The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-04-26
THE LINCOLN MUSEUM.
Why It Should Receive Financial
Aid from Congress.
Good Work Done by tho Memorial Assoc
citation OF the District of Columbia
The Olroyd Collection o.
Lincoln Relics.
Especial Washington Letter.

The people of the republic live in
the present and care very little for the
incidental details of American history,
or for the current events which will be
of important historical value to future
generations. We do not preserve our
landmarks, as the peoples d the old
world are accustomed to do.
For example, Old Ford's heater, in
the Judgment of many, should have
been preserved just as it was on the
occasion of the assassination of Pres
ident Lincoln. 1t should never have
been used as government office.
Then, just opposite the old taeater, is
the little brick house in which Pres
ident Lincoln died. Congress ought
long years ago 10 have purchased and
maintained that property. It vas sug-
gested again and again in public
prints, and occasionally in tile house
of representatives, but noting. came
| of it. -s7S~1 : -
The house is now Leased BY the
| Memorial Association of the District
| of Columbia. This Memorial associa-
| ton is composed of some of the leading
citizens of the country, presided over
| by Chief Justice Fuller, of the United
States supreme court, and is actuated
| by purely public spirited motives AL
| though its members have met with
comparatively little encouragement
from congress so far, they have, at
their own expense, leased this prop
| erty for one year, in the hope that by
the expiration of that time The nation
al Legislature will see the wisdom and
appropriateness of purchasing the
| property outright for a NATIONAL mu-
| scum of relics of the martyr president.
Upon all great occasions which
bring throngs of people to the nation
| al capital the thousands or tens of
| thousands of visitors SEEK the spot
where Lincoln died. The house has
| been maintained as a private residence
so that the interior coul( not be seen
/ without annoyance to tle family re-
| siding there. Finally the owner was
called upon so many tines by sight
seers that he concluded tocharge an ad-
| mission fee to those who wanted to see
| the bedroom which became so sudden
| ly and so sadly historic. The Memorial
| association wants the house to be open
to the public free.
The large collection OF Lincoln relics
| which are now on exhibition in this
building belongs to Capt. o. H. Olroyd,
who commenced collecting these arti-
cles as far back as 1860. They were
| preserved until recently in the house
at Springfield, ILL.,, where Lincoln re-
sided when he was elected president.
The house was given to the state by
Robert T. Lincoln, and until recently
Capt. Olroyd was custodian.
The Memorial association regards
the Olroyd collection of about three
thousand pieces as good Nucleus of a
museum of the life of Linc,ln, They
expect to receive valuable relics from
time to time from every part of the
union. In the Olroyd collection there
are pictures of all grades, from crude
newspaper cuts and campaign badges
to large oil portrait painted by HOLES
in 1858, and the Lincoln life mask and
I bust by Volk, probably the best in eX-
istence. There are many quaint pieces
of furniture hallowed by association
with Lincoln. Chief among these are
an old mahogany hair-cloth sofa and