The age-herald., 1897-09-19

l An appropriation or $30,0U0 was made.
 Then arose a difference of opinion as to
 what was necessary. Altgeld was eov
 i ernor He wanted the old monument
 taken down and a new one built. His
 iconoelastic spirit would be satisfied
 with nothing less. Something of
 wrangle ensued between the goysrnor
 and the other s.ate officers to whom
 the work was intrusted. The time went I by and the elements continued to work
 havoc without and within the pile. The l Altgeld dynasty passed away. Almost
 as soon as the new administra ion came in, the state officers got together for the I purpose of carrying into immediate exc
 cution the purpose of the legislative
 act. An examination showed that the
 law appropriated the money from the levy of the year in which the act passed.
 That l=vy was long ago exhausted. The 1 late administration had no use for sur l plus. The appropriation was as fneffec tive as If. it had never been made. And
 SO the matte, is pending, to the shame of this great stats Ther- isn't a cit
 izen of Springfield but says it is oVt- rageous. Those who come to visit the l tomb as to-a shrine erected to liber.y go
 away filled with indignation at the i sights. Another legislative session will
 not pass without some action, but it will be a reflection on Illinois that she l had to be reminded of her duty to the | memory of Lincoln.
 This interest in what was MT Lincoln's and in Whsre his bones are crum.bling
 has forced attention. Provision to grati- fy 1t has not been volunteered, but granted under pressure. One might sup pose that with such number of visi- tors to the tomb there would be no df- fieulty in reaching it. Yet the ear line by which the mile and more of distance from the business center is made does | not run to the place, but stops in a park | where refreshmsnt stands, dancing | pavilion and the unsual inducements to 1 loaal patronage are conspicuous. From l the end of the track cinder path winds down the hill There dusty road is crossed. A gate admits to the cemetery By walk up the valley past the stone vault where the body was at first de- postted, the way is over the slope where more people stood on that day when the nation mourned than have ever been gathered In ths Illinois capital city since. The tomb, square and squat hollow stone tower rising from the center, is on
 the crest of gentle slope with a reser- walton of nine CT ten acres of sward and trees about it. On one side stands neat stone house. the abode of the GUS todian. The grounds are well kept. The site is beautiful. Only the condition of the tomb prompts the feeling of regret. | Lincoln belonged to the nation. His l resting place should have been the na- l tion's care, if his state can be so for l getfun.
 When Lincoln went to Washington he 1 had salsi of the furniture of the Eighth 1 street home. Most of the articles were | bought by well-to-do family named | Hilton, who admired the president in such Q way as to make what had belong- ed to him things to be treasured. When tha troops passed through Springfield to the front they visited the house where | Uu1le Abe had lived" and the Tiltons
 used to confer great favor by permitting
 the boys in blue to sit down in the l dining room and have a glass of milk | off the table from which MT. Lincoln had eaten so many times. But the Til- l tons moved away to Chicago. They car l ried with them the furniture which had | been in the Lincoln house, prizing it | more than ever after his death. In | 1871 came the Chicago fire, and with it went not only the Lincoln furniture, but l the original document, which, if it was l in existence now would be preserved l with the zeal that guards the dsclara- l ton of independence-tha proclamation | of emancipation. The draft of the prc- | clamation had been sent to Chicago to l be exhibited for some purpose and was 1 burned in that fire.
 1 The house at Springfield remained the | property of MT. Lincoln until he died. l Then it passed to his son Robert. As 1 interest grew, it became difficult to rent 1 the house because of the trouble the in- | creasing numbers of visitors caused. At length Robert Lincoln yielded to the d. mands of public sentiment, and, taking the advice of his uncle, Judge Edwards, transferred the house to the state as an historical trust. The state accepted it. and provided a custodian at a modest salary to occupy the residence and to receive those who came to visit it. A MT. Oidroyd was made custodian, and the selection had the merit of certain kind of fitness Mir. Oljroyd is a collec- | tor of Lincolniana. He began when Mir. l Lincoln was candidate for president l and when he was scarcely more than a | boy. All of his life ine has been adding 1 to his collection. He has spent a great | deal of money, even at times when he | could not afford it. Anything and | every thing that could be connected with | Mir. Lincoln's personality, MT. Oldroyd | has gathered in. He has carried through | his purpose without much judgment CT | Discrimination, it must be admits d. l The Oldroyd collection ranges from old 1 hats to autograph letters. Not long ago 1 the collector had a brisk lawsuit over the l title to some article of cast-off apparel l alleged to have been worn by Mr. Lin | con. These relics, which he had been | nearly forty years in gathering, MT. Old | royd arranged in the Lincoln residence
 when he became custodian, and enough of the articles were of historic value to
 add much to the interest of visit. It
 was a labor of love with the custodian
 to show relics and to give to saM who ! came realistic and homsly impressions