Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1872-09-06

for Springfield, he rusticated occa-
sionally at Jacks hospitable cabin, sitd-
ated " four miles in the country as the
polished metropolitans of New Salem
would say. Jacks wife, Hannah, be-
fore alluded to, liked Abe, and enjoyed
his visits not less than Jack did. Abe
would come out of the house" she says,
drink milk, eat mush, corn bread and
butter, bring the children candy, and
rock the cradle, while / got him some
thing to eat. He has gone with us to
fathers; hewould tellstories, jokepeople,
girls and boys, at parties. He would
nurse babies,-do anything to accommo-
date anybody. had no books about
my house loaned him none. We didn't
think about books and papers. We
worked had to to live. Lincoln has
staid at our house two or three weeks at
time"
If Jack had "to work to live" as his
wife has it, he was likewise constrained
to fight and wrestle and tumble about
with his unhappy fellow citizens, in or
der to enjoy the life he earned by labor.
He frequently came to town." where
his sportive inclinations ran riot, except
as they rechecked and regulated by the
amicable interposition of Abe, the prince
of his affections, and the only man who
was competent to restrain him. The
children at school had made wide slid
ing walk from the top of Salem Hill to
the river bank, down which they rode on
sleds and boards,-a distance of two hun
dred and fifty or three hundred yards.
Now, it was one of the suggestions Of
Jacks passion for innocent diversion to
nail up in hogsheads such of the popula-
ton as incurred his d;spleasure, and send
them adrift along the frightful descent.
Sol Spears and one Scanlon were treated
to an adventure of this kind; but the
hogshead in which the two were Gagged
"leaped over an embankment, and came
near killing Scanlon" After that the
sport was considered less amusing, and
very much discouraged by that portion
of the community who feared, that, in
the absence of more convenient victims
the boys might light on them. I'm
der these circumstances, JACK, for once
in his life, thought it best to abandon co
ercion, and negotiate for subjects. Ht
selected an elderly person of bibulou'
proclivities, and tempted him with {
great temptation. "Old man Jordan
agreed to be rolled down the hill for
: gallon of whisky but Lincoln, fully i'm
pressed with the brutality of the pastime
and the danger to the old sot, stoppet
|, it." Whether he did it by persuasion o
E force, we know not, but probably by
judicious employment of both.
We have given some instances of MI
Lincoln's unfailing disposition to succo
GuG Mtdh duu bnC lIC oSClll
never to have hesitated on account o
actual or fancied danger to himself, bu
boldly espoused the cause of the OF
pressed against the oppressor, whoeve
u and whatever the latter might be. In
. fisticuf or rough-and-tumble fight, b
was one of the most formidable men {
the region in which he lived. 1t took
' big bully, and persevering one, to fore
: him into collision; but, being in, hi
q enemy found good reason to beware o
him. He was cool, calculating, bu
swift in action, and terribly strong. Ne,
" ertheless, be never promoted quarre
and would be at infinite trouble an
: time to compose one. An unnecessar
broil gave him pain; and whenevs
J there was the slightest hope of successfl
: mediation, whether by soft speech or b
. the strong hand, he was instant and feal
= less for peace. His good nature, his hi
:" NOR, his fertility in expedience, his all
J. ance, offensive and defensive, with JAG
Armstrong, made him almost irresistibl
'e in his benevolent efforts to keep the O
D. binary ruffian of New Salem With
le decent bounds. If he was talking |
. Squire Godbey or Row Herndon (eac
/ of them gave incidents of the kind), an
u he heard the sounds or saw the sigr
{ which betokened row in the street, h
, would jump up, saying, Lets go and sto
a it," He would push through the ring
which was generally formed around tn
le com mbatants, and, after separating th
ID latter, would demand a truce and Z"
F" talk :" aud so soon as he got them [
Oh talking, the victory was his. If it hal
RI pened to be rough Jack himself who We
d at the bottom of the disturbance, he usl
O. ally became ashamed of his conduct, an
le offered to treat" or do anything ell:
D. that would atone for his conduct.
" Lincoln has often been seen in the oil
= mill ON the river bank to lift a box {
= stones weighing from a thousand
- twelve hundred pounds. OF course
was not done by n straight lift of th