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

BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON

Er-TT - = ~ are rlung IN your autOmoDle on
h0 w 4 a paved road from Peoria to Spring
K6 "A 4 field Ill. Off to the west runs a
BSS branch road also a modern high
ESSERaH way. If you follow it, in a little
PNlB4M while you come to the town of
$500 Petersburg-just another little Mid
die Western city. But keep on going south. Now
you are following winding road which leads up
the bluffs overlooking the Sangamon river.
Suddenly you forget that you are riding in
automobile and that you have been speeding
over modern concrete road. You forget that
this is 1882. For a hundred years roll back and
it is the year 1882. The magic which has brought
about this transformation is the sight of little
cluster of log cabins scattered over grassy
tract of some 60 acres which unfolds before you.
The cabins are empty, it is true, but if you
have any imagination at all, it's easy enough to
people them. Come here to this cabin.
The sign in front of it says that it is the Offut
store. Walk inside. There behind the rough
plank counter tall. gangling awkward-looking
young man is unrolling bolt of calico and hold
ing it out to the appraising fingers of woman
In a homespun Dress Do you recognize
him? No?
Well then. come over here to this big double
log cabin The sign on the front says it is the
Rutledge tavern. 1t is evening and in front Of
the fire which blazes in the big fireplace at one
end of the room is a group of men. It's pretty
likely they'll be listening to story which this
same tall, gangling. awkwardooking young man
is telling Back in the shadows you may be
able to see the form of young girl-an I'M
usually attractive girl even though she is dressed
in calico. She is the daughter of the tavern
keeper and her name is Ann. But if by chance
the tall man isn't in the Rutledge tavern let's
take look in another cabin nearby It's the
cooper shop of certain Henry Onstott. There's
a fireplace here too. and stretched out on the
floor in front of it is this young we've
been seeking. OF course, you've guessed who
it is by now. But just in case you haven't ask
him to let you take his book for a moment.
Look on the fyleaf in front and there you'll see
the name "a Lincoln"
Of all the memorials that have been erected
to the memory of Abraham Lincoln this one on
the banks of the Sangamon river in Menard
county, Illinois, is unique. It is no imposing
edifce of marble granite. 1t contains no
work from the chisel and mallet of a great
sculptor portraying once more the familiar face
and form of the Great Emancipation. But when
the projected reconstruction work is completed,
the village of New Salem, where Lincoln passed
from untutored youth to strong intellectual
manhood" will be place where his fellow
Americans can go and in the atmosphere of that
place they can more nearly feel a spiritual kin
ship to him than in any other place dedicated to
his memory.
been established there, recent bulletin of the
Illinois department of public works and build
ings says:
at small town but it gave birth to a
Great Soul. When Lincoln at the age of twenty
two, drifted down the river in 1881 and stranded
his boat upon the famous mill dam at Old Salem,
the town was only two years old, but in those
two years it had gained population of one
hundred inhabitants and scattered along its
long street on either side there were in the
neighborhood Of 25 cabins of varying size in
Guiding the large, two-story double room tavern
Here he came a friendless overgrown bov.
uncouth. uneducated. with knowledge Of only
the barest rudiments of reading, writing and
arithmetic. Here he chopped wood, tended store.
became a merchant for himself narrowly avoid
Ing bankruptcy and utterly failed in CONNER
cal lines. He was appointed postmaster using
his hat for his Office. He acted as surveyor and
his monuments are yet taken as author
ity. Here he studied grammar, philosophy
and law and learned to debate against men Of
learning S
During his residence here his character was
formed; his education was completed. his name
of Honest Abe acquired he caught the urge
to serve humanity in big broad unselfsh way
Here sweet chapters were written into his great
life which grip the hearts of men throughout the
world.
with Lincoln's departure in 1887 for wild er
fields, Old Salem having served its purpose, went
into decline and became deserted village
fits cabins were removed to Petersburg where
fortunately one was preserved. This the
Onstott Cooper shop where by the light Of the
cooper's shingles Lincoln studied Shakespeare
Burns and Blackstone. 1t has been returned to
Its original foundation at Old Salem.