Weekly Trinity journal., 1865-01-07
NUMBER 50.
Interesting Ceremony at the Executive
Mansion.


PRESENTATION OF A HANDSOME CHAIR TO Mr. LINCOLN
We are indebted to Edward s. Miller ESQ, an
officer of the U. S. Sanitary Commission at the
National Capital, for copy of the Washington
Chronicle of Nov. 22d. In it we find an account
of the presentation of handsome buck-horn
chair to the President by old Seth kinman, for
merly of Humboldt county, and well known to
many of our citizens. The presentation was wit
messed by number of the Presidents intimate
friends At the appointed hour Clinton Lloyd,
Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives
said
Mr.. President: I have the honor of intro
ducing to You old friend of mine, whose char
acter know you will appreciate. He has not
been reared among the refining influences Of pol
ished society but he belongs to a class of men
whose agency is indispensable to the progress of
events in this New World-one of those whose
love of adventure leads them to seek the wilder
ness, where, in contest with wild beasts and wild
men, they become the pioneers of American civ
ilizaton My friend was born in Union county,
Pennsylvania, and his relatives there are known
| to me personally as among our most respectable
citizens. lie migrated in 1880 with his fathers
family to Illinois, and settled in Tazewel county,
thus becoming your neighbor; and his
father, as | am informed by him, had the honor
of serving with yourself in the Black Hawk war.
In SIG, my friend, finding that the country was
getting too thckly settled for him to breathe in
easily, followed the course of empire westward,
until he brought up the Pacific slope of Cali
fornia, where he pitched his tent and has since
resided, doing his country infinite service in civ
ilizing the - grizzlies " and Indians in the only
method he thinks practicable with either, that
is, cold lead Being good deal of mcchan-
cal genius, he has bent his leisure moments to
fashioning the trophies of the chase into various
articles of use and ornament. He came across
the continent in 1857 to present to your prede-
| cessor buckhorn chair, of his manufac-
ture, token of his qualification at the election
of the first President from his native State He
has crossed the continent second time to pre-
sent you with similar specimen of his handi-
work, as token, not only of his regard for the
first President elected from his first adopted
State, but also evidence of Interpretation
of the manner in which you have met the gravest
responsibilities that devolved upon any
human being, in guiding the destinies of this
great nation through the most fearful crisis in
the worlds history; and he desires to
express for him the hope that your efforts for
your countrys salvation may be crowned with
abundant success and that you may spend many
a happy hour in the evening of your life, seated
in this chair contemplating the grandeur of the
Republic after it shall have emerged, under your
guidance, from its baptism of blood into higher
and purer national life. With these remarks,
permit me, sir, - to move that you do take the
| chair.
Mr.. Lincoln said he was glad the speech con-
Guided as it did, for while it deserved a response,
the request that he should take the chair implied
that response was not expected of him. He
then sat down and admired the gift very much,
saying it was the handsomest thing Of the kind
he had ever seen.
Mr.. Kinman then explained how it had been
constructed. The and front pieces
| formed out of two very large buck horns, hand
somely polished. and the back is similarly made.
The antlcrs remain on, and those taken from
young deerS are nicely adjusted and serve TO
finish the chair in fine style. The seat is neatly
covered with a deer skin, while the feet of young
elks form the base. As covering to the seat,
Mr.. Kinman has dressed piece of elk skin and
ornamented it with a trimming of Alyaronia
she'll Mr.. kinman also exhibited the long-bar-
relied rife, with a flint lock, which has been his
constant companion, and which was used by his
father at the battle of New Orleans. Many a
grizzly bear had met his death by means of that
gun, and its appearance showed that it had been
frequently brought into requisition. Mr.. Lincoln
took the gun in his hand and carefully examined
it. He seemed to be very familiar with that
kind of gun. and stated that he had first learned
ty shoot with the long rife.
Seth Kinman is one of the best representa-
tives of bIckwoodsman, a hunter, and a brave
and hardy pioneer we have ever seen, and his
appearance and manners are exceedingly inter-
esting. He is about six feet in height, and his
| form has received that fine muscular develop
ment only to be obtained by healthful outdoor
exercise. He is apparently about forty-fye years
OF age. He his hair and eyebrows, now
a dark iron-gray. very long-also his whiskers
and moustache. He has rudy complexion
and piercing blue eye. His cap is formed of
buffalo skin and ornamented with buck-tail.-
I His blouse is tastefully and neatful1y made of
| dressed deer-skns also, his pantaloons and
moccasins, embroidered in imitation Of the IN
dian costume. His powder-horn contains several
well executed pictures of animals and hunting
scenes and he wears necklace formed OF bears
teeth
We can well imagine the terror his appearance
would inspire in the untutored indian, anu Win
| his long experience. steady aim, and unerrlng
shot the wild beasts of the forest must feel that
his hour has come when kinman scents his track
But while he evidently sustalns all the requisites
of a fierce and successful hunter, ana can "hen
occasion demands it, exercise the most harsn
and determined measures. IN order 10 'ahqulsh
his foe whether man or beast, he IS at the same
| time full of humor and good nature and would
! doubtless Law down his life at any moment, if
necessary to save that of friend
The interview with the President which lasted
for half an hour will form agreeable episode
in the history Of Knman as well AS that of Mr..
Lincoln, who appeared to enjoy the occasion as
a pleasant relaxation from his official duties.
THE FRExcHMAx's OpIxIox-A French gentle
man, after short residence in New York,
asked BIZ friend how he liked the country? He
answered as follows " If you want TO see de
wealthy man, 90 70 Baltimore; if you want to
see dc stiff gentleman, go to Philadelphia if
| YOU want to see de active merchant come to
| New York if you want to de intellectual
gentleman. go to Boston if you want to see de
| handsome lady, go to Portland but if you want
| to Won pack of d-n fools, go to o Copper
| head meeting"
| PRoFAxIrY.-The North Aner;caa Rerie,r ar
CUES that profanity indicates chronic weakness
of intellect and poor education, for it requires
no genius 10 swear, while it does require some
learning and talent to converse in genteel lam
guage: Profaners, young ones in particular,