Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-01-30
EYE GLASSES
With A history

Mr.. Joseph r. Leisenring, of Mex
leo, whose arrival in this city was
noted in these columns Thursday, was
the object of special interest and at
tention during his brief soiourn at the
home of his cousin, Henry Leisenring,
West Mahoning street.
Mr.. Lesenring was born in Dam
willie. He has had an active career,
which has carried him to the southern
part of Mexico where he is engaged in
the cultivation uf coffee. The interest
which attaches to his visit is due to
these circumstances along with the
additional fact that during his life
Mr.. LeiseuTing maintained intimate
social relations with the Lincoln fam
| lily aud treGsueTes n couple of valuable
gifts from the wife of Robert Lincoln,
among them being a pair of gold
framed Spectacles, which belonged to
Abraham Lincoln, the martyr presi-
| dent.
Joseph r. Leisenring was the son of
John Leisenring, who occupied the
residence on West Mahoning street at
present the home of Joseph w, Keely.
In 1855, when the subject of our sketch
was about ten years of age, the family
moved to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, where it
settled permanently.
On Saturday, Mr. Leisenring spent
some time looking up his boyhood
companions. Among those whom he
especially recalls are George NJ. Gear
hart, Robert Adams, Joseph W. Keelev,
Joseph r. Patton, r. W. Eggert and
Benton b. Brown.
Mr.. Leisenring is q gentleman of
pleasing personality, gifted as con-
versationalist. HIS active business
career and wide travels afford abund-
ant themes and under the magnetism
of his discourse the hours fly by like
minutes. He is stakeholder in a
company that owns large coffee
plantation in the State of Oxaoo, 800
miles southeast of the city of Mexico,
in the Sierra Madre mountains. For
81 years he has resided in Mexico in
charge of the coffee plantation.
The plantation lies 65 miles over the
mountains and is accessible only by
persons on foot or by packhoIsos. The
plantation comprises tract Of 7OO0
acres and is made up wholly of noun
tain land Mr.. Leisenring exhibits a
series of photographs, which shows the
coffee growing luxuTiantly up to the
very summit of the mountains. Only
24OO acres of the tract are under cui-
tivation at present, but each year aG-
ditional coffee plants are being set out
so that i6 will be only matter of
time until the whole 1000 acres will
be producing coffee.
The climate at the great elevation is
mild and equable. The scenery among
the mountain SUBMITS, whether under
the sunlight or the moonlight, the sun
set or the da Yn is most beautiful ana
inspiring and life there as described
by Mr.. Leisenring must possess a rare
and romantic charm.
Mr.. Leisenring during his visit eX-
hibited to his friends pair of spec
tacles that once belonged and were
used by Abraham Lincoln. While liv-
ing at Mt Pleasant. Iowa, the Leis-
enring family was a next neighbor to
the family of James Harlan, who was
member of Lincoln's cabinet. The
most friendly relations existed be-
tween the two households, Mary Har-
Ian, who married Abraham Lincoln S
son, Robert, being a lifelong friend Of
Mr. Lieseuring.
It was through the friendly Offices
of the lady in question, Mrs Robert
Lincoln. that the goldrimmed spec
tacles, after Mr, Linooln's death, fell
into Mr.. Laisenring's hands. The
lady also presented Mr. Leisenring
with book belonging to her son,
"Jack" Lincoln, who died some years
ago in London.
y representative of this paper was
permitted to peruse a letter written to
Mr.. Leisenring by Mrs. Lincoln, in
which she fondly alludes to the two
mementos presented to him, one relat
ing,as she expressed it, to the grand
father, Abraham Lincoln, and the 9TH
er to the grandson, her boy "Jaok -
Thus is dispelled all doubt as to the
authenticity of the eyeglasses and the
/ book.
] DHsyCECE MIC rIEET