The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1885-01-07
LTNCOLN's BOYHOOD.
An Interesting Sketch Of the
MartYred Presidents Life
In Indiana.
HIS MOTHERS DEEP RELIGIOUS
BELIEF, AND THE SONS GREAT
LOVE FOR HER.
Going NILES to Court 10 Hear q Famous
Lawyer Speak-The Famlly's Re.
mOval 20 Illinois.
IgDIlElFoIa, IED., December 6.

To the Editor Of the Chicago Tribune.
Being on a train one day last autumn on
the railway leading from Jasper to Rock
port, in south western Indiana, casual
travelling acquaintance remarked that we
would soon pass over the Lincoln farm. On
seeking further information he informed
me that il was the farm owned and ooou-
pied by Thomas Lincoln, the father Of
President Lincoln, aud where the latter
passed most Of his youthful years; this
arrested my attention and decided me to
stop at Lincoln Station (Which takes its
name from the farn) and pass a few hours
amid tns scenes and surroundings which
had Oeen 90 familiar to the martyred Presi-
deaf The place is in @ rmeu township,
Spencer county. Lincoln Station is located
in the center Of the Lincoln homestead,
and is now a village Of a dozen buildings or
80, having the usual cODComitants Of q
store, blacksmith shop and saloon. Into
this then wild and rough region, almost
literally in the wilderness, Thomas Lincoln
moved his family, composed Of his wife
and two children, named Abraham and
Sarah, 80 1918. he built his cabin on q
knoll some fifteen rods from where the
depot is now located. Young Lincoln at
this time was in his eighth year, and for
the next fourteen years this was to be his
home. Here he was to pass through the
formative period Of character. Here, in
extreme poverty, in the hard and rough
life be was leading in that wild scenery,
coming In contact with nature in it's crudest
forms, without books or means Of study,
and therefore left more fully to the study of
nature, without social advantages or schools,
but under the teaching of good Christian,
devoted mother, the foundations Of that
character were laid which were to develop
such remarkable practical common sense,
such sound reasoning and judgment, and
such adaPtability and mastery skill in deal
ing with and shaping the great evants with
which his name was TO be forever after
wards associated.
The cabin has been removed, and nothing
remains to mark the spot where it stood
but the partly filled cellar, and solitary
cedar tree near by, planted by young Abra-
ham.
LTECOLN's BOYHoOD.
found an aged man in the vicinity who
was Abe's playmate, and from him learned
much that was interesting in regard to his
early habits, his earnest desire to learn,
and his passion for books which he was not
able TO obtain. he read everything he
could find in all the region about; it may
have been that this deprivation Of books
and the means Of learning threw him upon
his own resources and led him into those
modes Of thought, Of quaint and apt illus
tration, and logical reasoning 30 peculiar to
him. he was about the only one in the
vicinity who could read and write; he was
noted for his kindness to every one, and
his services we're frequently drawn upon
by the BsttlsrH to write their letters, kind
ness he always chesrfully rendered. Said
the old man: "Abs was all'rs much given
70 larnin'." Whenever the court was in
session hs was q frequent attendant as
often as he could be spared from the labors
Of the farm, and especially when a lawyer
Of the name Of John A. Breckenridge was
10 appear in any case. Breckenridge was
the foremost lawyer in all that region, and
was widely famed as an advocate in crimi-
nal cases. Lincoln was then sure to be
present. Doing his ''ohOres" in the morn
ing, he would walk to Bonneville, the
county seat Of Warwick county, seventeen
miles away, and then home again in time
to do hiB ''eh0EsB" at night, repeating this
day after day, The lawyer came to know
him. Years afterwards, when Lincoln Wai
President, q venerable gentleman one day
entered his once in the White House, and
standing b1f0Es him, said "1Ir. President
you don't know me-" Mr. Lincoln eyet
him sharply for a moment, then quickly
replied with q smile "Yes, I do; yon ar,
/ John A. Breckenridge. I used to wall
D thiFty-i0uE miles day to hear yeu plea,
law In B00neviIls; and listening to you
speeches at the bar first inspired me viii
! the discrimination to be q lawyer"
HIS LOVE ron HIS MOTHER.
Lincoln aluays manifested the strongsa
aHssiion for his mother, and ever Btrove Z
relieve her as much as was in his power, O
the cares and burdens Of their hard life
AlLh0ugh her lot was east 10 that humbl
rphEe, it 10 evident from all that I o0ul
8 learn, that she was a superior woman, POI
Z laEuihg an ths traits Of q true and nobl
i. mother, and that she left az impreGvion fo
. good upon her young son which be uevs
e thE6u oa.
Thomas Lincoln and wife were Of strong
h ly marked religious character, and wei
d mgnbaH Of the Baptist faith. Whousv,
, services were held 10 the los building
mile distant which passed for D ohurol
tasy aud theiE two children were there, s.,
b ths wife and mother vas not long 10 {
:. with thsm. The fatal diseases Of oousumt