Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-05-28

wv TAoHlNGTON, -. c., May IA few days
NJ ago the negro cook in the kitchen OF dairy
w lunch spilled some fat on the hre ana
the resultant blaze extinguished with some
difficulty. The unique feature OF this trlhlng acci
dent was that, had the blaze got beyond control II
would probably have destroyed a neighborlng mousse
in which is kept the greatest collection in the world
of relics, manuscripts and books bearing upon the
life and death of Abraham Lincoln.
This collection is the owned by MI. Os-'
borne h. Oldroyd, who has spent more than halt
century in making it, and been granted the
privilege of keeping it in the house on Ienth see'
where Lincoln died. The American people, ds rep
resented by their government have shown no IN
terest in the preservation of these priceless recs
nor did Mr.. OIdroyd receive any financial asslsIO
gathering them A bill has been introduced III
congress providing for the purchase or the cohec
ton, it's proper preservation, and the parking Vi
the land about the house; and this measure ,. Ha
been gathering dust for nine years IN committee
room pigeon hole.
Two million dollars are being spent in erecting
a Lincoln memorial in Potomac Park, but the Few
thousands which would be necessary 10 SdIesu"iu
these relics are apparently not forthcoming. .b,
The relics in this collection number more In@n
5000. No great man. in perpetuatlon OF MS Inei
ory has had such a collection made of the homey
mementoes of his every day life.
The house in which the collection is kept, is
modest tnree-story and basement brick ediice. 1t
owned and conducted lodging house by
William Peterson at the time of the tragedy, and
was directly across the street from the Ford
theater, where Lincoln killed. One or the
dodgers rushed to the front door in time to see LIN
coin borne from the theater Dashing across the
burden into a back room-his room-and lay IL
upon his bed.
This has been preserved it at the
time of Lncolns death but the furniture and pic
lures have been removed. These still in the
possession of the Peterson family. large num-
Der of drawings and other pictures representing
the death and scenes in LncOns life hang on the
walls, while many relics are kept in glass cases.
The cook stove, the last to be used by the Lin
coin family in the home at Springfield, ILL.,, the
black walnut cradle in which the Lincoln children
rocked, often by the great bony hand of their
father; the black haircloth chairs and sofa that
had furnished the Illinois home up to the time of
the famiy's removal to Washington desk and
chair from his la office and used by him in writ
ing his inaugural address, and when he formed his
first cabinet before starting for Washington in
1860; a porch settle; a what-not fashioned from a
walnut bedstead; statues and photographs and
drawings and other pieces are in this one room The
next contains the hbrary-ma1nly one thousand
volumes of biography, and those relating to the
Civil war Here also five hundred newspapers
as we'll as three hundred and twenty magazines con-
tanning articles relating to Lincolns life and death
The sermons and eulOgies delivered at the time or
the funeral are counted by the hundreds original
letters by and to the president are given place
of honor.
Scattered throughout the entire suite
hundred and original photographs with as
many more copies of pictures Autographs steel en-
cravings statues and other lkenesses. Hanging
conspicuousy between the parors is black locust
fence rail split by Lincoln in 1880. Near it is