The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-12-10
LINCOLN RELICS SOLD.
Souvenirs of the Martyred President
Bring Fancy Prices.

Searchers after bona 1ide souvenirs Of the
immortal Abraham Lincoln are not very
numerous in Philadelphia, but the few who
cherish living memory of the great wal
President attended a sale at Birch's auc-
tion rooms last evening and paid good
prices for the relics offered for sale. This
articles sold comprised the whole Lincoln
memorial collection which was on exhibit
ton at the worlds fair n consisted OF law
books and furniture from Lincoln's law
office and furniture from his old home at
Springfield, Ill. The few buyers present did
some lively bidding and the sale realized
So, 566.25.
Among the buyers the most prominent
were Judge Pennypacker, Major William
H. Lambert and Louis c. Vanuxem, the lat
ter two being active competitors. and secur-
ing between them practically all the arti-
cles of real value. The highest price paid
for any single article, with but one excep-
ton, was $40 for the old hickory chair
in which Mr.. Lincoln was seated when he
received the telegram announcing his NOM
ination for the presidency of the United
States by the Chicago convention. This
chair is made OF hickory withes, with a
hoop-pole seat, and was for years used as
a repository for exchanges i'm the office of
the springfield Journal. 1t was secured by
Mr.. Vanuxem.
4 large walnut Office table used by Mr..
Lincoln in his law office. and a double-door
walnut bookcase resting upon IL, two pieces,
brought $3.50, while a large round wooden
inkstand. which Mr.. Lincoln used when he
wrote his famous speech, TIE House Di-
vided Against Itself" sold fer so, Major
Lambert securing the three pieces. The
coins order in Springfield by Daniel Il.
Ruckel. in 1881, and which, On account of
ms stature, was made unusually long. sold
Tor 500, the highest price realized for any
one piece in the entire collection. Six an
tlque chairs brought sos; an antique ma
hogany side table. with white marble top,
800. and a plate-glass mirror, $50. These
were all OF Mrs. Lincoln's parlor furniture
at the time he left Springfield to take the
presidential chair, and the entire lot was
secured by MIR. Vanuxem.
Mr.. Lincoln's law library, consisting Of
twenty-five volumes, was disposed of for
SSttfs' and all but one volume was secured by
Mr.. Vanuxem. The single exception was
Mr.. Lincoln's first law book, containing
the Declaration of Independence, Constitu-
of the State of Indiana and various acts
passed by its State Legislature during the
session OF 1924. 1t was sold for $40. not
withstanding the fact that it was minus a
portion OF the back and title pages. The
purchaser was William H. Winters, librar-
ian of the New York Law Institute. Among
for Chitty's Treatise on Pleading and Par
ties. three Volumes; $50 for Kent's Com
mentaries, four volumes; $65 for Story's
Commentaries on Equity jurisprudence,
Gr1mina Law. and $e for Redfield's
Treatise upon the Law OF Railways.
Among the autograph documents, a high
priced group was one of three pieces, which
sold for $40. and was secured by Mr..
Vanuxem. These documents were closely
and form an interesting anec-
dote in the life of Lincoln. The first was
an autograph letter written by Lincoln Oct.
3, 1858. to NJ. Brayman, president of the Illi-
as attorney for the company In a suit
brought against IL by the county of Nc
Lean.
The second was Lincoln's autograph copy
of his bill for legal services rendered the
suit, which was won in December, 1866.
The bill was for s., 900, to which Lincoln
has appended the names Of six members
of the Illinois bar, who certify to the
Goodrich, N. B. Judd, Archibald Williams,
n. H. Purple, o. II. Browning and r. S.
Blackwell. q
The third was the check for $3.50 given
him as a retainer. II successful Mr.. Lan-
coin was to be paid a fee of 5000. After
carrying the suit through the Supreme
Court and gaining 1t he presented a bill
for the unpaid balance of his fee. 1t hap
pened that President Brayman was abb
sent and Mr.. Lincoln was referred with his
who refused to pay 1t, remarking at the
same time: THAT is as much as a first
class lawyer would charge" The gentleman
who spoke thus disparagingly of the serv-
States was Gen. George b. Mcclellan, who
at that time was superintendent of the
Illinois Central railroad.
The original fee book of the law firm
of Lincoln & Herndon for the year 1917
sold for 60, willis the marriage certificate
of lincoln was knocked down at $40.