Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-13
CLEVER HANDWRITING SAVED
FORD THEATER FOR i. S. USES
Lincolns Secretary of War Leased Build
ing and After Wrecking 1t Forced
Government Purchase.

AinsWoFth had the reputation of a
hard taskmaster and became unpopu-
lar. When one of the walls of the
building collapsed, killing more than
a score of workers, he narrowly es-
| capped lynching.
Need Held Imperative.
The need of this building as a mu-
scum now is almost imperative. &C.
cording to DIR. Moore, who is chairman
of the Fine Arts Commission, as we'll
as head of the manuscript division.
The Government, he points out has
acquired the Oldroyd Lincoln collec-
ton, now housed in the building across
the street where Lincoln died, and has
no adequate place to put 1t. In it's
present quarters the collection can be
seen only by a few persons at time,
and space Is so crowded that any ad-
ditiOns are impossible.
Besides. the Oidroyd collection is
| considered far from complete. 1t has
been gathered by an individual, with
no official backing or assistance. Lin
coin relics are scattered all over the
| country and particularly in Washing
ton. Some of those here never are
seen by the general public, although
they are among the most interesting
articles connected with the life of the
IlNll war AlSO tHcIc 10 d
wealth of material illustrating the life
of the Civil War period which cannot
be exhibited for lack of room.
In the custody OF the War Depart
ment. unknown to the general public,
are Lincoln's diary, the pistol with
which he was shot by John Wilkes
Booth and some of his official papers
dealing with military affairs during
the Civil War
Collection I'm Museum.
In the National Museum are the
following articles which belonged to
Lincoln: Hts black broadcloth coat,
black silk cravat, black cloth waist
coat, black broadcloth trousers, his
black silk hat. an iron wedge marked
"a. L." which he used when he was
splitting rails at New Salem, ILL.,; the
model of an invention for uplifting
vessels over shoals patented by Lin
coin In 1S49 and plaster and bronze
casts of his face and hands.
Besides, the National Museum has
an enormous amount of material deal
ing with the Civil War period, which
1t must keep stored away and exhibit.
If at all, only for short periods, be-
cause there is no space for it on the
exhibition floors.
Some of the most precious of Lin
coin relics have disappeared complete
ly. Among them is the celebrated
death Of her son in the Union Army,
which Is one of the classics of Amer
lean literature. ~,he popular impress
sion, according to DIR. Moore, is that
this letter is hanging in one of the
colleges of oxford University in Eng
land, and this statement is made in
most biographies of Lincoln. AS a
matter of fact, he says, the original
cannot be located and probably never
will be.
Deathbed Removed.
The bed on which Lincoln died was
taken out in some way from the
house on Tenth street and now Is
owned by the Chicago Historical So
ciety. Representative Rathbone be-
1ieves 1t can be brought back to Wash
ington If the museum is established.
The location of Lincoln's family
Bible also Is known, DIR. Moore said,
and could be secured for the museum.
The Library of Congress has great
many Lincoln manuscripts and fac
SMILES of other papers. These will
be greatly increased by the Robert
Todd Lincoln collection, which is in
possession of the Library, but which
cannot be made available to the public
as yet because of the terms of Mr..
Lincoln's will. These, however, will
be kept at the Library.
For the museum other important
Lincoln relics have been promised.
once it is established.
The Tenth street house where the
Oldroyd collection now is kept, DIR.
Moore believes, should be restored to
represent the typical Washington
home Of the Civil War period, with