The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-06-11
NEA Service Writer


 Washington-The old Ford Thea ter, where Abraham Lincoln was shot, is being painted and prettied up. Its days as a catch-all store house for the government are over. By fall it will have become a federal museum, receiving the remarkable Oldroyd collection of relics from the old firetrap across the street in which Lincoln died.
 The building hasn't resembled a theater for many years. Things were done to it when the government ac- quired it shortly after the assassin ation and about 40 years ago, while it was being used by the adjutant general office, it's floors caved in, killing score of employees and in- turing scores more. After reconstruc- tion it was used to store and issue the war departments publications and printed matter until about three years ago when it came to be used for general temporary storage by various bureaus and departments. Museum on Ground Floor Nothing more is heard of the pro- posal to restore the theater so that it would look as it did on the even- ing of April IA, 1865. Prejudice against rebuilding and perpetuating the setting of an assassination killed that.
 The ground floor, to be used as the museum, is now only one big bare room, it's ceiling supported by many equally spaced iron pillarss The for mer front entrances are now large windows except for one. Over in a | corner at the rear is a. small door | corresponding somewhat to the exit John Wilkes Booth took as he fled ] into what is now an alley to mount the horse held for him by Peanuts Burrowsl The whole place Is appox- imately freproof and the work on 1t has been 'conf1ned to general repairs and plenty of painting inside and out. The old dirty gray paint utside was sandblasted and the, bricks painted so that they look like new. U. S. Grant III in Charge Present operations are being car ried out through the initiative of Colonel U. s. Grant III, director of public buildings and grounds. Grant was worried about the fire hazard which has always threatened the ] Oldroyd collection and points out that it can now be successfully shown to only eight or nine people at a time. You can't watch more than that many in the present quar- | ters and souvenir hunters are al- ways danger. A quarters admis- sion will be charged at first in the old theater because congress has not appropriated any money to operate it as a museum.
 Three years ago the government bought the Oldroyd collection for $50,000. It contains about 5000 items. Oldroyd, who died recently, was Civil War veteran and Lincoln admirer who devoted his life and l money to the collection. He refused several private offers for it.
 The prizes of the collection are considered to be the last thing which Lincoln wrote--a brief message ad- vising a couple of applicants for a pass that they needed none to leave the District of Columbia because the war was over, the Bible which Lin- coin read as a boy and which affect ed his literary style importantly and various pieces of furniture from the Lincoln home in Springfield. Ill.
 Contains Many Items E r The assortment also contains such items as O piece of the fringe that hung over Lincoln's head in the the ater that night, small piece of 8 towel used at the deathbed. a dried rose taken from the dead mans bosom as he lay in death, sheet mu- sic devoted to Lincoln-inclliding about 90 different funeral marches. n roll of white ribbon eft after decoration of the catafalque. about
 600 pictures which include hun-
 dred original photographs of the