The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-02-12
PRESIDENT LEAVES FOR
BIRTHPLACE OF LINCOLN

Monday and as the laws forbade sun
day railway operation In this neigh
borhood Elizabethtown. twelve miles
away, was as near as Mr.. Jones could
come by rail before Monday noon.
At the little hotel in Elizabethtown
MIR. Jones met two individuals who he
learned were sent on the same
mission as himself. One represented
prominent eastern merchant, the
other distilling concern which rec
+ ogniZed the commercial value of the
pure water from the rock spring and
the bottle liable bearing the inscrip-
ton: Lincoln Birthplace Whisky
Both had come with instructions to
bid ii in and the sentiment which
they displayed about their mission
was intense. II eventually worked
their ruin for before evening their
patriotic enthusiasm had been stimu-
lated TO Il high degree, and by mid
night both We're peacefully abed.
Mr.. Jones came here by buggy
early the next morning and sought
out the ommissioner who was to con-
duct. 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 official was for having it in the
afternoon. Finally twelve-thirty was
agreed upon as compromise. A
horse auction the same day excited
more interest among the citizens of
the village and il was but a small
crowd that gathered about the court
house, when Commissioner Handley
announced that he was ready to sell
the Rock Spring Farm. The bidding
started at s. 500 and was gradually
worked up TO So 500 at which price
IL was sold to Mr.. Golfers represen-
tative. After the papers had been
properly drawn and recorded Mr..
Jones started TO drive back TO Eliza
bethtown and encountered one of the
belated bidders who was mercilessly
hurrying his horse to reach the
auction in time TO bid. An indignant
salutation greeted Mr.. Jones an
nouneement that the Lincoln Farm
was in his pocket.
What am | To say when ! get
back. the other shouted in dismay.
IN give YOU $4,000 for it right
now" But Mr.. Collier had a better
use for the place and it was not hand
ed over. Instead he interested a
group of representative American
citizens in forming national
association for the preservation of
this ground. This group of citizens
organized the Linconln Farm assoeia-
ton which was promptly incorporat-
ed under the laws of the state of New
York. The title of the Lincoln birth
place was transferred TO this associa-
tion and the program for enlarging
the membership of the society was at
once begun. In order to make the
memorial 10 Lincoln represent the
tributes of all the people no cOntribu-
tion of more than twenty-five dollars
has been accepted and anyone con-
tributing as small "A sum as twenty
five cents is entitled 10 membership
in the organization.
Since this time about twenty
thousand subscriptions nave been re-
ceived averaging a little less than a
dollar and forty cents to a member.
With these funds the trustees bought
the cabin in which Lincoln was born
and set il up on its original site; they
commenced the memorial building
which is to cover the cabin and they
have made plans for developing the
farm into a beautiful park.