The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-04-26

Planted in honor of Lincoln
and Douglas.
An Old Settler narrates
some Anecdotes.
Lincoln's Characteristics, Language
and Ideas.

1t is generally known that the Court
House Square in this city, contains two
trees which were planted in honor of the
late President Lincoln and Stephen A.
Douglas. They were planted number of
wears ago. and are known to the old set
tiers as the Lincoln" and douglas trees.
An effort is soon to be made to have the
county board of supervisors appropriate a
fund to properly enclose them and to de
fray the necessary expenses to appropriate
ly mark the elms planted in honor of the
two iliustrious statesmen of Illinois
While discussing the trees this morning,
All old citizen recalled the
FOLLOWING ANECDOTES
which were related of Lincoln:
Tn 1872. when 90 years old, Lincoln was
induced bv his friends to run as IA Wing
candidate for the legislature, and made his
maiden speech, as follows: Gentlemen,
Fellow-citiZens: | presume you all know
who 7 am. lam humble Abraham Lincoln.
I have been solicited by many friends to
become a candidate for the legislature. Ny
nOliticS are short and sweet, like an old
woman's dance. | am in favor of nation
al bank. / am in favor of the internal
Improvement system and protective traiff.
These are nv sentiments and political prin-
cipals. If elected I will be thankful If
not it's all the same" He was not elected
at that time.
BLARNEY.
There resided in Springfield in 1860, an
Irish laborer, John McCarty by name, a
redhot Democrat. Shortly after the presi-
dental election, Mr.. Lincoln, was walking
past the public square where John was at
work cleaning out the gutter. AS the
president-elect drew near, McCarty, paus-
ing in his work and holding out his hand
said bluntly: AN so yer elected president
are yeY Faith, an it wasn't by my vote We
wur" We'll, yes, John" replied Mr.. Lin
coin, shaking hands very cordially, "the
papers say I'm elected, but it seems odd
should be when you went against me"
''WeH, SIisther Lincoln" said John, drop
ping his voice, lest some brother Democrat
should hear him, I'm glad you got it,
afther all. It's might little pace I've had
Biddv for votin' forninst We, an if yed
been bate she'd hcv druv me from the
shanty as shures the worruld." Give my
compliments to Biddy John, and tell her
I'll think seriously of woman's suffrage"
said Mr., Lincoln with smile as he passed
on to his office,
BEST STORY.
President Lincoln once said that the
best story he ever read in the papers about
himself was this: Two Quakers were
travelling on the railroad and were dis
cussing the probable results of the war,
II think, said one, that jefferson will
succeed why does thee think SOY"
asked the other. Because Jefferson is a
praying man" And so is Abraham a
praying man" Yes but the Lord will
think he is only joking" doubtfully re-
piled the other
CHARACTERISTIC REMARKS.
After state election in New York in
which the Republican party was defeated,
Mr. Lincoln was asked how he felt after
having heard the news He replied
Somewhat like the boy in Kentucky who
studied his toe while running to see his
sweetheart He said he was too big to cry
and too badly hurt to laugh"
During the spring of 1864, a friend in
conversation with Mr.. Lincoln about the
approaching presidential election, said
that nothing could defeat him but Grants
capture of Richmond, followed by his
and acceptance. 'Well,
said the president, Il feel very much like
the man who said he didn't want to die
particularly, but if he had got to die that
was precisely the disease he would like to
die Of
In the summer of 1862 Gen Mcclellan
wrote from the Peninsula a long letter to
the president, giving him advice as to the
general politics of the country and how to
carry on the affairs of the nation. What
did you reply?" asked some one of MIR.
Lincoln. Nothing, but it made me think
of the Irishman whose horse kicked up and
caught his foot in the stirrup. 'Arrah"
said he, if you are going to get on l will
get off,