The Washington herald., 1908-02-12
Bv FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Nlnety-nine years ago to-day on a
rocky farm In Central Kentucky Abra-
ham Lincoln was born Three years ago
a tardy people awakened 10 the fact this
birthplace was neglected. that the cabin
i'm which he first saw the light was being
sent hither and yon at the call Of expo
Sition folk. and that vandalism in gen
eral was having fun play over the hills
and valleys that should have been pre-
served by d grateful nation as a monu-
ment TO a great man. In some way in
terest began 10 be evinced In the farm
possibly because ii was about TO be
thrown In the courts. RumOr did many
things with it. 1t converted It into a
home for aged negroes. il made it home
for Confederate soldiers, and then for the
widows and children of men who had
fought on both the Northern and South
eTn sides
Actual facts came near doing less dig
nifed things with Il, for a whisky manu-
facturer wanted II either as the site for
a new distiuery or as show place TO
advertise his wares, while a big Eastern
department store man wanted il for adj
small religious weekly made comment on
the national Indifference that allowed the
place to fall into such decay. The fol-
lowing August the place was advertised
for sale by order of the court of Larue
County, and out of all the nations So
100000 people there were only five men
to bid on the farm, and of SO little
moment was the sale that most Of the
crowd in the little town Of Hodgenville
was busy horse trading, and cared little
for the fate of the old, rocky farm that
was being cried at public auction from
the steps Of the old courthouse.
The bidders were a Grand Army man.
a Milwaukee newspaper man. a lawyer,
representing a New York concern; an
other representing some one in Louisville
and a quiet. determined fellow. who had
been sent down by the owner Of Golfers
Weekly to bid the farm IN at any price
and save It for patriotic purposes. There
were TO have been two other bidders.
but as they had tasted too freely of that
superior liquid OF which Kentuckians
were once wont TO boast. they arrived
too late for the sale and met the Col
lier's representative with the proper
papers Of transfer in his pocket showing
that the farm had been sold az $500.
when they would gladly have paid three
times as much. There were many offers
made for the farm after that. One per
son would make it a great show place
with prOht to himself. Another would
exploit the healthful waters OF the great
spring from which Lincoln drank when
boy. Another would put a factory
there and expect 10 realize more from
his goods because OF the historical assO-
citation with the site.
To all these pleas Mr.. Collier was deaf.
He had bought it TO preserve as "a
historic shrine, and preserve it he would.
At his suggestion the Lincoln Farm As
ISOLATION was organized. for the purpose
Of restoring the place and properly caring
for It. and to this association Mr.. Col
Her decided the farm. Now the first OBJ
ieCt is to raise money with which TO
put the place I'm order. Much must be
done. The cabin. doubtless weary from
its many trips 10 expeditions. and long
ing for the isolation of the old farm
again. is TO crown a hill in It's old place.
and the keeper Of she grounds lives in
the farm house built since the Lincolns
lived there.
The plan Of restoration includes the
cleaning Of the giant spring, and the
cutting Of great boUlevards across the
farm TO interest The old Louisville and
Nashville Pike. over which Lincolns
father was at one time supervisor 4
museum 10 hold relics of Lincoln will be
an architectural feature I'm striking con-
trast to the one-roOm cabin to which
Thomas Lincoln brought his bride on
June 10. 1905. where Abraham Lincoln
was born three years later, and where
he lived with his father, mother, and
little sister for the first nine years of
his life The little sister was left buried
under the trees when the family moved
TO Indiana. OF those years, and Of the
hard, uneventful years that followed
Lincoln once said only a few words OF
description We're needed THE short anC
simple annals OF the poor.
From this farm, rugged, poor. and yet
with a certain wild natural beauty. the
boy Lincoln doubtless absorbed many OF
the characteristics that lifted him to suci
supreme height above other men
Rough hewn as the rocks about the great
spring, gnarled as the storm-swep
branches OF the trees, strong and unas
sailable as the eternal hills over which
he plowed. tender as the blue Of the sky
sweep Of the winds, who knows but tn
farm may have lent itself 10 the making
of the man? keenly humorous and will
a soul quick to steep itself in the patho
of a people and its woes, who know
but that the songs of the birds in tn
day time brought the JOY and that tn
somber stiffness Of evening. cTcepini
about the tOrCh-lit cabin. brought in il
eerie whispers a fOreshadowing of tn
spirit in which he must see the tragi
dramas OF the people ne would som
day rule, and the greater tragedy Of hi
own ljfe2
OF Lincoln. Hamilton Wright Mabi
said: First rude vigor, then tempere'
strength then a great human spirit
touched with the pathos of infinite pa
thence and sorrow; an ideal AmericaI
who had climbed from the bottom to tn
top. who had educated himself by tn
way, and I'm becoming supremely Grea
had remained supremacy human" A quee
contradiction was the man. According
TO his biographers, he would brood owe
things, anticipate trouble with dark fore
bodings. while the ugly realities of If
would rise and jibe at him, just as tn
bare, unfruitful places on the old Ken
lucky hills would CLEAN when, as
child he bent TO his work above them
And lust as to-day the association /
planting blue grass 10 cover the seam
and make one forget the disfiguTements
50 Lincoln would recall himself iron
his bro0dings and tell some joke or Cleve
story to cover the less lovely thought 0
disaster.
The only playtime Lincoln ever knew
was on this farm, and when it is mad
heautifnl and restfnl I'm Its robe Of green