Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-08
LINCOLN SPLIT NO kAILS
No Evidence That He iced the Maui In the
wilds Of Indiana

Prom the Indianapolis Journal
Lincoln City, q small village Ia Spencer
county. Ind, was for four years the home Of
Abraham Lincoln's parents when he was grow
ing up. II was there that his mother died in
ISIS The log cabin. the home Of the Lincolns,
was OF rough oak logs. about fifteen by twenty
feet in size. the crevices filed in with mud the
door OF split slabs with wooden hinges and but
one window with no glass There was no
chimney, large opening in the roof being left
TOT the smoke TO escape. The roof was Of split
slaves. pegged down by cross poles. The beds
were few blankets on the dirt door, and the
table was two split slabs set on skids President
Lincoln father was q river man and worked
on nat boats on trips down the Ohio and
mississippi to New Orleans and was at home
oniy part OF the year. The Liaeolns moved,
after three or four years to Illinois The
mother OF Abraham Lincoln had previously
died and was buried on q hill near this cabin.
Al the time he WAS seventeen years old Lin
coin was an awkward, incident and apparently
unamoiiious boy. There was nothing in his APP
Pearance that Indicated more than ordinary
intelligence. The stories Of his great industry,
and particularly OF ,he immense number OF
ralis lac spilt are fiction. He did not split rails
there. The Lincolns had no fences. and had no
heeu OF them then, a. the country al
most unbroken wilderness After Mr. Lincoln
became President thriving business was done
In tne manufacture of canes and various other
articles from rails said to have been split by
him.
A log cabin said to be the original home of
inc Lincolns, was transported bodily TO Illinois,
wnen, In fact, the original cabin had been torn
aown and all traces of it DESTROYED years be-
fore. The burial ground on the hill was grown
up with briers and bushes. The identity of
tue graves was lost. No one living can posi-
tiveiy say which was the grave of Nancy Hanks
Lincoln One was selected which was supposed
70 be her grave. The Studebakers Of South
BEND gave money to erect "a plain slab. and
placed an iron fence about the lot. The much
heralded monument erected in memory of the
mother of President Lincoln does not exist
Twenty-Five years ago a company OF Boston
capitalists conceived the idea Of building up q
city on this historic spot. Five hundred acres
OF land. includi: 6 the ground on which the
Lincoln cabin stood and the graves on the hill
we're laid out in lots and an artificial lake was
made. Maps and illustrated circulars we're
scattered broadcast throughout the United
States. Auction sales we're held and hundreds
OF lots were sold at high prices. Scores OF cot
tages were built and most liberal inducements
were offered to attract people. A large num-
Der OF families moved there and the scheme
promised TO be q success. but sickness soon
pervaded the town. No remunerative employ
ment was provided for the citizens and in
few years the town was deserted and the enter
prise proved failure. The lots and cottages
reverted to the company were sold for
taxes and the land was again on the market at
$40 20 $40 an acre.