The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-01-21

D were lined on both sides with black
. and whites alike, all looking with
: curious and eager faces at the man
who held their destiny in his hand,
: but there was no anger in any ones
: face the whole was like a gala day,
and it looked as ifthe President was
some expected guest who had come
to receive great honors; indeed, no
man ever received greater ovation
than was given him, be it from warm
hearts or simple ceremony.
HOT AND THIRSTY HERO.
1t was a warm day, and the
streets were dusty. owing to the im
mense gathering which covered every
part of them kicking up the dirt.
| The atmosphere was suffocating,an
Mr.. Lincoln could be seen plainly
by every man, woman and child,
towering head and shoulders above
that crowd. He overtopped every
man there. He carried his hat in
his hand. tanning his face, from
which the perspiration was pour
ing.
| He looked as ii he would have
given his presidency for a glass of
water-I would have given my teeth
| for half one.
/ Now came another phase in the
procession. As we entered the city.
every window flew up from below
to the roof, and every one was filed
with eager, peering faces, which
turned one to another and seemed
to ask, rs this large man with soft
eyes and kind. benevolen: face, the
one who has been held up to Us as
the incarnation of wickedness-the
destroyer of the South ?" think
that illusion vanished, if it was ever
harbored by any one there. | don't
] know what there was to amusethem
in looking at this scene. but l never
saw merrier crowd in my life, black
and white.
We where brought to a halt by
the dense jam before we had gone a
square the town was still on fire at
the Tredegar Works and in the
structures thereabouts and thesmoke
setting our way almost choked US
| had not seen soldier whom |
could send to General Weitzer to ask
for an escort, and it would have
been useless to send one of the con-
trabands, for he would have been too |
much interested in seeing the sights
and in looking at the President, from |
whom none took their eyes. | don't |
think anyone noticed the rest ofthe
party.
think the people could not have |
had a gala day since the Confeder-
ates occupied Richmond as head /
quarters. Judging from present ap-
pearances, thev certainly were not |
given at the loss of the government |
which had just fled. There was
nothing like taunt or defiance in the |
faces of those who were gazing from /
the windows. or craning their necks /
from the walks, to catch a view of
the President. The look ofeveryone
was that of eager curiosity-nothing
more.
A PRESENT.
While we were stopped for mo-
ment by the crowd, a white man, in
his shirtsleeves, rushed from the
sidewalk towards the President.
His looks were so eager that felt ap-
prehensive that he was not friend,
and prepared to receive him on the
point of my sword, but when he got
within ten feet of US he suddenly
stopped short. took of his hat, and
cried out: Abraham Lincoln, God
bless you; you are the poor mans
friendp Then he tried to force bis
way to the President to shake hands
with him. He would not take no
for an answer, until 1 had to treat
him rather roughly, when he stood
off with his arms folded and looked
eagerly after US The last saw of
him ho was throwing his hat into
the air.
Just after. this a beautiful girl
came from the sidewalk with large
bouquet of roses in her hand, and
advanced, struggling through the
President. The mass of people open
ed to let her passed, but she had a
hard time in reaching him. Her
clothes were very much disar-
ranged in making the journey across
the street
I reached out and helped her with
in the circle of the sailors bayonets
where, although she was almost
stified with the dust, she gracefully
presented her bouquet, and made a
neat little speech, while the Presi-
dent held her hand She was very {
pretty, and obout II years old, which s
made the presentation still more
There was label on the bouquet I
with these simple words "From q
Eva to the Liberator of the Slaves"
She stayed no longer than to deliv- |
er her present than two of the I
sailors were sent to escort her back s
to the walk. a
There was no cheering at this, yet i
there was no disapprobation shown 4
only she was met by the same eager a
curious faces which surrounded and t
piled her with questions. This was !
the only event of the kind that occur Q
red. t
/ asked myself what all this could .
mean but that The people of Rich l
mond we're glad to see the end of the U
strife, and TO see the advent of a q
milder form of government than g
that which had just departed in such
an ignoble manner.
At length | got hold of a cavalry
nan. He was resting his horse near
he sidewalk, blocked in by the peo- I.
pie, and looking on with the same q