Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-04-23
Abraham Lincoln.

This little city, writes a Lincoln, H.,
correspondent to the st. Louis Globe
Democrat, which bears Lincoln name,
was not laid off until the year 1858. but
the county seat of this Oogan) county
was established and located at Post
vile as early as the year 1887. and there
it was that Lincoln became known to
the residents of this county.
Postville was about one mile west of
where the courthouse now stands, and
now is part of the city of Lincoln,
and is generally known as the Fourth
ward. The courthouse and the hotel
opposite, built in 1887, are still stand
ing, the former in a good state of re-
pair, used as residence, while the lat
ter is a tenement house in the full sense
of the word, containing number of
families, some of which turn an honest
penny occasionally by pointing out
to visitors ''Lincoln's room" For it
was in this house that Lincoln often
stopped when practicing in this county.
POstYille was then a small village,
and the attorneys came here from
Bloomington and Springfield by stage
coach, or on horseback. Many of the
men who were then young attorneys
are still living and occupying high
positions in their profession and in the
politics Of the country, while many
have died after acquiring state and ma
tional regulations.
Among those living, and who is fond
of telling Lincoln story" is Hon. S.
G. Parks, of this city. He is now one
of the associate justices of the supreme
court OF Wyoming. He relates the fol-
lowing story characteristic of the acts
that won for Lincoln the sobriquet of
Honest Abe:"
At one term of court in Postville a
man named Hoblit had brought suit
against man named Farmer. The
suit had been appealed from a justice
of the peace, and Lincoln knew nothing
of it until he was retained by Hoblit to
try the case in the circuit court. G..
A. Gripky, then of Bloomington. APP
peared for the defendant. Judge Treat.
now on the United States bench; was
the presiding Judge at the trial. Lin
coins client went upon the witness
stand and testified to the account he
had against the defendant, gave the
amount due after allowing all credits
and set-offs, and swore positively that
it had not been paid. The attorney
for the defendant simply produced a
receipt in full, signed by Hoblit prior
to the beginning of the case. Hoblit
had to admit the signing of the re-
ceipt, but told Lincoln he supposed the
man had lost it. Lincoln at once arose
and left the court room. The Judge
told them to proceed with the case,
and, Lincoln not appearing, Judge
Treat told a bailiff to 60 to the hotel
and call him. The bailiff ran across
the street to the hotel and found Lin
coin sitting in the office with his feet
on the stove, apparently in a deep
study, when he interrupted him with:
''Mr. Lincoln, the judge wants you.
ooh, does hep" replied Lincoln. ''Well,
you go back and tell the judge I can
not come. Tell him [ have to wash
my hands" The bailiff returned with
the message, and Lincoln's client suf-
fered a nonsuit.
Lincoln came to this county a few
times after the removal of the county
seat to Lincoln, and for one case he
tried here he received as a fee a deed
to lot on the south side of the square.
The lot he never sold, but it is leased
to a man who has a wagon factory on
it. Ex-Secretary Lincoln collects the
rents through an agent here, and has
never expressed desire to sell, al
though it would now bring good
price.