Putnam patriot., 1909-02-19
Man Who Saved Cabin Present.

Man Who Saved Cabin Present.
4 prominent figure in the crowd of
distinguished men at the ceremonies
was Robert J Collier of New York. to
whom the country owes the preserva-
ton of the cabin in which the great
Iberator was born. In 1850 the cabin
WAS renewed from its original site TO
another mile and half distant. near
Davenport There Il served as a spring
house until the early eighties. when IL
was bought by an enterprising show
man and carted around the country to
serve as an attraction at worlds fairs
and elsewhere From this ignominious
fate II was rescued by Mr. Collier The
outgrowth of his efforts to preserve 1t
as perpetual memorial for the nation
WAS the Lincoln Farm association
whose labors will take concrete form
in the marble memorial which will be
built around and over the shack in
which Lincoln was born.
Acting as escort fer President Roose-
welt and lending very picturesque
touch to the occasion were the men,
hers of the Louisville post Of the Grand
Army of the Republic and the mem
bers of the Louisville camp of the
United Confederate Veterans The
mingling of the blue and the gray on
this occasion elected from President
Roosevelt many expressions of delight
The Men Who Spoke.
The exercises at the Lincoln farm
began Mt noon The opening address
was delivered by Ex-Governor Folk.
who spoke on THE Lincoln Farm AS
ISOLATION" He WAS followed by Gov
ernor Wilson, whose theme was Lin
coins Mother State. Then came Pres
ident Roosevelt. whose Lincoln Cen
lennial Address" was received wit q
earnest attention and at its close with
great applause. The presidents sue
cessor as orator was Secretary Wright
who spoke for The Confederate Vet
eran" Last on the list of speakers was
General James Grant Wilson. the well
known writer and orator. who spoke
for .'rhe Federal Veteran" The lay
ing of the cornerstone followed the ad
dresses.
President Roosevelt spoke as follows;
We have met here TO celebrate the
hundredth anniversary of the birth of
one of the two greatest Americans; Of
one of the two or three greatest men
Of the nineteenth century. OF one
Of the greatest men In the worlds
history. This rail splitter. this boy
who passed his ungainly youth In
the dire poverty of the poorest OF
the frontier folk. whose rise was
by weary and painful labor. lived to
lead his people through the burning
flames OF a struggle from which the
nation emerged. purified as by fire.
4 born anew to a ioftier life. After long
years of iron effort and of failure that
came more often than victory. he at
last rose 10 the leadership Of the re-
pulaic i the moment when that leader
ship had become the stupendous world
task Of the time, He grew to know
crea. ness. tut never ease Success
caue Eo him. bur never happiness save
shai whieh sgriags from doing well
painful AID vital task. Power was
bis bur rai pleasure The burrows
de- red or his brow. but his eyes
ver al. TUNED BY either tate or fear
His aut shoulders were bowed bat
LIS s4eI theNs never faltered as be
bore for a burden The destinies Of rs
Iseaase Ills great and tender heart
khrank from giving pain. and the task
allotted hin was 10 pour out liAe wa
Ter the lifebsocd OF the young men
aud To feel in his every fiber the ssr-
ron ef the women Disaster saddenfd
tut Fever dismayed him Triumph was
has al ths. last. and bare'y had be tast-
ed ii before murder found him, and the
zne kindly. patient fearless eyes were