Evening star., 1922-03-22
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
TOLD OF LINCOLN.
F. l. Fishback Relates Incl
dents of Presidents Life
in Capital. .-

Beginning with scenes of the site Of
the old log cabin in Kentucky, Lin
coins birthplace, and the description
or his early political career, Frederick
l.. Fishback explained the places and
homes connected with the life of Lin
coin, in an illustrated lecture, Lin
coin in Washington" at the two hum
dredth public meeting of the Colum-
bia Historical Society at the Cosmos
Club last night.
On December Z, 1S47, at Browns In
dian Queen Hotel, which then stood
| on the ground now occupied by the
| metropolitan Hotel, Abraham Lincoln,
coming to Washington to serve ms
first term in Congress, made his first
residence in this city, the speaker
said. The register of the hotel shows
| the signature of the famous president.
| Upon the occasion of the hundredth
anniversary of Lincoln's birthday this
! register was presented to the late
! Theodore Roosevelt
| Registered a Patent.
| Soon moving from the Indian Queen
| Hotel, Lincoln established himself
with eight other members Of Congress
at Mrs. Sprigg's boarding house, the
site of which is now covered by the
sCOnSreSSlOnal Library.
I During the lecture Mr.. FiShback
| said that Lincoln, five days after his
retirement from Congress. registered
Ia patent in the old patent office,
| which provided for the helping OF
vessels over shoals. the model being
made by Lincoln's own hands.
| The White House then contained a
statue of Jefferson. the same that
is now to be found in the rotunda
of the Capitol. During the summer
nights of the civil war President
Lincoln made his residence in the
| Soldiers Home grounds in a house
now standing near the entrance to
the main building. 1t was from here
| that he went to Fort Stevens. at
Brightwood, to see the fighting there.
Franklin Square Drill Ground.
| 1t was in the Montgomery Blair
home, that may still be seen across
from the present State War and Navy
building, that Gen. Lee was ap-
preached upon the possibility of his
| commanding the Union forces.
a drill ground for the soldiers of
| the Union army, and many houses
| of prominent people, as well as
churches and public buildings, were
| turned into hospitals. 1t is esti-
| mated that there were at times $4,000
| ington. Lincoln spent much of his
time visiting them and going through
! the hospitals. There were sixty
eight forts around Washington, and
Mr.. FiShbac}l explained that 1t was
the forts that inspired Julia Ward
Howe with the line in the battle
hymn of the republic, Il have seen
him in the watchfires of hundred
circling camps"
At 1907 New York avenue was a
little toy shop at which Abraham
to purchase toys.
Troops Moved Over Bridges.
The Cabin John bridge was erected
in that period and the Cabin John
and Aqueduct bridges were used for
the purpose of troop movements.
At the north end of the State. War
partment, in which the telegraph
station was installed. During the
anxious days of the war Lincoln
spent great deal of time in the
telegraph room, there being no tele-
graph station in the White House in
! those days.
/ Allen c. Clark, president of the
society, in speaking of Washington
and Lincoln. declared one to be the
creator of the nation and the other
the savior. Mr.. Clark reviewed the
accomplishment of the society and
it's past and present officers. Two
vocal solos were rendered by Miss
Cleo L. Scanland and John Clagett
Proctor read poem that he had COM
posed lauding the society and it's
work and showing the value of its
researches to the future. The poem
was entitled "In After Years"