Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-12-15
LINCOLN OEDP0OR,
W|FE'SLETTERS SHOW
Djstressed Woman Bitterly
Complained Of injustice of
American Public.

\c~Nork, Dec. l5.-- In a secret COM.
rartmrnt of an old Colonial rosewood
book casc. have becn discovercd recently,
hy Il. Sherman Fowler, composcr, some
unique letters written by Mrs. Abraham
Lincoln regarding the terribly P'nchcd
condition OF the Lincoln family nnances
after the death Of the martyrcd Prcsa-
dent. The letters were written to bcnla-
min r. sherman, grandfather OF MIR.
Fowler president Of the Central Union
Trust Company. and . founder OF the
rn,on League Club. who ct the time Was
IN charge Of a dollar fund which col
cc,cd nv popular subscription &1O.-
1s7..7 for the impoverished widow.
The hookcasc is q combination OF desk
and book shelves, covered with delicate
hand-csrying and curious old lock from
the shop of foreign lockmakcr The
piece belonged TO Mr.. Sherman and has
come down 20 Fowler as an heirloom. II
has long bern in storage, and when ne
lately took il out and installed 1t IN his
apartment he became curious o bout cvi-
den, waste space in the corners OF the
dcsk. Tie finally discovered small door
which. when pricd open. revealed the
lancoln letters. n cashbook Of the dollar
fund in nulamin Sherman's handwrit-
ing. a number of old family daguerro.
tvtrs and q curiously elaborate old gold
pen.
n j. apparent from Mrs. Lincolns de-
wair,nr letters that the President had
m, little or no estate. The condition Of
AFFAIRS was so precar,ous that friends had
arranged the dollar fund campaign. The
,sShhook reveals that contributions were
received from NIL over the country: Bat
tie Greek, Ticondcroga, Ere. Davcn-
port. l.. and Geneva, \. y, were
among the contributing cities.
The first and most tragic Of the letters
Vas written the day after Christmas.
1895. Mn. Iincolns tone suggests that
their Christmas season had hecn a mclan-
chcly holiday. deserted as they were by
the country whom Lincoln Ind saved,
and practically pcnnilcss. II reads:
Chicago, Dec. NJ, 1865.
~ ". sherman. Esq.,:
Nv ncsr SIR Although my son
wrote YOU letter on yesterday. | have
concluded To write and thank YOU most
gratefully, for your Kind interest in our
deeply afflicted family. We have, IN
deed. lcst our all, the idohScd husband
and father is no moro with VS.: and, II
possible, our adverse fate and the great
injustice os a people who owed 80 much
,o nv beloved husband. DOES not con-
tribute toward lcsscning our heavy
trials Sir Morton rclo gave q farewell
dinner 60 his friends IN New York in
return for their polite attentions To him.
We are homcless-and IN return for
the sacrifices nv great and noble hus-
hand made. both in his life and in hi,
death. the paliry first years salary j,
offered to us, under the circumstances.
such injustice has hccn done as to call
the blush 20 any truc. loyal hear,
Tho sum is IN reality only $4,000, as
the hrs, months salsry was paid my
husband. and ] presume the tax on II
vii hc deducted from II. The interest OF
Nill ~ alssu, 81 500. am Inundated
~h,n think that NC are destined 10 bc
forever homeless ] can wrtc no moro.
tcmain very respectfully.
Mary Lincoln.
There j. postscript appended 20 the
lctter regarding the collection o. $1,000
or the dollar fund IN Boston. The Sil
Morton relo alluded 20 WAS an Enelist
nohlcmsn. who had been lavishly enter
aimed in vis, 20 this country.
The second letter, dated January Is
l>6d. = much longer. IL tells oi re
sowing from Congress the twen'y-odC
thousand dollars a salary due Lincoln
Tho rcs, Of the letter Is rather IN
VOWED statement about a hlll, amour
not stated. which = Mr.. Moses hel,
against Mir. Lincoln. THIS bill sh,
asks Mr.. sherman 10 pay out Of dolla
fund contributions. II ends with
pathetic note: Most earnestly prayin
Nou will grant my requests. | rcmai
truly and gratefully. Mary Lincoln. q"
Mr. Fowler says ihA, he expects {
turn the letters And tho cash hook ove
To- tho New York Historical Society, {
which he . n member.