Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-12
- - AT HoDGENVlLLE-.
(Continued from Page One.)


DAYS he used to take little Abe along
both for company and for help. There
are old timers here now who claim
that there is not section of the old
pike within several miles of his home
along which Abraham Lincoln has not
played or on which he has not driven
his OK team. .b
AT this time Kentucky offered few
allurments to poor man and in 1914
the Lncoln's sold the little farm and
moved to Indiana. subsequently
Abraham Lincoln moved into Illinois
and the rest is history. But through
all the years that followed he never
forgot his first home. He rarely re-
ferred to it, but after he had become
President of the United States he IS
known to have said. when the war
is over I would like very much to visit
nv old Kentucky home. / remember
it we'll" .... -...
But he never did return and the
farm and the little log cabin had a
varied history. Thomas Lincoln sold
the place to family named Creal ana
it remained in their hands for over
seventy years It's beautiful rock
spring was apparently it's one redeem-
ing feature and only recently has any
one awakened to the realization that
those one hundred and ten acres had
any value beyond their yield in corn
and sorghum. From time to time
newspapers have announced that the
Lincoln birthplace farm was to be sold
but as matter of fact it has only
changed hands twice since Thomas
Lincolns original transfer. few
years ago it was given into the man
agement of a Rev. ]. w. Bingham who
removed the log cabin to the exhibition
at Nashville, and later sold it to some
exhibitors who took it about the
country as travelling show. But q
year or two ago the logs were found
in a cellar at College Point, Long
Island, where it was stored and with
ceremony was restored to its original
site. ...t..
The farm itself has been the subject
of litigation for several years and eff
forts have been made by various in
terests to use it for one purpose or
another. Many schemes have beei
suggested from time to time but none
of them have borne any large nation
al significance. Finally in 1905 it was
coin Farm was to be sold between the
hours of ten and two from the Court
house steps at public 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
this notice he despatched Mr. Richard
Lloyd Jones to Hodgenville with in
structions to buy the place if posi-
Bile.
The day set for the bidding was
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, Mr..
Jones met two individuals who he
learned We're sent on the same mission
as himself. One represented promi-
nent eastern merchant, the other a
distiliiEg concern which recognized the
commercial value of the pure water
from the rock spring and the bottle la
bel bearing the inscription, Lincoln
Birthplace Whiskey." Both had come
with Instructions to bid it in and
the sentiment which they displayed
about their mission was intense. 1t
eventually worked their ruin for before
evening their patriotic enthusiasm had
been stimulated to high degree, and
by midnight both We're peaceable abed.
Mr.. Jones game by buggy early the
next morning and sought out, the COM
missioner who was to conduct the sale
With the thought of the two gentle
ma hn in
BEETHOVEN he tried to persuade the
commissioner TO start the sale prompt
ly at ten o'clock. But that official was
for having it in the afternoon. Finally
twelve-thirty was agreed upon as d
compromise. A horse auction the same
Gay excited more interest among the
citizens of the village and it was but
small crowd that gathered about the
court house, when Commissioner
tandlcy announced that he was ready
to sell the Rock Spring Farm. The
bidding started at $3.50 and was grad
ually worked up to $500 at which
price it was sold to Mr.. Golfers" rep
rcsentative. After the papers had
been properly drawn and recorded MI.
Jones started to drive back to Eliza
hethtOWn and encountered one of the
l.clatcd bidders who was merclessly
hurryirg his horse to reach the auc-
ton in time to bid. An indignant sad
u;&ti0n 8rccte Mr.. Jones' announce
lncnt ti.;.t IT,. Lincoln Farm was in
his pocket.
r. What am l to say when I get
Lack" the other shouted in dismay.
I'll give you $4,000 for it right now"
But Mr.. Collier had a better use for
the place and it was not handed over,
instead he interested a group of repre-
sentative American citizens in forming
:. national association for the preser-
walton of this ground. This group of
citizens organized the Lincoln Farm
Association which was promptly ia
corporated upder the laws of the State
IF New York. The title of the Lincoln
birthplace was. transferred to this as
soclatlon and the program for enlarg-
ing the membership of the society was
at once begun. In order to make the
memorial to Lincoln represent the tri-
butes Of all the people no contribution
of more. than twenty five dollars has
been accepted and anyone contributing
as small sum as twenty-five cents is