The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-12-11
LINCOLN'S FRIEND.
Making High oncials and Ladies st.na
Aside.

~AA stand
Aside.
Correspondence Boston Journal.
George Clark, an eccentric man II
humble circumstances, was an earlu
friend ofLincoln, who subseouentlv
removed to New England. He mat
Lincoln in Boston during a stumpino
tour in the east. A few years passed
and Mr.. Lincoln was the mar of tbo
hour. Clark, whenever I met him. was
talking about him. ~ can have anv
Office l want" he said emphati.
cally; "Abe will look out fo1
me-" / thought him a dreamer
and, like allhis acquaintance, doubt.
ed his claim. Shortly after Clark said
he was going to have an Office, and
then in order to get it he must have
$12 to pay his fare to Washington.
told him it was a useless undertaking
He laughed at me. Abe would not re-
fuse him anything he asked. He had
made up his mind to have a post Office
/ told him that $12 would only a
his fare, and that everything was sc
high and the hotels so crowded that
he could not live twenty-four hours
in Washington. Again he laughed IL
my face, and then said: what do
care for high prices and hotels2 Abel
take care of me. All l want is MONEY
enough to get there"
Half in earnest, half in Jest, themon
ey was raised and Clark went to Wash
ingtOn.
A reception was taking place at the
White House, and q man OF his plebian
appearance was not only ''out oil
place." but was hustled about in ar
unceremOniOus manner and IN one way
and another deferred from approach
ingMr. Lincoln. Clark's patience under
the embarrassing situation served him
for more than an hour, when hunger
and anxiety about q place to ''put ur
for the night" caused him to lose his
discretion and become desperate
Mounting a chair just as the foreigr
minister was approaching Mr.. Lincoln
he sang out, "Abe! Abel" Mr.. Lincoln
Instantly recognized the speaker. The
passingpageant ofchivalry andfashior
became to his mind like the u~nreality
of a dream from which he had been
suddenly aroused and in all the bril-
liant assembly he only saw George
Clark, the man who had shared with
him the hardships and privations oil
frontier life in thedays dismal things
make wayfor my friend, exclaimed
the PresiGant, and the surprised ladies
and gentlemen paused in establishment
as Mr.. Clark approached Mr.. Lincoln
and was received with acordiality anG
warmth of greeting that had not been
accorded any other guest OF the eve
ming.
A few minutes later MI. Lincoln ex.
cused himself from the reception, and
passed into another room with his
old friend and closed the door. The
scene that followed is known only
through Mr.. Clark, and as he was In
clined somewhat to e~xaggerate circum
stances, it must be considered with
some grains of allowance.
Mr.. Lincoln, SO Clark repeatedly
told his friends, was as familiar and
off-hand as in their youth. Heleaned
against the wall and laughed. He
was like an overjoyed boy. "You
don't know" he said, chow glad | am
to see you. The face of an old friend
is like a ray of sunshine through dark
and ominous clouds. I've shook hands
till Fam tireder than / was splitting
rails" He inquired where Clark was
stopping, and if he had been to sup.
per, and when Clark told him he was
stopping with Abe Lincoln and hadn't
had anything of any account to eat
since leaving home" he ordered the
best the White House afforded set be
fore him while he returned to Finish
up the business. he had in hand"
Finally he told Mr.. Lincoln
the object of his visit and sole
tied the Lawrence misunderstanding.
Mr.. Lincoln laughed at him and said
"You amt quite up In education,
George, to take that kind OF q job
But I've fixed you all snug and right
Take this letter." The letter was ad
dressed: ITO the Collector of theport
of Boston," Clark presented himself
OF the custom house one morning, anc
upon being snubbed by one OF another
when he inquired for the Collector, re
marked that he had q letter from his
friend Abraham Lincoln, addressed tc
the gentleman for whom he had in,
CURED.
This opened the doors. The letter
said, in substance: "The bearer is my
friend George Clark. Givehim the best
position he can fill. If he fails in n
place give him another" The Collec
tor settled him as Waterman on board
vessels in theharbor-a berth in which
he could sleep as much as he liked
1000 a year.