The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1900-02-09

all coming nations. This work of
love is what Osborn H. Oldroyd has
done for Abraham Lincoln. For
nearly forty years he has so devoted
himself tosthe great personality OF a
man, whom, alas he never saw, that
today his collection is one of the
most interesting and valuable ever
collected in behalf of a human being.
The two hundred and fifty funeral
sermons, the seventy pieces of music,
the one thousand volumes of Lincoln
biographies and works relating to
slavery and the war-these alone
would honor any public library.
The autograph letters and pictures
would give joy to any mere autograph
collector The two hundred medals,
more than three hundred portraits,
including the earliest known, the
original busts, etc., would be the
pride of any museum. But all these
are in one grand collection-all in
cluded in the vast array of interesting
material For nearly twenty years
now they have been open to the pub
lie eve. having been in the Line oln
home in Springfield, Ill, before being
removed to their present quarters in
the city of Washington, 516 Tenth
street, N. W. They have always been
under the loving care of Mr.. Oldroyd
and his family. Visitors who have
his personal guidance through the col
lection are privileged to hear many
an interesting story or fact concerning
relic Besides this work of love,
Mr.. Oldroyd has published good
sized book, Lincoln Memorial Al
bum, Immortalles' and most
highly commended 'Words OF Lin
coin. . The proceeds of the latter,
which W. T. Harris, the United States
commissioner of the Board of Educa-
ton, says should find place in the
private library of each citizen, and in
the reference library of each school in
the land. " Mr.. Oldroyd generously
gives to the work of perpetuating the
collection for the people. He asks no
sum for the collection. His chief de-
sire is that it be appreciated and
honored. Those who know him but
wish that this modest unassuming
man, patriotic in war as we'll as in
peace could be the Government-ap-
pointed custodian of the collection
for which he and his family have
made such self sacrificing efforts.
Such an act would not only be an aid
to patriotic education, but an appro-
pirate expression of gratitude, slight
though it be, of his MOTTO -dupli-
Gated work.
CONGRESS APPROPRIATES.
Congress in 1897 appropriated $50, 900
with which to purchase the house in
which Lincoln died and year later
appropriated So, 833 for repairs. Dur
ing the months of July, August, and
September last, the house was
thoroughly renovated and put i'll
splendid condition. The historic
room i'll which the President died, the
hall through which he was carried to
this room, and the two front parlors
in one of which Mrs. Lincoln spent the
anxious hours of the night and the
others in which all the members of
the Cabinet except Secretary Seward,
who was himself wounded by the
hand of an assassin gathered about
the bedside of the dying President
together with many eminent men who
came and went as the hours passed.
Mr.. Oldroyd, the owner of the very
valuable collection which occupies
five rooms and the hall on the second
story of the house, has paid the ex
penses of keeping the house open.
Through his efforts and that of the
Memorial Association of Washington,
Congress was induced to make the
appropriations for the purchase of the
house and makeing the repairs. Mr..
Oldroyd has been obliged to charge
small admission at the door in order
to assist in defraying the necessary
expenses, for he paid for three years,
one hundred dollars per month rent
which he could lily afford to do. He
now asks Congress to appropriate for
him salary from year to year that
he may be able to open the door OF
this historic house, free to the public.
This he has done upon numerous oc-
casions such as national holidays
when as many as thousand persons
have availed themselves of the oppor-
tunity in single day. During these
occasions great number of school
teachers have taken advantage of his
kind offer and visited the house, maxi
ing copious notes of the collection
that they might use the valuable in
formation in their schools.
A visit to this collection will impart
clear knowledge of the great Lincoln
from birth up to the tragic close of
life so lowly at the beginning, but
sublime and without a parallel in the
ending