The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-02-04

/ Thomas Lincoln was too
poor to pay for has now be-
| come the property Of the
lovers of his son. When the new ar
rival reached the Lincoln cabin on
Feb. II, 1909, the last dream that
could have entered the mind Of the
father was one comprehending the
glory that had thus come to these
barren acres. What shall the pawn
say when the Master moves it, or
what can it know Of the result Of the
move? Most parents think their sons
! may become president, except those
! whose sons actually do become presi-
dent. They are frequently SO poor
they think little about 1t. The wind
bloweth where it listeth, and soul
that comes into the world is blown by
the wind of the spirit to what heights
or depths it may please him who
! sends the wind. AS for the rest Of
i us, we cannot foresee one single hu-
man destiny, and it is just as well
that we cannot. When we plant an
acorn we know an oak will grow,
can foretell what the crop will be-
But when a man-child enters the
world we know naught Of the harvest
| whether it is to be of shame or Of
glory. There are no signs to tell Of
the coming Of genius. The deity that
presides at the birth Of great souls
| may miss all the homes of wealth and
culture to light at a stable or a cabin
in the wilderness. The wind bloweth
where it listeth, and none can tell
where the spirit will carry the germs
Of Gods purposes.
Lincoln was born on the very outer
rim Of civilization, yet the spot is now
near the center of population Of the
United States That shows how far
each century goes ahead to pitch its
tents; 1909 stopped with. Kentucky
and 1909 has moved on to Manila; 20O9
may go around the world and come
back to Kentucky again. Who knows?
There is little to that Kentucky farm
except the fact that Lincoln was born
there. 1t is not much for crops or
scenery. There is rock spring on if
and creek. The muse of history has
very little eye either for fertile soil or
landscape effects. Battles are usually
fought among most uninviting sur
roundings, and the immortals are liza
BILE to be born almost anywhere except
where we would expect them to be
born. If we were choosing a spot for
one Of the great ones to come into the
world we would seek all the modern
conveniences and a combination Of
seashore and mountain to furnish in
spiratiOn. That merely proves that we
know how to raise crops aid blooded
stock, but we do not know how to raise
great men. This is branch of garden
ing that God does not leave to bun
glers. Hothouse methods may be all
right for forcing plants, but they are
failure for forcing genius.
The preservation Of this shrine to
the memory Of Lincoln was made pos
sible by the generosity Of Robert ].
Collier of Golfers Weekly. There
were several enterprising gentlemen
who desired possession Of the farm for
advertising purposes, and had it not
been for Mr.. Collier one Of them prob
ably would have succeeded in his
shameless design. Among the bidders
was a liquor firm that had already
prepared posters announcing Lincoln
Birthplace Whisky" The agents Of
this firm imbibed too freely Of their
own wares. which permitted Mr., Col
lier's representative to steal march
on them and bid in the place before
they arrived on the scene, for Ii Is q
sad and humiliating fact that the farm
on which our greatest president was
born was allowed to be sold for taxes.
This, coupled with the further refiec-
ton that but for the interest and pa
triotism shown by one man this price
less shrine would have been used for
selfish and base purposes, should make
the American people feel quite proud.
When 1t was too late there would
doubtless have been raised a great cry
Of indignation which would have in
creased in pitch as the centenary Of
Mr.. Lincoln's birth approached. We
are saved from this humiliation by the
thoughtfulness Of one man-rather of
two, for Rev. Jenkin Lloyd Jones had
advocated buying the shrine before
Mr.. Collier took the matter up. Two
men out Of over 80.0O0,O0o! It Is SO
God finds his agents. even though men
are blind.
The birthplace farm Is not the only
Lincoln shrine saved from degrad-
ing use. The old log building at New
Salem in which Lincoln lived and had
his store, together with the ground on
which the historic village stood. was
purchased by Mr.. William Randolph
| Hearst and made a present to the Old
Salem Chautauqua, the second largest
ChautauQua In America. A whisky
arm was also bidding for this to ad-
vertise some Of ifs wares. II would
seem that the whisky men appreciate
the great liberator, whatever may be
said for the rest Of us.
II is q romantic fact&that the only
building left Of the New Salem In
which Mr.. Lincoln spent his young
manhood II that which he himself oc-
cupied. An tie rest Of the town has
disappeared Ike Q dream village, a.