Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-02-12
To
HONOR LINCOLN
That Has Been Paid for Marble
for Memorial in City of
Washington
BY A. e. GEIDHOF
N. L. A. Washington Bureau,

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. "a
The United States government has
paid nearly 100000 for a magnih-
cent marble memorial to Abraham
Lincoln in Washington.
For one-tenth of that sum It can
perpetuate for coming generations a
memorial which in sentimental value
will in the future be worth far more
to the American people than the bea-
tiful memorial building in Potomac
park.
Down on Tenth street, in the heart
OF Washington, across the street from
Ford's Theatre, where Lincoln was as
s~assinated by J. Wilkes Booth, stands
the house in which the martyred Pres
ident died.
In it is the largest single collection
of Lincoln relics in the country. The
room in which Honest Abe breathed
his last on April Is, 1866, is the same
today as 1t was that morning, except
that its walls are covered with Lincoln
pictures and relics and it contains no
furniture. The flooring, even h wall
paper. are the same.
The house is owned by the govern
ment, but the collection is owned by
Osborn II. Oldroyd. a modest, unas-
Stunning little old man who has made
his life-work for half a century the
collection of articles pertaining to his
hero, Abe Lincoln. With limited
mean and almost unaided, but in
spired by a devout worship for the
character inc personality of Lincoln,
he has amassed q collection which is
today priceless.
Oldroyd wants the government TO
| buy the buildings adjoining the old
| house on each side, tear them down
/ and erect a fire-proof structure around
| the historic building which contains
his collection.
"I will never consent" he said, ITO
permit the collection to leave the
house where lincoln died. The gov
eminent permits me to occupy the
house rent free; I live with my wife
on the two upper floors. If Congress
| should pass this appropriation. /
| would move out and devote the whole
| house to the collection"
Oldroyd is confident that if his col
| lection is made safe from fire. many
pieces of furniture that were in the
| house when Lincoln died n other
articles valued for their connection
with the martyred President would be
included in it.
This year-the one hundred IND
tenth anniversary of the birth OF
Abraham Lincoln-will witness the
completion and dedication of the mag
n~ificent Lincoln Memorial in Potomac
Park on the banks of the Potomac
river.
The superstructure of the building,
which is built on the style of the Par
thenon at Athens, of white Colorado
marble. surrounded by SO massive
marble columns, is already completed
The interior decorations and the APP
proaches are now being finished.
The act of Congress authorizing h
Lincoln Memorial was approved Feb.
Q, 1911, but work on the buildings
was not begun until Lincoln's birth
day, 1914, when the corner stone was
laid. The fact that its construction
has taken five yecrs is due to the
war, which completely upset the
plans of the Lincoln Memorial Com
mission. headed by Former President
William H.. Taft
Daniel Chester French, noted New
York sculptor, is working on the col
lossal marble statue of Lincoln which
will be the only object inside the beau
tiful memorial. The statue. for which
French is TO be paid $SS.300, will be
ready to place within the building
when il is completed.
On the north wall of the building
will be placed a memorial of Lin
coins second inaugural address, and
on the south wall the Gettysburg ad-
dress. Over each of these will be an
oil painting IL feet high and ~ feet
wide. representing allegoTically the
principles enunciated by the great war
President in a speech. These paint
ings are by Jules Guerin. the world
famous artists.