Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-05-02
"THAT REMINDS ME-"

White House with Senator Ben Wade,
when Mr.. Lincoln assailed us with
perfect avalanche of jokes, Mr.. Wade
was in a hurry, having to be at the
Senate by II o'clock, and it was then
after IL. "Sit down, Mr.. Wade; sit
down, General" cried the jolly Presi-
tden; IT am going to tell you story"
"Mr. President, I should be most hap
Ply to listen to your story said MIR.
Wade, "but I have some little business
with you this morning, and then I
must go to the Senate, as it is almost
the hour for it to assemble"
"Well, well. I guess you will be in
time, but I want to talk to you, and if
the Senate meets without you, why let
it meet, that's ALL" Then, turning alb
ruptly to me, the President inquired;
Chow are the people out in Ken
tucky?" Twas then in command of the
Blue Grass region of Kentucky, where
MIR. Lincoln had many friends.
"They are pretty well" I replied.
care they loyal now?" asked Uncle
Abe, with smile.
Sometimes they are and sometimes
they are not" replied. when they
think the Union is going to win they
get loyal until Lee gains battle on the
Potomac, and then when it looks better
for the Confederacy they become dis
loyal again"
@That reminds me of the high and
the low-combed cock, said Abe, "and as
it is capital story must tell it to
YOU
"Now, Mr.. Lincoln" said Wade, IT
must be going, as it is nearly -, and I
have barely time to reach the Senate
before it assemblies. I have a little
business with you, and"
"Sit down, sit down, man" cried Lin
coin; "the Senate can assemble, say,
without you being there, and 1 must
tell you this story; besides, l won't be
five minutes, and you can surely give
me that much of your time" Uncle
Abe then related the following story,
which I will repeat as nearly as can
recollect in his own words:
"When I was youngster out in Kea-
lucky there was chap who had high
ccmbed cock that could lick all the
roosters in the country. One day an
emigrant came in to settle who said he
had low-combed cock he reckoned
could thrash anything in them parts,
the high-combed cock included. The
interest became intense, and the chick
ems were examined by all the boys.
Both looked well, and seemed to be
genuine game-cocks. A meeting was
arranged to come off between the cocks,
and the whole neighborhood was ex-
cited OVERT. Squire C-was noted
man and very sharp. The Squire was
always right, but no one could ever find
out exactly what his beliefs were, his
reserved opinions being the correct
ones. The Squire was consulted
about the roosters, as he was about
everything else, and, putting his spec
tacles on his nose, he examined both
roosters carefully. He said the high
combed cock had 'pints' about him
which indicated he would WIN, but the
ow-co mbed cock was much the heaviest
rooster of the two, and by sheer weight
might beat his antagonist. The young
fellows who wanted to bet questioned
the Squire closely, but they could not
get any nearer to his opinion of the real
merits of the chickens. The day came
for the battle, and with it great crowd.
The Squire presided, for in those days
more than now racing, fighting, and bet
ting was the height of Kentuckian's
glory. Close attention was given to the
'Squire's position on the fight, as he
was both oracle and judge.
7 PROPOSE said the Squire, this
yere shell be a fare fife, and tharfore
we will Civ three cheers for both roos-
ters.' It was done with will, and the
fight began. At every turn in the bat
tie the Squire would cry out: 'Hurrah
for the high-combed cockp sHurrah
for the low-combed cockp Once he
made bet on the high-combed cock,
but Immediately hedged by betting on
the low-combed cock. At last, after q
bloody contest, the low-combed cock
got the worst of it and turned tail and
ran. 'Hurrah hurrah hurrah for the
high-combed cock! Gentlemen, I knew
that rooster would win in the end, but
it is always unfair to express an opinion
in contest like this in advance of the
rale issoo. Now, gentlemen, you have
had all the fun. but YOU see that high
combed rooster was bound to win.
Why, look at his comb Any man can
see with half an eye he is real game
chicken, while that other one is only
dunghill fowlp
"Now," cried Uncle Abe, shat is the
way 1t is with those fellows out in Ken
lucky. They want to be on both sides
of the fight and hurrah for the high or
the low-combed cock as policy dictates.
If we win, they will be good Union men,
but if jeff Davis were to win, they
would be the best rebels in the world.
General" he said seriously, II think we
have got the high-combed cock in this
fight. We must see to it that our roos-
ter wins, and then in the end we will be
all right"
sat and looked in establishment at
the great man before me. had come
to Washington to explain to him my
embarrassments in Kentucky on ac-
count of the anomalous position of the
State and the varying temper of the
people. Kentucky was then State in
the Union, with representation in our
Congress, but she had sent no less than
$4,000 men to the rebel army. and had
also representation in the rebel Con-
gross at Richmond. I had expected to
have some difficulty in making my en-
barrasSments understood, but here was