The Washington herald., 1907-02-24
PERPETUAL EXAMPLE TO YOUTH
A Collection That Has Occupied
Many Years and Is Now Fairly
Complete Historical Record of the
Career of One of Americas Bravest
sOidiers-Riae Carried at Bull Run.

I
set apart memorial room. adjoining Memorial Hall
and undertake properly 20 care for ana maintain
them az an exhibit in connection with Memorial
Hall.
These relics are Of great yalue, and viii become
more valuable with the lapse # time Gen. Logan
was one Of the great figures Of Illinois history, and
his services 60 tAe State and 10 the nation. M
peace and IN var, held in grateful remembrance
by the people Of our country.
| recommend that the State accept the donation
Of these historic Treasures offered, and that an
appropriation b. made therefor.
For more than Il quarter Of a century
the widow Of Gen. John A. Logan has
spent her spare moments in the seiec-
ton, collection, and preservation Of relies
and mementos Of her distinguished nus
band. she began before his death. and
| hardly a month or even a week has
passed ia the twenty-one years since he
passed away, but that through her own
efforts or the thOughtfulness Of "a wide
circle of friends, she has been able TO
add 10 the treasures among which she
| lives. To-day they constitute perhaps the
most perfect record of the public acts and
private life of any historical person the
republic has seen. Mrs. Logan has lived
among them and given over TO them
spacious room in the mansion which she
has occupied since the death of the gen
eral and which was presented to her by
admirers Of her husband.
Mrs. Logan Not Rich.
Last winter Mrs. Logan became dcs-
perately iIl. Her mlsfoTtunes have not
been few. The care Of the great house,
maintained on the scale which she has set
for herself, together with the entertain
ing she feels called upon to do. have
drained her resources from time 10 time
until she has been Obliged 70 supplement
the income from her special pension from
the government by literary work of the
most eXacting nature. Her son, the pride
and apple Of her eye. was killed in action
In the Philippines, and the widow felt
that her sacrifices to her country had.
indeed. been great. Then came the death
Of her little grandson, in the same distant
islands. For a time she seemed in most
depressed and desperate straits. Always.
though. her mind was clear. Twice she
had been tempted 10 sell the historical
cid home where she lives. once James
.. Blaine. famous Secretary Of State. Of
feTed her three times the original pur-
chase price, and again Leland Stanford
by proposing an even 100000 sought TO
tempt her to part with IL. Always she
rebelled at the idea and chung TO the
ola home where she has sometimes lived
in almost solitary grandeur
But when her desperate illness came she
bethought herself of the collection of
rare ctTios Of the general and its posi-
bic disposition after her death. The
thousands of dollars which she had spent
with the bookbinder. the decorator. the
cabinetmakeT and the artists VINO help
ed her 10 arrange and make the collection
perfect. came 10 her mind with "A pdng
1T thought of the collection being broken
up and scattered even among her near
and dear relatives. II had often been
suggested that she give the collection
u the national government, so that it
could be preserved in the National Mu-
scum, but Mrs Logan felt that the gen
erals loyalty 10 the State and the in
tercst Of his old comrades and friends
and ueighbOrs out in Illinois would in
cline him 20 the wish that they should
possess it rather than the national gov
eminent.
offered to the state.
Mrs. Logan has decided now to present
the entire collection TO the State, and
included in her offer are the stained glass
windows and the twenty-five painted
panels of the memorial room in her pres
ent house. where the collection has lain
hitherto
Recently I sat near the center Of the
memorial room at the desk which the
general used when he was a member
of the House of Representatives. and in
the chair ia which he sat when he wrote
his book, The Great Conspiracy" and. /
looking up at the portrait in the south
window. noting his raven black hair, his
high cheek bones. and remembering his
swarthy complexion. as I had seen him /
in life twenty years ago. I asked Mrs. 1
Logan, not without little trepldation:
Mrs. Logan. YOU know It was popularity |
believed that Gen Logan had Indian
blood in his veins, ana his personal ap-
pearance, his straight carriage, his rapid /
and 1.-the movements for a man Of his I
commanding physique, seemed to lend 4
color TO thar belief "
Mrs. Logan smiled indulgently and an
swered without embarrassment or feel 4
ing:
Yes. that was a popular belief and one
which was enormously accepted by many
of his close friends who restrained them /
selves from inquiring. for he would have 1
told them just as I tell you and others /
who inquire, that we would both have /
been proud Of a strain from that great /
race of men who showed so many COM /
mendabe qualities. But the fact is that /
there was no trace of Indian blood in his /
veins. He was Scotch-Irish."
Then MS. Logan laughed quietly TO /
herself at the recollection of retort /
of distant day. "The general had an !
old uncle who was not so liberal minded |
about the report of Indian blood in his |
veins, and / remember at one time he /
was asked the same question that you
have just asked me. He turned toward /
his questioner with a flush of annoyance,
and dropping into the brogue which he
only used when suffering under mental /
stress said: We came from Monahan I.
County, Ireland. he said. where there l
never was a schnake, a naygur. nor an
Injun. Can We say as much for yeeself?' -
The Logan Relics.
In the corner OF the room. not far
from the desk at which ! sat. was the
old Enfield rife which the general car
ried when. IS a member of the Congress
Of the United States, with his tall silk
tile damned tight down on his head. his
long-taiIed frock coat lapping about his
legs, he went to the battle of Bun Run
and took his place On the firing line In
a small glass case are scores of canes
and walking sticks, some of them of ex-
dusite workmanship and rare woods,
which the general carried in life. On the
wall 10 the left is q strange array of
silken ribbons, each with its neatly print
ed label. They represent the funeral
SaSheS which were SLING across the (
shoulder of the general when he at
tended the state funerals of Grant. OF
Garfield, Arthur. Summer and Burnside.