The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-02-17
Earn, Is Bought.

Farm Is Bought.
Robert ]. Collier. of New York city,
had been negotiating for the property
and upon the appeara of this no.
tice he dispatched Rich; Lloyd Jones
to Hodgenville with instructions to buy
the place if possible.
The day set for the bidding was Mon
day and as the laws forbade. Sunday
railway operation in this neighborhood.
Elizabethtown, - miles away, was as
near as Mr. Jones could come by rail
before Monday noon. At the little hotel
individuals. who he learned We're sent
on the same mission as himself. One
represented a prominent eastern merch-
INT. the other a distilling concern,
which recognized the commercial value
OF the pur water from the rock spring
scription Lincoln Birthplace Whisky
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 a
high degree, and by midnight both were
peaceably abed.
Mr.. Jones came here early the next
morning and sought out the commits
sioner. who was to conduct the sale.
With the thought of the two gentlemen
VINO were still resting In Elizabethtown
ne tried to persuade the commissioner
70 start the sale promptly at 10 o'clock.
But that official was for having it in
the AFTERNOON. Finally 1890 was agreed
upon as a compromise. A horse auction
the same day excited more interest
among the citizens Of the village and
1t was but a mall crowd that gathered
apout the U house. when Commits
sloner Handley announced that he was
ready TO sell the Rock Spring farm.
The bidding started at 81, 500 and was
gradually worked up to 5 $1,000 at which
price IT was sold to Mr.. Golfers rep
resentattve. After the papers had been
drawn and recorded Mr.. Jones
started to drive back to Elizabethtown
and encountered one of the belated bid
GERS VINO was mercilessly hurrying his
morse to reach the auction in time to
nld. An indignant salutation. greeted
MT. n announcement that the Lin.
coin farm was in his pocket
1000 Subscriptions.
aWhat am I to say when I get back"
you 10000 for 1t right now" But Mr..
Collier had a better use for the place
ano ~ was not handed over. Instead
ne interested a group OF representa-
tive American citizens in forming a
national association for the presarva-
ton of this ground. This group of
citizens organized the Lincoln Farm as
ISOLATION. which was promptly incor-
porated under the laws of the state Of
New York. The title OF the nco
birthplace was transferred to this az
ISOLATION and the program for enlarR-
ing the membership Of the society was
at once begun. In order to make the
memorial to Lincoln represent the trib-
utes Of all the people no contribution
of more than 325 has been accepted and
any one contributing as small a sum
as 25 cents Is entitled to membership in
the organization.
Since this time about 10000 subscrip-
tions have been received averaging a
little less than $40 to a member. With
these funds the trustees bought the
cabin In which Lincoln was born and
set 1t up on Its original site; they have
commenced the memorial building
which is to cover the cabin and. they
have made plans for developing the
farm Into a beautiful park.