Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1909-02-12
Brief HiStyry
of LinCOIn'S
Birthplace
Continued from Page ~

Dul ne never ala TeLuTn ana the
farm and the little log cabin had a
varied history. Thomas Lincoln sold
the place to family named Creal
and 1t remained in their hands for
over seventy years. Its beautiful
rock spring was apparently its one
redeeming feature and only recently
has anyone awakened to the realiza-
ton that those 10 acres had any
value beyond their yield in corn and
sorghum. From time to time news
papers have announced that the Lin
coin birthplace farm was to be sold,
but as matter of fact 1t has only
changed hands twice since Thomas
Lincoln's original transfer. A few
years ago 1t was given into the man
agement of Rev. J. w. Brigham,
who removed the log cabin to the
exhibition at Nashville, and later
sold II to some exhibitors who took
1t about the country as travelling
show. But year or two ago the
logs We're found in cellar at Col
lege Point, Long Island, where 1t was
stored, and with ceremony was re-
stored to its original site.
The farm itself has been the sub
iect of litigation for several years,
and efforts have been made by var
ious interests to use 1t for one pur-
pose or another. Many schemes have
been suggested from time to time,
but none of them have borne any
large national significance Finally
in 1905 1t was advertised that ION
August 2S the Lincoln farm was to
be sold between the hours of 10 and
. from the court house steps at pub
lie cutlery and to the highest bidder. !"
Mr. Robert J. Collier, of New York
City, had been negotiating for the
property and upon the appearance of
the notice lie despatched Mr.. Richard
Lloyd Jones' to Hodgenville with in
structions 10 buy the place If posi-
BIZ.
The day set for the bidding was
Monday and as the laws forbade
Sunday railway operation in this
neighborhood, Elizabethtown. twelve
miles away. was as near as Mr.. Jones
could come by rail before Monday
noon. At the little hotel in Eliza
BEETHOVEN Mr., Jones met two indi-
viduals who he learned were sent on
the same mission as himself. One
represented prominent eastern
merchant. the other a Disabling con-
Germ, which recognized the CONNER
cial value of the pure water from the
brock spring and the bottle label bear
ing the inscription Lincoln Birth
place Whisky" Both had come with
instructions TO bid 1t in" and the
sentiment which they displayed
about their mission was intense. 1t
eventually worked their ruin for be-
fore evening their patriotic enthusi-
asm had been stimulated TO high
degree, and by midnight both we're
peaceahly abed,
MIR, Jones came here by buggy
early the next morning and sought
cut the commissioner who was to
conduct the sale, With the thought
Of the two gentlemen who were still
resting in Elizabeth town he tried to
/ persuade the commissioner to start
the sale promptly at 10 O'Clock. But
that official was for having it in the
afternoon Finally 1880 was agreed
upon as a compromise. A horse auc-
ton the same day excited more in
terest among the citizens of the vii.
lage and it was but small crowd
that gathered about the court house
when Commissioner Handley an,
noUnced that he was ready to sell the
Rock Spring farm, The bidding
started at $500 and was gradually
worked up to $500. at which price
1T was sold to Mr., Golfers repre-.
sentative. After the papers had beer
properly drawn ana recorded Mr.
Jones started to drive back to Eliza,
BEETHOVEN and encountered one of the
helated bidders who was mercilessly
hurrying his horse TO reach the auc,
tioa in time to bid, An indignan,
salotstion greeted Mr., Jones an,
nouncement that the Lincoln farm
was in his pocket,
What am l to say when sc,
hack" the other shouted in dismay
"rll give You $4,000 for it right
now" But Mr., Collier had bette,
use for the place and IL was no,
handed over, Instead he interested
group of representative American
citizens in forming national associ.
alton tor the preservation Of the
ground, This group OF citizens or
CANNED the Lincoln Farm association
watch was promptly Incorporated