Robert Todd Lincoln --The vitals

[Rob Wick]

Whether one could say Tarbell relied "heavily" on Rankin is subject to interpretation. I don't believe "heavily" is the word I would use. Tarbell didn't begin corresponding with Rankin until 1914 when he approached her with his reminisces he wanted to publish in the American Magazine. Tarbell had visited Springfield several times since 1895 when she was researching the McClure's pieces. According to the Springfield papers, she was there at least three times in 1895, once (or twice, it isn't clear) in January 1895 and then again in June. One of her more prominent sources was Roland "Rollo" Diller, who talked with her about Mary. As to who else she spoke with or corresponded with, we will never know given that a great deal of McClure's Magazine documents were tossed into the trash in 1917 when the magazine moved locations. Whatever Tarbell kept for herself in her Allegheny collection, it doesn't come close to disclosing all the sources she had for her research. And, as I stated earlier, J. McCan Davis did much of the legwork in Springfield between Tarbell visits.

It seems to me the evidence is clear that Tarbell declined to write much on Mary because of her concerns over Robert's reaction and her own dislike for Mary.

Best
Rob