National Republican., 1883-01-15


inimitahlC manner, said: "Alavit please your
houor If tNat is Latin the gentleman had |
better Call another witness. Ike was one oil
THE MOST ArrGoAcfAULE OF MEN.
His mind wa, constantly busy. lie was
always in earnest lIcwOulA finish % learned /
argument in court and hurry away to game |
of ball which hc PLAYED a. earnestly yu3 lc had /
lately argued. 1T was customary for lawyers |
20 90 in parties. ON horseback or in bugGiv7 !
from one court town To- another in thc early F!
days of Illinois. and it wa, % "cold day" II |
Lincoln was not along with thc lawyers of his !
section. And this, To- quote from himscli /
"rcmiuds nc Of % little s,Ory'
Once on ~ triu from Smgmon, to Ta2c-
well county, lincoln could not be found. \
party went in search of him They found
him behind his house, his arms tightly On.
Claspiug thc neck Of mule, his long
legs astIidc hcr, his hat on the
ground nud his face wearing i'm
air of stern determination. They asked him
what on earth WAS he doing. ] am trying
10 persuade this half aud half creature of
Keeps ,thc Livery NAM tO thins as do, for
do not propUs' Ia go out Of town wrong end
iorcmusti' lie finally changed his mule for
II horse. and they travelled along until they
reached the DClayan prairie U' place called
Salt creek. DIN Illinois they call de-
prcgsions in the Cu",h "sWalcs.' The
creek seemed very wide and deep from
sudden frrshct, and thn larty halted, de-
lbcutiug whether they should swim the
creek or p3.s around 1T many miles Above?
lincohs practic'd eyes told him IL was Il
swalc and his love OF iun prompted q joke.
lie suggested 70 would hp better TO swim the
creek. and advised the party 90 strip oil,
bundle their clothes and thus be dry clud when
they reached the other side. They took his
advicr,'a nd very soon presented picture be-
yond my power 10 properly paint. There they
were Il score OF lawyers and judges, some of
them, whose names have since become famous
tho country over stripped to the bun, and
shivcriug in the raw air, us,ridC their horses
and urging these lHitor TO plunge into the
current. In shiyrriug silence the twenty
naked lawyers iudc their horses across the
wide stream whose waters did not reach
above their horses iCt'ocEs! You may mag-
inc how they felt when they reached the
other shore. And Lincoln rather heightened
their disgust as he said to one Of thcm who
seemed to enjoy Il the least, Judge, / don't
think u bridge across the stream would inter-
fcrc with nayipatiOn!'
lie loved II joke, and was always ready with
one. They attracted moro 8,cadiast friends
10 him than any other influence he could cS-
ercise. His stories had always Il point and
were used for purpose.
ON one occasion Judge Logan was engaged
on the other side of q case. After learned
argument from the judge, Lincoln took issue
with the law laid down by his opponent.
."Thc judge" said he, has made the mistake
of selecting law that doesn't suit the case. He
is liable to mistakes like all Of us. For in
stance, he has reached an age where he ought
TO know how 10 put ON his clothes rightly.
Haven't you. judge"
"Oh yes" was the confident answer
"Wcll," said Mr.. Lincoln, "ifany man OF
your age is liable to make the mistake of put
ting his shirt ON bachsido 'front.' he is certainly
liable to make u mistake in stating law
point If you lool. at the judge, gcntlcmcn
you will find his shirt is on wrong side fore.
mostw
Such was tho case, and the laughter that
followed drowned the judges attempt at cX.
planation, and gained for Lincoln his point
The Judge had had some shirts made and thcy
were in the then new style Of but
toning behind. Not acquainted witt
this peculiarly Of style, aud being in
hurry the judge that morning had un
consciously made The mistake whicl
LinCOln'3 keen eyes Mt once detected JUS
before coming 10 Washington to take his sea
as president he wen. into OILERS store il
Springfield whcro a gentleman said: "llav,
You read about the water batteries the Caro-
linians are raising at CharcstonT "Ycs.'
well, if Anderson would only opcn from hi
COlumbiads and send some OF those ncgr
wOr>mcn mp ii the air their masters would lc
up " That remind me- said Lincoln, " o
the negro baptism. \ great revival tool
place among the darllcys in Kentucky
and the Bap.ist3 caught IL finely. /
was winter time, and they cut hole int
the ice, whcro the converts wore dipped
Finally st1pping big fellow was cGugh
by the prCaChUr-a little man, by the way
but the belt broke, the big fellow went under
and they had hard time in saving his lie
Upon the bank was seated an indiguan
durkey, who did not look with favor on tn
proceedings, and, in the height of the rcscu,
he exclaimed, 4" GOu had better stop this d
1oolishncss-bimchy some white man wi
loose thousand dollars worth of property
1t was dangerous thing to try and raise
laugh at Lmco!n's expense. One day aftl
making stump speech, Lincoln WAS cntcrin
the court, when democratic lawyer, VIII
looked like 4 last years birds ucst-havin
Dccn drunk the night bciUrC-bCgUn to tw
him. Lincoln suddenly stopped and sal,
Jake don't you know you are violating I'll
lawY "Why, no. "Nou mustn't omen
rum hole in This state without license,
you had better shut your mouth"
One of his WarmCst friends was
AN FRESHMAN,
whose affection was forever sealed TO him i
story. This lriShmuu lived at a place callc
Salisbury, and every time he came TO town ]
got as drunk rs Biddy O'Flahcrty', pig ut Il
fair Of hilalUC. His wife finally got tired
this conduct, and one morning brought h,
husband 10 town 10 LiuCOn's Office for Il
purpose of getting Il divorce. Some lawyc
would have taken thrcasc. Not SO Lincoln. II
~
much better it will be 10 go home and owe
look TOMS fGilings. | knew an lrishmu
once like Tom who got drunk pretty oltc
ono day he came home full rs II fiddler
fancy, and taking his horse ont of harncs
led him TO the trough. Here the anim
drank rs much as he wanted and then pui
There, you blackguard,' said his Wit
who stood loo;iug on look ut. Il
haste. Ito Ornli enough and tho
stop whilst ycH kane ON Till ycz gets to wa
lown?' Whist Biddy' said her husban
'yCa don't know anything about it at all
all, Tho poor crater there took his driu
alone. so there war a horse at the other cI
Of the trough, Guciu' his head and sayil
inoighly pgllio, "iiorcs M yuI, Nh ORA
forty iHilh am the basic nd kapc on drink
till hc wor uus"' The story impressed Il
old woman. She and husband went hon
and are living in peace to-day; thanks
LinGoln's jokes.
Mr.. hiucom'a manner of telling story W
rs effective as his matter Unlike The usu
stony teller, he could laugh during the tellim
First he would smile, then u peculiar, agree
bic look passed over his face then u hear
gullaw, followed by stilod laugh his Gl
wreuthcd in smiles, At finishing he inyari
bly, changed his position, getting up tunil
around, and finally sitting down again
Mr. Kidd ,old of Lincoln intellectual syl
pUsN with the members Of the bar aud of [
legislature, related mmnyuuccdotcs ofhis kil
heart and unsuspicous nature aud clos
with an eloquent cuIogy ON the lament
president