The Shasta courier., 1870-03-05
"Reminiscences of Lincoln.

On little farm near where formerlv
stood the town Of New Salem, there lives
an old man named Graham During the
lrst settlement of this region he Was a
school teacher aud taught Lincoln gram.
mar. He tells me he knew Lincoln when
| boy In kentucky L was going one
m rning with my luther to bring load of
hay some distance from our house. when
W. overlook som- neighbJrs, who t,ld US
murder had been com Lite |. An Eng i,h-
mln who had M wed into the seftIaInent.
IN drunke frenzy, had killed his wife,
a handsome. cultivated woman, the m ither
OF two chldren-little girls The father
and husband became jealous of wealthy
noishoor, on whose estate tney lived At
breakfast, being frantc-at his abuse and
vie accusations, she clutched knife aud
rnshed at him. He raised chair to keep
her from reaching his person, and, thrust
ing 1t against her temple xii ed her in.
stantly. As came nut Of the house where
the murdeied woman lay, boy stood at
the door talking to the two little girls,
speaking words OF comfort, trying to con-
sole them for the loss of their mother.
asked who he was, and was told his name
was Liucoln-Abraham Lincoln. son of
'mas Linco n, who had settled near the
lace After | came here to Salem was
standing at my door one dry, saw tall
boy or young man comins up the street
arrying IA bundle in his hand. He stop
ped close by to talk to a neighbor looked
at hlm, his appea ance was familiar GER
tainly; where had | seen him before p
uddenIy the tragic scene in Kentucky
flashed upon me. 1t was the same boy
saw standing at the eoor Of that stricken
house talking with those little girls. |
went up to him, related the circumstance.
asking if he was not the person He said
he was, and had come here to live. and
Was going to work for Denton Offurt. We
became very intimate, and | taught him
grammar. About the time Of his first
election to the Legislature, he occupied
little log house at Salem as an office. I
quit school teaching and came ont on this
farm to try farming. But was no farmer,
aud the season was bad one-so wet that
nothing scarcely WAS raised. We had to
live Oh corn NEAL tn r. was no wheat,
aud what little there was, was kept for
seed. L became very poor and to add to
my troubles sickness set in-one Ellen a
bright little ri Of seven Summers, sick
ened with the rest. She WIS great favor
te with Lincoln. and he would ask about
her every time he saw me. Oae morning
L started with sack to the mill to see if [
could get little wheat -four Ny child
WAS very sick, and we had nothing in the
world to give her but milk and corn meal.
and she could not bear the sight of milk.
had no money. and if there was any -four
at the mill | was unable to obtain it.
was proud-too pr u1 to tell the actual
condition we were in As | walked back
up the street, my sack on my arm and head
down, thnking of my sad lot and disap-
pointment there would be at home. nv lit
tie girls wan face upIose before me, and
tears gathered in my eyes. filling thick
aud fast. Just then felt somethin, touch
uy hand, aud boxing down. there lly
ten dollar bill. Turning quickly | saw
Lincoln slipping into his Office door glanc.
ing furtlvely toward me- Bloomington
(Ill nois) Leader.