Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-07-04

Clay They had q powerful infuenc
on him. He told me afterwards, In tn
white house, he wanted to live Tx
Washington. His speeches show tina
but the other book did the most amazin
work. He was democrat, like his fatf
er and all of us, when he began to rea
it. When he closed it he was q Whlt
heart and soul, and he went step b
step until he became leader OF the re
publIcans."
"Will you describe him when boy?
"Well, he was at this time not grown
only six feet and two inches high. ID
was six feet four and half when grown
tall, lathy and gangling-not much ap
pearance, not handsome, not ugly, bu
peculiar. This kind of fellow: If mai
rode up horseback, Abe would be tn
first one out, up on the fence and asklni
questions, till his father would give hin
knock side O. the head; then he'd q
throw at snowbirds or suthin', but pom
| dering all the while.
"Was he active and strong?"
HE was that. / was ten years olde
but couldn't rassle him down. His leg
was too long for me to throw him. HI
would fling one foot upon my shoulder
and make me swing corners swift, ant
his arms 80 long and strong! My! how
he would chop! His axe would flash
and bite into y sugar tree or sycamore
and down it would come. If you heard
him fallin' trees in clearin
you would say there were three
men at work by the way trees fell
But he never was sassy or quarrelsome.
I've seen him wslk into q crowd OF
sawin' rowdies and tell some droll yarn
and bust them all up. It was the same
when he was lawyer; all eyes, when
ever he riz, were on him; there was
suthin' peculiarsome about him."
What did you teach him to write
withw
"Somehais he would write with
piece of mertcoal or the point of burnt
stick on the fence or floor. We got q lit
tie paper at the county town, and I made
ink out of blackberry briar root and q
little copperas would eat the paper after
awhile. made his first pen out of a
turkey buzzard feather, them's good for
pens. We had no greese them days.
After he learned to write he was scraw-
lin his name everywhere; sometimes he
would write it on the white sand down
by the creek bank, and leave it till the
fresh would blot it out"
did you have any idea of his future
greatness"
mo; it was new country, and he was
, raw boy; rather bright and likely
lad, but the big world seemed far ahead
Of him. We were all slow goin' folks,
but he had it in him, though we never
it."
"Did he take to looks eagerly?"
"No; we had to bire him at first. But
when he got taste it was the old story
we had to pull the sow's ears to get
Ter to the trough, and pull her tail to get
Ter away. He read great deal and had
! wonderful memory-wonderful. Never
orgot anything"
what church did Abe attend?"
"The Baptist. I'll tell you q circum-
stance about him. He would come
lome from church and put box in the
middle Of the cabin floor, and repeat the
ermint from text to doxology.
I've heard him do it often"
"Was he religious man?"
"Well, he wasn't in early life relig-
GUS man. He was a moral man, strictly
never went to frolics, never drank
liquor, never used tobacco, never swore. |
But in after life he became more relig-
us, but the bible puzzled him, especially |
be miracles. He often asked me in the |
imber, or sittin' around the fireplace
lights, to explain scripture. He never
oined any church or any secret order"
did you move with him to Iliinois?"
"Yes; bought little improvement
ear him, six miles from Decatur. Here
be famous rails were spit that were
arried around in the campaign. They
,ere called bis rails; but nobody can tell
bout that. split some of 'em, and we
ad rail frolic, and folks came and
elped us split. He was master hand
laulin' rails. heard him say in a
beech one day about these rails, i'll
idn't make these, l made many just as
ood.' Then the crowd yelled"
"Were you his crony and companion"
Eyes, l was the only boy in the place,
Il them years, and We were always to-
ether"
"Did you ever visit him in Washing
mp"
Certainly. There were some folks ar
ssted in Charleston, and I, for their
'lks' sake, went on durin' the war to
It 'em free, for it was best. got there
nd found the white house surrounded
it'll soldiers. went up to the door to
1t in, and reporter (means repcrter)
opped me and said: who do you want
, see? said: Mr.. Lincoln He said:
lcu cant see him; il amt the time of
ay yet 1 eaid: 'I'll show you if can't,
haint come here from Illinois for moth
- He grinned and slowed me the
Dor of his Office. Outside was q heap
fellers waitin' to git to see the presi-
ent. opened the door kinder soft,
nd at the other end of a big room sat
be at an old desk worth about six bits.
ieyT hoilered, you're pretty presi-
ent. amt your He looked up and
i'd, well Dennis, is that your
1d made a run and just gethered me.
hen could git able to talk, ssid: L
on't want no Office, Abe He said {
ost of 'em do, Dennis, and smiled .
lnder tired. told my errand, and he
i'd to come up next morning and he I
ould fix it. We talked an hour as
iendly as ever about long-gone tin es, {
len he told me to 60 down to the house
I'D see Mary. that's his wife. She's
cad now, poor soul. l knew they were &
l. - III