Wichita Daily Eagle

LINCOLN RELICS.
Some Interesting Purchases Recently Made in Springfield, Ill.

Mr. John W. Keyes, of Chicago, has purchased from Hon. William H. Herndon. of Springfield. Ill., the old book case and table that for many long years were used by Mr. Lincoln during the time that the firm of Lincoln & Herndon were practicing law as partners in this city, and which partnership never was legally dissolved until the assassination and death of Mr. Lincoln. The book-case and table Mr. Lincoln presented to Mr. Herndon, together with the books contained therein, when he was elected President in 1860. One object Mr. Herndon has in disposing of them to Mr. Keyes is that they are going into the hands of parties who will preserve and take the very best care of them, and eventually place them in the care and custody of the State or Government, Situated as he is at present, he is not in a position to take care of them, and the remuneration received from the sale will aid him in his present straitened circumstances. He is merely transferring the care and custody of the articles to others better able to preserve them for posterity. Mr. Keyes has also purchased from Mr. Allen Miller, of Petersburg, Menard County, Ill., formerly a citizen of Springfield, what is left of the parlor furniture of Mr. Lincoln which Mr. Miller purchased when the former removed to Washington in 1861.
A singular circumstance happened in connection with this furniture. About three years ago Mr. Miller built and completed an elegant brick residence in Petersburg, and had just moved into it. While at supper a cyclone destroyed the house without injury to any of the family, the building being totally demolished. The large Lincoln mirror which hung in the parlor was not injured, although the walls around it were blown down. It looked as though Providence considered it too sacred to be destroyed, and also the marble-top table of the parlor set. After Mr. Miller purchased the furniture and was having it removed from the Lincoln residence, Mr. Lincoln requested Mrs. Miller to let the table and one of the chairs remain,as he had some very important writing that he must attend to before he left the city, and would like to have the table to write upon, to which she consented. Consequently the very last writing that Mr. Lincoln did before he left Springfield for the last time was upon this identical table and seated upon one of these chairs.
To make Mr. Keyes' collection more complete, Major Alfred A. North, of this city, presented him with one of the old cushions of Mr. Lincoln's carriage, which was used by him and family for over twenty years, and was broken up and distributed as relics some years ago, Major North securing one of the cushions, which he has been using himself up to this time in his office chair.—Springfield (Ill.) Cor. Chicago Times.