yesr, $4,000, less $500.
which Mr.. E. B. Washburne succeeded
4 having cut of the sum originally in
ended, and this left her $50, 500. She
vent to Chicago and purchased house
N West Washington street, paying
herefor $4,000, and in addition paid out
! considerable amount for furniture, so
hat she had very little left after this
transaction from the original amount of
he appropriation. She finally found it
would cost more than she could afford to
Keep up the house, so she told her son
Robert that if he would pay her 81, 500 a
Tesr for the period Of seven years he
night have the property. He agreed to
his, and paid that sum annually. The
much of the time failed to pay
more than half that revenue, go he was
obliged to make the payments out Of his
'wn pocket. She also gave to Robert the
house in Springfield, which was very old
md worth but little. She was prompted
n both instances by desire that her son
hould have something Of what the coun-
~ had given her in consideration of his
ather's services. Not until July Is,
$40, more than FIVE years after Pres
dent LincOln's death, did Congress
zee fit to grant her q pension.
The original design was to secure her
Is, 0O0, but it was cut to 5000, which
Charles Sumner, in letter informing
Ter that it had been voted. advised her
lot to accept as it was far below what
ught 10 have been given her. But she
cit that SIS, 900 was even better than
othiug, End her necessities compelled |
er to decline to act upon his urgent ad- |
ice. She had always endeavored to live |
and when in France she lived |
Ike peasant in small apartments, and |
sd lot spent her time travelling, making |
ut infrequent visits to Italy, whittier |
he went IN winter on account Of her |
ealth. Often of late she bad been |
bliged 10 borrow money on her pension |
lain in order to meet her expenses. It |
matters not. she says, what Jacob Bum |
as ef hers. That is a small amount |
nd concerns nobody. She had not |
nough money to live on, and she felt it |
las the duty Of Congress 20 increase her
ension at least to an amount in keeping