The evening times., 1896-07-23
WHERE THE MARTYR DIED
Continued from Fourth Page. ,

are stored in the memorial house, the his
tory of each most carefully traced, and its
| status fixed beyond question.
| The rail was taken OFF the Old farm neal
Decatur, H., by John Hanks, cousin ol
l.'0ld Abe" and his certificate OF personal
knowledge OF the transaction is filed as ar
| evidence OF good faith. That rail has u most
! entertaining history, all of which is amply
| verified.
Capt. o oldroyd wasa "Wide A wake" at an
early age. What wonder, then. that he
Obtained mementOes of that memorable
| organization, with its numerous braDche:
and auxiliaries? One OF these is a torch
carried during the campaign OF 1860 by
| William Sadler of Springfield, ILL.,. and or
a memorable occasion when i tremendous
procession which filed past his home to
campaign music was being reviewed by the
| distinguished candidate, this particular
torch caught his glance, to the everlasting
| glory of the bearer. s lie dipped colors'
| in honor of his chief.
| There are pictures on exhibition OF both
Dennis and John Hanks. the former being
celebrated In the Lincoln annals as the man
who taught the future President the rudi-
| ments of grammar.
AN EARLY PORTRAIT.
Among all the portraits and lithosrapt
pictures of Lincoln that grace the gallery
there is one taken in lS42. 1t was found by
Capt. Oldroyd among a lot of rubbish in
the garret or Magnus, the artist and col
lector Qf cuf.os, in New York. Aagnus was
surprised when it was shown TO him, and
declared he did not know whence it came
nor how he had obtained it.
This picture was exhibited among Lin
coins old neighBors, those who knew him
as a young man, and not one remembered
TO have seen it before. How it found its
way to a garrett in New York will perhaps
never be known. The theory advanced as
to it's origin by those who recognized it
as .just like him when he came to New
Salem is that Mr.. Lincoln had it taken ia
Springfield on the eve of Washngton's
Birthday, on which occas on he delivered
a lecture on temperance.
II is of course Impossible in brief space
10 enumerate any considerable number .:
the valued keepsakes with which the men,
orable old touse is stored. Among them.
however, are I.0OO biographies of Lin
coin; copies OF 250 memorial sermons de-
CA
more than dozen of the programs OBJ
served on LIncoln's birthday by the Lin
coin Republican Club OF New York; an
original Lincoln and HamliD campaign flag,
and very wilderness OF bronze medal
iions and busts. all commemorative of the
one man-Lincoln.
A gold medal was given to Mrs. Lin
coin. after the death OF the President. by
40, 900 Frcnchmen. The model was made
in France, but Napoleon III refused to
permit the medal to be made from it.
and The work was done in Switzerland. A
Bston firm obtained the model and had
a number of medallions cast from it.
One of these was bought for his collec-
tion by Capt. Oldroyd 1T cost Of S37 80.
He was offered $50 for 1t, and refused to
part with it. The same party then teIe-
graphed him to name his own price, and
| lie replied that he had no price. There are
but three Of these medallIons in existence
now. so far as is known, one being owned
by Mr. Gallatin in Tennessee, enc by
Henry B. Bisseli and the third is the Old
royd collection
WANTED A KEEPSAKE.
Strenuous efforts were made by patri-
otto Illinoisans to secure these relics for
permanent keepsakes at their State capital.
but all OF the negotiations failed. They
were for twelve years stored in the Lin
| coin home in Springfield. during Capt.
Oldroyd's residence in the mansion, but
they have been kept in Washington for
three years.
Early In the year 1893. at the earnest
solicitation of the Memorial Associa ton
of the District, over which Chief Justico
Fuller presides, the collection was placed
in its present quarters, on Tenth street.
The rent OF the building and other ex-
penses We're met by the association until
March 81, 1885. at which time the obi
CATION was relinQuished to Capt OIdroyd,
who has since borne 1t.
his Intention has never been, he says.
to use the relics as means of profit,
his first promptings being from his admira-
ton OF the subject of his labors, and when,
at the Presidents death, he found the
collection had assumed proportions worthy
OF greater cndeavor, he made 1t the busi-
ness of his life to bring 1t to a state of
the highest possible perfection.
fee Is charged for admission to the
rooms, hut this has not been a prolific
source of revenue; on the contrary, the
current expenses have far exceeded the in
come The receipts for June aggregated
$s From April 1, 1895. when the owner
took charge, to April 1. 1895, the fees
amounted to an average OF $3T so per
! month, as against 500 outlay in the
matter of rent alone. The highest number
OF visitors on any one day during the
recent Christian Endeavor conv ention
was 30.
It is Impossible. Capt. Oldroyd said, in
o recent conversation with Times repre-
sentative. to compute the value of these
relics to him, If sentiment were to govern.
NO DUPLICATES OF THESE.
Many of them have no duplicates any
where, and many others are priceless from
their very association. Recognizing, how
ever, that lie cannot always remain here
to care for them, lie agreed to q PROPOSE
ton to dispose OF them to the government
IN the hope and belief that they will be by
that means assured of perpetual preserva-
ton In the formin which they now are.
He Is of the opinion, since the govern
meut has purchased. or will purchase, the
building in which they are now stored,
that no better nor more appropriate dis
position could be made Of them than 10
leave them there. That 1t would be a
| most desirable acquisition TO the national
stock OF mementoes. IL purchased ut a
reasonable figure, would seem to admit
of no debate.
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