The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1909-02-12

day railway operation in this neigh
borhood. Elizabethtown, twelve miles
away was as cal as Mr.. Jones could
come by rail before Monday noon. AT
h little hotel in Elizabethtown Mr..
jones met two individuals who he
learned were sent on the same mis-
sion as himself. One represented a
prominent eastern merchant, the 9th
er a distilling which recog-
nized the commercial value of the pure
water from the Del spring and the
bottle label bearing the inscription
Lincoln Birthplace Whiskey." Both
had come with the instructions to
Bid it in," and the sentiment which
they displayed about heir mission
was intense. 1t eventually worked
their ruin for before evening their pa
triotic enthusiasm had been stimulat-
ed to a high degree, and by midnight
both were peaceably abed.
Mr.. Jones came ere by buggy al
" the next morning and sought out
the commissioner who was to conduct
the sale. With the thought of the two
gentlemen who were still resting in
Elizabethtown he tried to pursuade
the commissioner to start the sale
promptly at ten o'clock. But that Of
fetal was for having it in the after
noon. Finally hwelve-thirty was
agreed upon as a compromise. A
horse auction the same day excited
more interest among the citizens of
the village and 1T was but a small
crowd that gathered about the court
house, when Commissioner Randley
announced that he was ready to sell
the Rock Spring Farm. The bidding
started at $1,000 and was gradually
worked up to So, 900 at which price it
was sold to Mr.. Golfers representa-
tive. After the papers had been pro-
perly drawn and recorded MIR. Jones
started to drive back to Elizabeth
town and encountered one of the be-
lated bidders who was mercilessly
hurrying his horse II reach the auc-
lmtation greeted MIR. Jones announce
ment that the Lincoln farm was in his
pocket.
What am 1 to say when 1 get
Iback?" the other shouted in dismay.
"I'll give you $4,000 for 1t right now"
But MI. Collier had a better use for
the place and it vas not handed over.
Instead he interested a group of rep
r~esentative American citizens in form
ing a national association for the pre-
servation of TINS ground. This group
of citizens organized the Lincoln
Farm Association which was prompt
ly incorporated under the laws of the
State of New York. The title of the
Lincoln birthplace was transferred to
this association and the for
charging the membership of the So
ciety was at once begun. In order to
make the memorial to Lincoln repre-
sent the tributes Of all the people no
contribution of more than twenty-five
dollars has been accepted and any,
n contributing as small a sum as
twenty-five cents is entitled to mem
berShip in h organization.
Since this time about twenty thou
sand subscriptions have been recefv-
ed averaging a little less than a dol
lar n forty cents a member. With
these funds the trustees bought the
cabin in which Lincoln was born and
set it UP on its original site; they
have commenced the memorial build
ing which is to cover the cabin and
they have made plans for developing
the farm into a beautiful park.
c~eIebration at Springfield, III.
Springfield, Ill. Feb. 12.-Spring-
field, the home and burial place of
Lincoln, today entertaine6 many dis
itinguished guests who came to attend
h exercises of the celebration of
b centenary anniversary of Lin
coins birthday. The city was profuse-
ly decorated.
The exercises included the dedica-
tfon of a memorial tablet in the build
ing Lincoln had his law office.
the planting of a Lincoln elm at the
court house where Lincoln tried law
cases and h dedication of a memoir
ial tablet at the Presbyterian church
Lincoln attended. The disting-
ulshed guests visited the tomb OF Lin
coin and a monster meeting was this
addressed by William J..
Bryan and others. Mr.. Bryan's ad-
dress Is on page 2, of The Record.
\ Notice. Greek Letter Men.
All members Of National College