Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1860-05-31
From the Chicago Press aud Tribune
"HONEST OLD ABE"
The Peoples Candidate for President.
.sRAILS AND FLAT-BOATS.o

/
Biographical Sketch of 1AJroham Lincoln.
Abraham Lincoln is native of Hardin
county, Kentucky. He was born on the
18th day of February, 1903. His parent.
were both from Virginia, and were certain
ly not of the first families. His paterna
grandfather, Abraham Lincoln, emigrated
from Rockingham county, Virginia, te
Kentucky, about l7e1 or 2, where veal
or two later be was killed by Indians, no,
in battle, but by stealth, while he was la
boring to open farm in the forest. His
ancestors, who were respectable members
of the Society of Friends, went TO Virgin
ia from Berks county, Pennsylvania. De-
scendents of the same stock still reside in
the eastern part of that State.
Mr.. Lincoln's father, at the death of his
father, was but six years of age, and he
grew up literally without education. He
removed from Kentucky to what is now
Spencer county, Indiana, in 1916. The
family reached their new home about the
time the State was admitted into the Un-
ion. The region in which they settled was
rude and wild, and they endured for some
years, the hard experience of frontier life,
in which the struggle with nature for exist
enee and security to be maintained only by
constant vigilance. Bears, wolves and 9TH
er wild animals still infested the woods, and
young Lincoln acquired more skill in the
use of a rifle than knowledge of books
There were institutions here and there
known by the fattering denomination OF
schools but no qualification was required
to teach beyond "readin," "writin' and
"cypherin," as the vernacular phrase ran,
as far as the rule of three. If straggler
supposed to understand Latin happened to
sojourn in the neighborhood, he was looked
upon as wizard, and regarded with an
awe suited to so mysterious character.
Hard work and plenty of it was the Or
der of the day, varied, indeed, by an occa-
sional bear hunt, not unfrequent deer
chase, or other wild sport. Of course
when young Lincoln came of age he was
not scholar. He could read and write,
and had some knowledge of arithmetic,
but that was about all; and as yet, he had
but little ambition to know more of what
was to be found in books. His attain
ments otherwise were not 10 be despised.
He grew to be six feet four inches in stat
ure, was active and athletic, could WELD
the axe, direct the plow, or use the rifle, as
we'll as the best of his compeers, and was
fully up to all the mysteries of prairie
farming. and fully Injured to hardship and
toll. Since he arrived at age he has not
been to school. Whatever his acquire
ments are, they have been picked up from
time to time as opportunity occurred, or
as the pressure of some exigency demand
ed.
At twenty-one he removed to Illinois,
and passed the first year in Macon County,
in active labor on farm, where he and
fellow laborer, (named Hanks,) SPLIT
THREE THOUSAND RAILS, in the
year 1880. 1t will be interesting to the
millions before whom he is now placed as
candidate for the highest office in the
gift of a free people, to know that he once
managed a fatboat on the Ohio River
the anecdotes which be sometimes relates
to his friends of his maratime experiences
before the introduction of steam on the
western rivers, are indescribably laughable.
From Macon County he went to New Sa-
lem, in what is low Menare County, where
he remained about year. Then came
the Black Hawk war. A company of vol
unteers was raised in New Salem and the
surrounding country, and young Lincoln
was elected captain-a success which, he
has since said, gave him more pleasure than
be has ever since enjoyed. He served with
credit during the campaign, and became
popular. Returning TO Sangamon County,
be learned the art of surveying, and pros
ecuted that profession until the financial
crash of 1887 destroyed the value of real
estate and ruined the business-the result
of which was that young Lincoln's survey
ing apparatus was sold on an execution by
the sheriff. Nothing daunted by this turn
of i'll luck, be directed his attention to the
law and borrowing few books from q
neighbor, which be took from the office in
the evening and returned in the morning,
be learned the rudiments of the profession
in which he has since become so distin-
guished, by the light Of a. .fre.plaee
About this time the Wings of his coun-
ty conferred upon him the nomination for
the Legislature. He was successful in this
and three succeeding elections, by triumph
ant majorities. While member of the
Legislature he first gave indications of his
superior powers as a debater, and he in.
creased, by frequent practice, his natural
faculty for public speaking. He improved
industriously the opportunities that were
offered of self-cultivation. From the po-
sition of subaltern in the ranks of the
Wing party, position that was appropri-
ately assigned him by his unaffected mod
esty and humble pretentions, he soon be-
came recognized and acknowledged as a
champion and leader, and his unvarying
courtesy, good natured and genial manners,
united with an utter disinterestedness and
abnegation of sell, made him universal
favorite.
During his legislative period he contin-
ued his law studies, and removing to Spring
field, he opened an Office and engaged ac-
lively in practice. Business flowed in upon
him, and he rose rapidly to distinction in
bis profession. He displayed remarkable
ability as an advocate in jury trials, and