The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1860-05-31
Biographical Sketch of Abraham Lincoln.
GFrom the Chicago Pres. and Tribune.l

Bioxraphical Sketch of Abraham Lincoln.
from the Chicago Pres. and Tribunel
ABRAHAM LINCOLN is native Of
Hardin county, Kentucky. He was born
on the 18th day of February, 1909
His parents were both from Virginia, and
were certainly not of the first families
His paternal grandfather, Abraham Lin
coin, emigrated from Rockingham coun'
ty, Virginia, to Kentucky, about l7Sl or
=, where year or two later he was Kill
cd by Indians, not in battle, but by
stealth, while he was laboring to open a
farm in the forest. His ancestors, who
were respectable members Of the Society
Of Friends, went TO Virginia from Berks
county, Peunsy lvania. Descendants Of
the same stock still reside IN the eastern
part of that State. 49,,
Mr.. Lincolu's father, at the death Of
hi. 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
Union. The region in which they set
tied was rude aud wild, and they endur-
ed, for some years, the hard experien ce
of frontier life, in which the struggle
with nature for existence and security is
to be maintained only by constant vigi-
lance. Bears, wolves ond other wild an
imals still infested the woods, and young
Lincoln acquired more skill in the use of
n r:0o khoo loo-loJ~o &C ho,Gs Thnra
were institutions here aud there known
by the fattering denomination of
''schools," but no qualification was re-
quired of a teacher beyond "rcadin ,
writiu', and cyphcrin'," as the vernacu-
lar phrase ran, as far as the rule of three.
Ifa stragglcr supposed to understand
Latin happened to sojourn in the neigh.
borhood, he was looked upon as wizard,
and regarded with an awe suited to so
mysterious a character.
Hard work and and plenty of it was
the order Of the day, varied, indeed, by
an occasional bear hunt,a not unfrequcnt
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 arith-
metic, but that was about all and as yet,
he had but little ambition te know more
of what was to be found in books. His
attainments otherwise were not to be de.
spised He had grown to be six feet
four inches in stature, was active and
athletic, could WELD the axe, direct the
plow, or use the rife, as well as the best
of his compecrs, 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 acquiren cnts are,
they have been picked up from time to
tin as opportunity occurred, or as the
pressure of some exingency demanded
At twenty one he removed to Illinois,
and passed the first year in Macon coun-
ty,in active labor on farm, where he
and fellow laborer, (named Hanks, J
SPLIT THREE THOUSAND RAILS,
in the year 1880. 1t will be interesting
to the millions before whom he is now
placed as a candidate for the highest Off
ce in the gift of a free people, to know
that he once manage" a fiat joat on the
Ohio River The anecdotes which he
sometimes relates to his friends Of his
maritime experiences before the intro,
duction Of steam on the western rivers,
are indescribably laughable. From Ma
con county he went to New Salem, in
what is now Menard county, where he
remained about year. Then came the
Black Hawk war. A company of volun
teers 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 he has ever since enjoyed. He
served with credit during the campaign
and became popular. Returning to San
canon county, he learned the art of sur.
veying, and prosecuted that profession
until the financial crash of 1887 destroy
ed the value of real estate and ruined the
business result of which was that
young Lincoln's surveying apparatus was
sold on execution by the sheriff. Moth.
ing daunted by this turn Of i'll luck, he
directed his attention to the law, and
borrowing a few books from neighbor
which he took from the Office in the eve
ming and returned in the morning, h'
learned the rudiments of the profession
in which he has since become so distin
guished, by the light Of a fire place!
About this time the Wings of hi
county conferred upon him nomination
for the Legislature. He was successful
in this and three succeeding elections, oy
triumphant majorities. While a mem
Der of the Legislature he first gave indi
catious of his superior powers as deba
ter, and he increased by frequent prac
ticc, his natural faculty for public speak
ing He improved industriously the op
portunities that were here offered for self
Il cultivation. From the position of sub
altern in the ranks of the Wing party,
position that was appropriately assigned
him by his unaffected modesty and hum
bic pretentions, he soon became recog
nized and acknowledged as a champion
and a leader, and his unvarying courtesy
good nature and genial manners, unitet
with an utter disinterestedness and ab
negatiou of self, made him universal
favorite.
During his legislative period he con
tinued his law studies, and removing t
Springfield, he opened an ofic and en-
gagged actively in practice. Business
flowed in upon him, and he rose rapid,
to distinction in his profession. H
displayed remarkable ability as an advo
ooto IN :,.,, A.:olu o.J - -.