The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1912-02-10

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difficulty Of securing WMD @~@@
Liugulus former be
iouEiHEs and the yet
greater difficulty Of -N6ahIo/o7e o<Zlz
Hutbenticatiug many LL2pevLl0z5 maze BY
Of the objects mat lincoln Hzlu5eI@
purport to be Lin.
coin relics The
martyr president from comparative ohscur-
fy and this in itself has made it difficult to locate
minor objects connected with his boyhood ana
early life Then too the circumstance that his
activities covered wIdely-separated localities in
kentucky Illinois, etc, has further complicated
the task Of tracing his one-time belongings Lin
coin relics. when they do come into the market
via the medium of collectors auction sales, In
varlahlv bring big prices A Lincoln autograph
especially an autograph letter will always pro
woke spirited bidding; damaged and discarded
pieces OF the White House china made for Mrs
Lincoln and used on the presidential table dur
ing the Lincoln administration command prices
of $50 to $5O each; and lock OF Lincon's hair
recently brought $500 when sold at auction.
Some of the most interesting of the Lincoln
relies are believed to be in the possession of Mr..
Robert Lincoln. the only living son Of the martyr
president However. Mr.. Lincoln, who has but
lately retired as president OF the Pullman Car
company. has not only never exhibited his relics
publicly but has never taken the public into his
confidence regarding the exact character Of the
memeutoes he possesses what ultimate dis
position he has planned to make OF them Even
valuable. however than the Robert T. Lin
coin collection is that which represents the life
work of Osborn II. Oldroyd. n veteran of the
civil and a most devoted admirer of Lincoln.
1t stands today the greatest collection
compiled by one man in tribute to a popular hero
and its value has been variously estimated at
from 800 900 to $3.50 600
The collector began to accumulate Lincoln
relics come time before the Springfield lawyer
nominated for president and he has contin-
ued his labor of love ever since with the result
that he has considerably more than 1000
articles pertaining to the great idol Some years
ago the Congress Of the United States gave him
permission to place his relics In the house In
Washington in which Lincoln died and this
pretentous brick structure. which is now owned
by Uncle Sam. has since been the home.
free Of this persistent collector and the treasures
which he has gathered together from all parts of
the country at great expense
What is generally accounted the most valuable
of all Lincoln relies has prominent place in this
frame sheltering under glass the last communi-
cation penned by Lincoln and attached to
the precious missive. lock of Ilncoln's hair.
This souvenir. which originally in the posses
sion Of the man who was steward at the White
House during the Lincoln regime. is valued
5000 but 1t IS doubtful II that would
buy 1t today. Persons who have been ignorant
of the existence of this relic have designated 9TH
@ communications the final handwriting OF
the martyr president. but in reality the honor
unquestionabry belongs to this small white card
with Its few hastilypenned lines Novel and In
teresting are the circumstances connected with
the origin Of this priceless memento.
AS Lincoln emerged from the White House
the fated night of April "A. 1865. his way to
Ford's theater, the steward hurried after him to
explain the predicament Of two gentlemen who
had been waiting at the White House for some
time in order to obtain from the president per
init to pass through the Union lines to Peters
burg Va 1t the theater hour and Mrs Lin
coin already seated In the carriage. but the
ever-oblging president paused few minutes to
write n few lines. explaining that pass
necessary to go and return from Petersburg and
Richmond and that People go and return Just
es they did before the war He handed this to
tho steward reiterating verbally the statement
made in the penned memorandum. The steward.
realizing that the written explanation really
euperfuous and selling long sought opportu-
nifty to secure a trophy Of the beloved president.
retained in his own possession the bit OF hand
writing and repeated to the waiting visitors the
presidents oral assurances on the subject. Later.
after the death of Lincoln. the steward Induced