The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1896-11-04
TWO HISTORIC HOUSES.
Nucleus for q National Museum in
Washington.
LINCOLN's LITTLE LOG CABIN.

LINCOLN'S LITTLE LOG CABIN
1T WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE CAP
| ITAL, TOGETHER WITH TIRE FA
! NOUS M'LEAN HOUSE, OF Apo
MATTox, VA, WHERE LEE AM
| GRANT MET TO SIGN THE TERM:
| OF SURRENDER-THE GROUNDS
/! MAY POSSIBLY BE TURNED INTO
| 4 NATIONAL PARK.
Washington, which possesses 81
many historic treasures, is to b.
further enriched by two relics O.
national Importance about which
are entwined most CLOSELY memo
ries of the two great Union and
Confederate leaders, as well as the
President who fell just as his
dreams of a reunited land were be
ing realized. These relics are the
log-cabin, which was built by
Lincoln and his father and the
Mclean house at Appomattox, Va,
the place in which Lee and Grant
met and signed the terms OF sur.
render.
The Lincoln log cabin is now in
Chicago, but it is but the question
of a short while before it will be
brought on and erected in Wash
ington. The Mclean house will
stand in the same lot, aud both
will comprise part of a museum
which will be the property of pa
triotic Washington gentlemen,
prominent among them being Col.
81. E. Dunlap, to whose energies
is due the preservation of these
souvenirs of the most memorable
epoch in American history. Col.
Dunlap, who fought under Gen.
Banks, is the owner of the Mclean
house, the title of the cabin being
with the rest of the gentlemen
who are organized under the name
of the National War Museum Com.
pany.
STORY OF THE LINCOLN CABIN.
The Lincoln cabin, when it
stands in the shadow of the Capt..
tol, will be just the same rough
frontier abode as it was when built
Of unhewn logs in 1880. Every
bit of timber, every nail, every
shing!e has been religiously pre-
served, so that there will be the
rude hut with its fire place Of bro
ken bricks, its pegs running up
the walls, which had no ladder TO
mount the garnet, its tumbling
door aud ill-sbapcn window, Just
as they stood when Lincoln paid
his farewell visit to his home lie
fore leaving for Washington and
bis inauguration.
Lincoln was born in Kentucky.
but moved with his father to Ind.
lana at an early age, and in Spen-
Ger County that his mother, who
was a Miss Nancy Hanks before
marriage, died. Young Abe was
then lad Of about eight. The
father subsequently returned to
Kentucky, where be married u sec
ond time, bis last wife being q
sweetheart of his early youth. AS
Miss Bush, she had won the elder
Lincoln's heart, but she discarded
him for MIR. johnson.
Mr.. johnson died, aud Mr.. Lin.
coin being widower, the affair Of
old times was renewed, and in .
short time the second Mrs. Lincoln
was ensconced in her new home in
Coles County, III. Here it was
that Mr.. Lincoln, with the help of
young Abe, erected the cabin. The
second wife, vino proved to be a
most devoted stepmother, brought
with her from her old Kentucky
home q common bedstead, on
which the boy was for the first
time i'll his life, put to sleep, and
on which his father and stepnoth.
er afterwards died.
STUDIED BY THE FIREPLACE,
When Lincoln was studying
law, he spent part of his time at
his fathers cabin, employing him
self by mastering the books of Eu
cid. With a bit Of paper held on
the back of shovel be worked
out all the problems till the whole
book was as clear as day to his
mind, then he set out from the
humble abode to begin his career
as lawyer in Springfield.
Lincolu's father was dead. and
the President-elect picked up from
the ground bit of old scantling.
broke it in two, sharpened one end
and walking over to his fathers
grave, drove the piece of wood on
which the fathers initials were
cut at the head of the grave, re.
marking that when be could afford
1.-THE would get something better.
When the money was aftarv.-as