Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1872-06-14

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A new biography of the good presi-
dent Lincoln, has just been published by
Osgood, written by Col. Lamson, of his
youth life, it contains considerable that is
new and some that is surprising, but
vouched for as authentic. We copy a
chapter:
MR.. LINCoLN's PARENTAGE.
Abraham Lincoln was born in Ken
lucky, February II, 1909. His fathers
name was Thomas Lincoln, and mothers
maiden name was Marcy Hanks. Thorn
as seems to have been the only member
of the Lincoln family whose character
was not entirely respectable. He was
idle, thriftless, poor, hunter and ro-
ver One year he wandered away off to
his uncle, on the Holstone, near the con-
fines of Tennessee, Another year he
wandered into Breckenridge county,
where his easy good nature was overcome
by huge bully, and he performed the
only remarkable achievement of his life
by whipping him. In 1906 we find him
in Hardin county, trying to learn the
carpenters trade. Until then, he could
neither read nor write; and it was only
after his marriage that his ambition LED
him to seek accomplishments of this sort.
Thomas Lincoln was not tall and thin,
like Abraham, but comparatively short
and stout, standing about five feet ten
inches in his shoes. His hair was dark
and coarse, his complexion brown, his
face round and full, his eyes gray, and
nose large and prominent. He weighed,
at different times, from 10 to 1856. He
was built so tight and compact that
Dennis Hanks declares he never could
find the points of separation between his
ribs, though he felt for them often. He
was little stoop-shouldered, and walk
ed with slow, halting step. But he
was sinewy and brave, and his habitually
peaceable disposition once fairly over
borne, was a tremendous man in a
rough-and-tumble fight. He thrashed
the monstrous bully of Breckenridge
county in three minutes, and came off
without a scratch.
His vagrant career had supplied him
with an inexhaustable fund of anecdotes,
which he told cleverly and we'll. He
loved to sit about at stores" or under
shade trees, and "spin yarns, "a pro-
pensity which atoned for many sins, and
made him extremely popular. In poll
tics he was a democrat, "a jackson dem
ocrat. In religion he was nothing at
times, and member of various denom-
nations by turns,-a Freewill Baptist in
Kentucky, Presbyterian in Indiana,
and a Disciple-vulgarly called Camp
bellite-in Illinois. In this latter COM
munion he seems to have died. 1t ought
perhaps, to be mentioned, that both in
Virginia and Kentucky his name was
commonly pronounced Linckhorn, u
and Indiana, +" Linckhern." The usage
was-s general, that Tom Lincoln came
very near losing his real name altogeth-
er. AS he never wrote it at all until af-
ter his marriage, and wrote it then only
mechanically, it was never spelled one
way or the other, unless by store-keep.
er here and there, who had small ac-
count against him. Whether it was
properly Lincoln" Linckhorn,' or
Linckhern," was not definitely settled
until after Abraham began to write,
when, as one of the neighbors has it, she
remodeled the spelling and corrected the
pronunciation"
Nancy Hanks was a slender, symmet-
rical woman, of medium stature, a bru-
nette, with dark hair, regular features,
and soft, sparkling hazel eyes. Tender
ly bred she might have been beautiful
but hard labor and hard usage bent her
handsome form, and impaired an unnat-
ural coarseness to her features long be-
fore the period of her death. Toward
the close, her life and her face were equal
ly sad and the latter habitually wore
the woful expression which afterward
distinguished the countenance of her son
in repose. BY her family, her under
standing was considered something won.
derful. John Hanks spoke reverently
of her high and intellectual forehead, -
which he considered but the proper seat
of faculties like hers Compared with
the mental poverty of her husband and
relatives, her accomplishments were Ger.
tainly very great; for it is related by
them with pride and delight that she
could actually read and write. The pos
session of these arts placed her far above
her associates, and after little while
even Tom began to mediate upon the
Importance of acquiring them. He sci
to work accordingly, in real earnest, hav
ing competent mistress so near at hand
and with much effort she taught him
what letters composed his name, and how