Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-02-12
INTERESTING STORY OF HOW HISTORIC SPOT HAS
 BEEN RESTORED

HODGENvILLE, Kentucky, Febru- ary 1.-The centenary of Abraham Lincoln s birth will be observed gener- ally throughout the United States but nowhere will the commemoration exer- cises command more interest than those to be held in this little town on Febru- ary l2. Two miles from here on the Lincoln farm, which has been purchased by a national association, formed for tho purpose, President Roosevelt will llay the cornerstone of memorial build ing now being erected by popular sub scription to mark Lincoln's birthplace and to protect for all time the little log cabin in which the martyr presi. dent was born.
 The centenary address on this occa- sion will be delivered by President Roosevelt. General Luke K. Wright, the secretary of war, will speak on behalf of the Confederate soldiers, General Grant Wilson will represent the veter- ans of the Union army and Lincoln g native state will be represented by Governor Augustus F. Wilson of Ken lucky. Other addresses will be made by Bishop Galloway of Mississippi and Ex-G Governor Joseph W. Folk of Missou- ri
 Hodgenville, which is near the geo graphical center of the state of Ken lucky, and not far from the center of population of the United States, prom ises to become new Mecca in America and the Lincoln farm second Mount Vernon. Although Abraham Lincoln had other homes, there is a sentiment about his birthplace that does not attach to any of them. He lived here for eight years and before he left, knew very much of what Mark Twain calls "the model little farm that raised 8 man. He went swimming in the near by creek and by the light from the huge fireplace in the little one room cabin he learned his first lessons.
 It was in 1906 that Thomas Lincoln brought his bride, Nancy Hanks, and es- tablished the rude little home that three years later was to welcome into the world the future president. Their $ was the rough life of pioneers; the farm was then, as it is now, sterile piece of land, and to make both ends meet the older Lincoln did odd jobs of carpentry in the vicinity, besides working the farm. The actual neces- sities of life were seldom lacking, but it was life of severe poverty. For some years Thomas Lincoln served as a county supervisor of public roads, an important position in that time Land owners paid their poll tax with pick and shovel then, and on road mending days he used to take the little Abe along both for company and for help. There are old.timers hero 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 o, team.
 At this time Kentucky offered few allurements to poor man and in 1S1. the Lincolns sold their farm ant moved to Indiana. Subsequently Abra ham Lincoln moved into Illinois and tn, rest is history. But through all tn, years that followed he never forgo his first home. He rarely referred {, liz, but after he had become presiden of the United States he is known t, have said, "When the war is over
 should like very much to visit my ol, Kentucky home. I remember it we'll
 But he never did return and the farr and the little log cabin had varie'
 history. Thomas Lincoln sold the plac to family named Creal and it remaine
 in their hands for over seventy years Its beautiful rock spring was apparentl
 it's one redeeming feature and only re gently has anyone awakened to the req . ization that those one hundred and te acres had any value beyond their yiel
 in corn and sorghum. From time t
 time newspapers have announced tha
 the Lincoln birthplace farm was to b
 sold but as a matter of fact it ha
 only changed hands twice since Thoma
 Lincoln's original transfer. A fe'
 years ago it was given into the manag,
 ment of Rev. J. w. Bingham who T,
 moved the log cabin to the exhibition g
 Nashville, and later sold it to some el
 hibitors who took it about the countr
 as travelling show. But a year (
 two ago the logs were found in a cells
 at College Point, Long Island, where
 was stored and with ceremony it ws
 restored to it's original site.
 : The farm itself has been the subje, g of litigation for several years and e ,, forts have been made by various il r terests to use it for one purpose { ]. another. Many schemes have been SUI . gested from time to time but none {
 them have borne any large national si
 nifcance. Finally in 1905 it was adve
 tised that Ion August 28 the Linco
 farm was to be sold between the hou of ten and two from the courthou
 steps at public outcry and to the hig
 est and best bidder.
 MT. Robert J. Collier of New Vol
 city had been negotiating for thu, pro . erty and upon the appearance of tn Iuot;ne h.. 5aana&obal Mr p;ohard Ilo,