, 1884-08-21
LINC0LN'S BOTHOOD.
Ruins of the Place Whore He Spent
His Early Days.
The Boys from Cleary's Grove-Drink-
from the Bung-HoIe ora
HarreI-LincoIn's
First Love.


Cor. CnicaKO rlDune.
SALEM, MS-I write from a town without
a postofice, a tavern, or shop There Is not a
house in sight From the hill where l sit,
under the shade Of three trees whose branches
make one, 1 look out over the SangAmon
river and its banks covered apparently with
primeval forests Around are fields over
grown with weeds and stunted oaks We
may say OF It as OF Troy: salem fuit" 1t
was IA town Of ten or twelve years only; be-
gun in 1924, ended in 1896. Yet in that time
had a history which the world will not let die;
not 50 long as il venerates the memory Of
the noble liberator and martyr, President
Abraham Lincoln.
l came here to-day with a few OF the old
settlers ms on a pilgrimage to this Mecca Of
the soul" We drove up from Petersburg
about two miles, passing on the way the site
Of the old mill run by Lincoln and the re-
mains Of the old dan on which his fiatboat
lodged when floating down from Sangae-
town on the way TO New Orleans.
After much debate as TO the mode Of reach
ing the old site, we entered an old field
through a cato, and, driving up a hill show
ing a wheel-track through tall weeds, We
rode over-tho streets OF the old town. The
weeds wero high on the hores'
backs. Mr.. Tice stood up in his buggy,
and surveying the landscape pointed
out places where the weeds were lower.
There was cameron's clearinghouse where
Lincoln boarded when he kept store for Dem
ton ONT Near 1t was George Warburton's
store. Beyond was Sam Hills.
@Over there TO tho south WINS the Baptist
church and the cemetery alongsdo."
LINcoLN's FIRST LOVE.
Mr.. Green pointed out the site OF Rutledae's
house. There said he ANN Rutledge
lived. Lincoln was engaged to her. Her
death almost broke his heart. He told me
once that he didn't want TO live. He
couldn't bear the thought that the rain was
falling on her grave and she sleeping in the
cold ground We had to watch him to keep
him from harming himself.
Right here was Denton Ofit's store, whore
Lincoln and l were clerks together Mr..
Green had not been here for forty years, yet
recognized the spot.
A small depression showed a former cellar.
Out OF it grew three trees about fifty feet
high, with boughs interlaced. making one in
their outline. There WA the locust thorn,
with leaves like a fine fringe, IN elm, and a
cottonwood. The elm and cottonwood grew
out Of the same stump, as II forming one
tree. The dark leaves of the elm and bright
broad leaves Of the sycamore were inter1nin-
gled as from one trunk.
Behold, D." said Strodtman, IAN emblem Of
the Union maintained by Lincoln"
Mr.. Greene pointed out the spot where Lin
coin had the wrestling match with the Arm
strongs.
@The Cleary Grove boys, composed of the
Armstrong;, Joneses, Greenes, and Others,
had planned to try Lincoln's pluck; so they
challenged him to wrestle. Jack Armstrong,
the biggest one, took him in hand and tried
10 throw him. He tried all sorts Of tricks,
got foul holds, and inside leg bitches, all In
vain. Then Lincoln said hat II they were
for enemies, he was ready. or for friends, as
it suited them. Big Jack Armstrong slapped
him on the back and said, %, we were only
in fun. Let us be friends and they were
ever after. II was the son of one of those
very Armstrong; DUN that Lincoln do
Tended and saved from conviction or muir
der by producing the old almanac, by which
the jury wee convinced that the moon did
not shine rs the witness had testified. They
acquitted the prisoner in five minutes Duff
Armstrong Is still living.
PUTTING A MAN IN A BARREL.
Mr.. COTE remarked; "The Cleary Grove
boys were always up to some mischief. They
trimmed the mane and tails Of horses, cut
brides 20 that but a little remained to break
at the first pull, cut girths, put stones under
saddles 80 as TO cause riders to be thrown
when mounting. Right in front of GIFTS
store they rolled James Jordan down
that hill. q You see 1t goes down at an
angle Of forty-five degrees. Then it
reached down TO the river 200 feet,
and there was no road there as there
Is now. He used to come hero
for whisky fifteen miller, and would got his
fiji. When drunk the Armstrong; headed
him up in a hogshead. He WIS n large, fat
fellow, and nearly filed it, Then they sent
1t rolling down the hill. II went with in
creasing velocity, threatening TO go into the
river, when it was caught under the leaning
white-oak, and their victim liberated. LAn
coin was here surrounded by tough fellows
Of this stamp, but even then he had his eye
on the future He was studying to be a law
yer. All had confidence in his judgment and
and honesty. He didn't drink like the rest,
yet was not a total abstainer.
LINCOLN's GREAT STRENGTH.
81 won my first fur hat on a bet that he
could take a drink OF whisky from the bung
OF u ~forty-gallon barrel. You see n man
named Easeps had n trick. He twisted his
fingers in a Knot and then bet you couldn't
mark his little finger. l hRd lost several beta
at it, when Lincoln said ned help me to get
even with him. He showed me how he could
lift a barrel OF whisky on his knees and put
his mouth TO the bunghole, He told me to
take a keg and hold it up as if drinking and
bet a fur hat that Lincoln could take up q
barrel Of whisky and drink from the hung
hole. Easeps took the bet and lost
Lincoln came to Salem on a fiatboat. Oft
had built a flatboat at the read OF the river,
loaded II with bacon, corn, hogs and goods
of-all sorts, and set out to go to New Orleans.
Lincoln WAS put in charge. He started
dow in the spring flood. Arriving at the
dam opposite Salem the scow stuck. 1t was
unloaded and a store set up ON the bank.
AT one time there were three stores here,
and n church, serving as a school-house. Now
all is desolate. Petersburg, started by George
Warburton and Peter Sukins, took the wind
out OF its sails. It was abandoned for a time.
The r~oof-tree moulded on the %crumbling
hall.
Then all disappeared, and only a few holes
are left to show where the houses and stores
once were"
Materials for lee Cream.
philadelphia Call
The New York Herald states that ice
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