Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-15
Doubts on the Lincoln Cabin.

| Now a doubter has arisen to point
out the improbability of the genuine
ness of the Lincoln cabin which has
been on exhibition in several parts OF
the country and which is now to be
| erected and preserved forever within
| the splendid marble structure to be
erected upon the Lincoln farm in Har-
den county, Fly. A correspondent OF
| the New York Sun declares it absurd
that rude log cabin, uncared for and
exposed to the elements, would have
survived so long. He points out that
it was not until 60 or more years after
the log house was built, and 80 or more
after it had been abandoned and left
| to rot, that Lincoln became famous
| ana public attention was drawn to his
| birthplace.
It is indeed a pity if the log cabin
now to be preserved and immortal
lied as the birthplace of the martyred
President is rot the genuine and orr
have purchased and preserved the cabin
believe absolutely in it's genuineness
They claim to have traced absolutely
its history and to be positive that this
is the identical structure in which
Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks
Lincoln We're living when their son was
born in 1909. They are not Intentional
ly working any fake upon the coun-
try, but of course it is possible that
they are mistaken and that in their
zeal they are imposing upon themselves
as we'll as upon others. The correspon-
dent of the Sun, after deploring the
practice of carrying the Lincoln cab
in, or the alleged Lincoln cabin, around
the country in recent years for exhi-
biton purposes, writes as follows:
Seven years ago 1 knew an educa-
tor-his signature is before me, II. A.
Scomp-in the West Tennessee Col
lege ut Dyer Tenn, who previously for
many years had been principal of a
school at HOdgensville. Ky, three
miles from which is Lincolns birth
place. He was familiar with the scene
of the "cabin' location and said that 80
years before that time the logs of which
it WAS built had tumbled into a heap of
decayed matter in which one log could
not he distinguished from another,
even if the whole mass had not been
covered with Il rank growth of tall
weeds. stones We're visible at each cor
ner, on which the stills of the hut had
rested, and there was pile of small
fat stones overgrown with tangle of
creeping vines where the chimney had
fallen. | noted this down at the time
just as Mr.. Scomp related it to me.
Any mention that may be made OF the
hut of Linccln's birth in connection
with these centennial observances as
an object still visible will be false,
whether Intentionally so or not There
may be a reproduction of it on the
same spot to enhance popular interest
in the exercises which l read are to
take place there tomorrow. Any per
sen Of fair amount of knowledge and
respectable thinking powers should see
the miserable absurdity of suppoSin%
it possible that the original hut could
stiI be standing-put together more
than I. hundred years ago of green
logs, unnhabitated and uncared Tor
for from so to 80 years and exposed to
the elements all this time! 1t was not
until 60 or more years after the log
house was built. and 20 or more years
after it was abandoned and left to rot,
that Lincoln became famous. How can
ANYBODY have cared anything about it
all that time that it possibly could
have been kept in a state of preserVa-
finn 2n