The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-07-14
LINCOLN'S EARLY LIFE.
"Reminiscences of a Man who Split Rails
With Old Abe.-A Quaint Mar
riaRa Invitation


With Old Abe.-A Quaint Mar
rage Invitation.
Decatur iii Letter in Philadelphia Times.
Lincoln, in his younger days, had
many warm and sincere friends, but per
hapS there was no man living who was
ever more intimate with the lamented
President than John Hanks, the old rail
splitter, who for years was his bosom
companion and trusty friend.
Mr.. Hanks resides on farm four
miles east of this place. He was born
in Nelson county in 1902, and, notwith-
standing his age, is finely preserved
old gentleman. Il suppose it seems q
very long time 10 you since Lincoln and
you used TO split rails and run flat boats
down the Mississippi river" said Wis
itor 10 him the other day. "Ies, it does, I"
replied Mr.. Hanks, "but remember the
time as distinctly IA though it were
but yesterday: Lincoln was only twelve
years of age when / first formed his
acquaintance. This WAS in Spencer
county, Indiana, and he was at
that time rs homcly and awkward Il
country boy as person could very well
| imagine. He was raw boned, and wore
the commonest and coarsest kind of
clothing, which seemed to have been
put on in rather a careless manner. His
suspe1ders were attached To his panta-
looms by hickory .plintcrs, which
answered the purpose of buttons. He
| did not seem to have a particular fond
| ness for farm work, but no one could call
him a lazy boy. He was always at
something, and while on the farm SEEM
ed TO have particular fondness for hOr-
scs.
"LincOln had just reached his 21st
year when he came to Macon county,
Ill. This was iifty-One years ago, and
the country was raw and not very thick
ly settled. Something must be done; so
he hired out rs farm hand, breaking
prairie and making rails. A year later
he went TO SangamOn county, and here
we split rails together upon The land not
far from the spot where his monument
now stands. We sold them for fifty
| cents per hundred. We cut hundreds
of cords of wood, selling and dividing
| equally the proceeds. We built three
| fiat boats, and made two different trips
to New Orleans, and / do not think
ever enjoyed myself so much as did
on those neyer-to- be forgotten occasions.
During the trips Lincoln told stories
after stories, and each one related re-
minded him of another. In
personal appearance he looked very
much as he did after he became
thoughtful expression of the face, the
same deep, searching look from his
| eyes. He used to say he intended TO be
| a Methodist preacher or a lawyer, and
SAID he intended TO read law the first
good chance he got. When he was boy
| he used to go TO church whenever he had
an opportunity, but for some reason the
habit grew away from him as he became
older, yet L never knew n man who was
more fond Ofreading on religious subjects
than Lincoln. He was always ambi-
| tious, and he used often to talk with me
about bettering his condition in life"
Mr.. Hanks then related an incident
when Lincoln was storckeepcr ut the
town of Salem, Ill. He was also engag-
ed in surveying and filled the position
of postmaster of the place. One day in
the early summer farmer drove up in
great haste to inquire il there was a let
ter for him. He found the Office closed
and no postmaster in sight. He began
TO look around the neighbOFhoOd and
soon discovered Lincoln sitting upon
the bank of stream engaged in fishing.
The man approached and asked Lincoln
| to go to the Office and see if there was
| any mail for him. WhereupOn Lincoln
took off his hat and handed the man q
letter, saying that would be the last let.
ter he would deliver him in the capacity
of postmaster, as he intended to resign
| in few days.
Lincoln never was what the world
would call money Maker continued
Mr.. Hanks. He was very generous
when young man, and his acts of be.
nevolence chung TO him during the
remainder of his life. remember dis
tinctly the first time we arrived in New
Orleans. After we had attended to our
business, the first purchases made by
Lincoln were books and surveyors in.
| struments, and, instead Of running
| around town 10 see the sights, he would
remain at his boarding house engaged in
reading or telling stories TO the boarders,
who pronounced him remarkably gifted
/ in that direction. Lincoln, in fact, was
| always in close financial circumstances
| and at the time he was nom mated for
president he did not have any property
| 20 amount to anything except his resi-
dence in Springfield. was well ac-
quainted with his wife. Mary Todd,
before he married her, but never knew
there was an engagement between them
| until about two weeks before the mar.
riage took place. The invitation TO the
wedding was written in Lincoln's own
peculiar style, and read as follows:
/ Dear Hanks-I am To be married next
| Thursday eve, the 18th, 10 Mary Todd
1 hope you Will be on deck at early can
die light. "A. LINCOLN
"During the memorable campaign OF
1860, the rails used by the Republican
party in professions and political gather.
ings were taken from my farm, and Lin
coins father, Lincoln and myself helped
TO split them erected the first house
in Decatur, and Lincoln helped me do
nearly all the work. Lincoln was prct
ty much the same man after being elect
ed president He loved all his old
friends to the hour of his death. After
his election journeyed To the capital O.
witness his Inauguration, and while in
Washington called at the White HOUSE
a numbers Of times 10 see my old friend
always remaining To take dinner will
him. II was matter of great surprise
to the dignitarIes of the nation and the
digtinguished gentlemen who were a
that time thronging the capital to heal
me approach th president and call him
Abe, and hear the president say famil-
iarly: Hello, Hanks, how are you I:
Before left for Washington purchas
ed bran new SUIT of jeans. bat found
they were hardly in keeping with tbs
fine store clothes to be seen in and around
the capital, but this did not make any
difference to Lincoln. He extended me
as cordial greeting as though was