The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-02-05

of the village, Samuel Hill and John McNamar
McNamar was her favorite and she became en-
gagged to the thrifty young fnancier with whom,
it would appear, she was very much in love.
Lincoln, too, had great partialties' for her. but
McNamar stood i'm his way. McNamar and
Lincoln were friends and the young merchant
did not know that Lincoln paying any par
ticular attention to any of the Young Ladies of
my acquaintance as indeed. he was not at that
time. On her part, Ann was not then 'favorably
impressed with Lincoln, who was young. poor
and awkward and without prospects while both
Hill and McNamar were up in the world"
McNamar went by the name of McNiel in New
Salem, name which he had assumed when he
left his home in New York to seek his fortune
in the West and pay off the debts which his
father had accumulated. His only reason for
the change of name was in order "to avoid pur-
suit by his parents" and there was no disgrace
attached to that change. But it led to tragedy
just the same. For McNamar went back East.
fell i'll and with other troubles piling up on him.
his letters to Ann, to whom he had confessed
his real name, became infrequent and finally
ceased coming to New Salem.
Troubled that letters from her betrothed no
longer came Ann told her parents of McNamar's
change of name. Suspicion instantly sprang up
and possessed the Rutledge family. Rumor of
the circumstances soon ran from cabin to cabin
IN the fCUle nauleI gossip Uldue the WORST OF
the situation Ann had been abandoned.
necessarily such talk fell upon the girls ears;
everybody pitied her, condemned the faithess
lover Ann became respondent and distracted.
$50 stood matters when Lincoln through
whose hands Gas postmaster at the time) her
correspondence with McNamar had passed. be-
gan his courtshp, the nature and course Of
which are misty. No positive engagement re-
suited, although it seems that there tenta-
tive agreement to marry, conditional however,
asserts AIMS brother ito an honorable release
from the contract with McNamar.' Indeed, when
urged by her younger brother, David, to marry
Lincoln Ann refused until she could see Nc
Namar again and inform him of the change"
But she was destined never to see him again
for she died on August o. 1885. "When Lincoln
came from the bedside of the dying girl. OBJ
servers noted that he was respondent and, when
she died, he appeared gloomy and detected.
Again, in the village, old people wagged their
: heads and said that he was mentally unbal-
anced, this time because of sorrow. But var
Gus opinions obtained as to the cause Of his
change, some thought it was an increased app
cation to his law studies others that it was deep
anguish of Soul (as he was all sou) the
Loss of Miss r.. He must have shown distress,
for James Short concluded that Lncolns melan-
choly was due to love or engagement, al
though he had heard of neither. 1t was said in
aIuer years, tndC Ll0COlu TeluSeu 10 eat because
of the death of Ann Rutledge, but Short fatty
denies the story However the effect on Lin
coin of AIMS death, says her brother, was ter
rible' and because Of it friends feared that he
would become insane"
Beveridge then quotes another biographer Of
Lincoln as saying Gossip and Imagination have
represented this early romance as casting a
shadow over his whole after life and as having
produced something bordering upon insanity
The picture has been somewhat too highly COL
ored and the story made rather too tragic" II
was sufficiently tragic for the first love Of Ann
Rutledge for some three months later McNamar
came back to New Salem to find his betrothed
dead.
Leave New Salem that was Old Salem State
park that is, now and drive back to Petersburg
Climb the steep trail which leads ND to Oakland
cemetery Stand before the monument at the
head of the graves there and read these words :
out of me unworthy and unknown
The vibrations of deathless music
with malice toward none. with charity for all"
Out of me forgiveness of millions toward millions
And the beneicient face of nation
Shining with justice and truth.
/ am Ann Rutledge who sleeps beneath these
weeds
Beloved Of Abraham Lincoln.
Welded to him. not through union,
But through separation,
Bloom forever, Republic
From the dust of my BOSOM
CO 1891. Western Newspaper Union,
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