Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-13
LINCOLN's FRIEND.
A Man Who Campaigned With Lincoln
and Douglas Over Fifty Years Ago.

had heard 50 much. The judge is eighty-one
years old, over six feet tall; his hair is white al
| snow, but his figure as straight as that OF an
Indian and his step as quick as man OF forty
He is one Of the characters that belong to the
early history of Illinois, and his early cotem'
poraries have all passed away. He lives quietly
at McHenry, which he had made the county
seat of McHenry county years ago, but which
was moved to Woodstock when the county wal
divided.
| When Judge McLain was introduced to Gen.
| Alger he looked at him a moment and said: 1T
has been the rule for men of brains to be
homely. but you and are exceptions"
After few moments general conversation
| Gen. Alger remarked that as the judge had
| been introduced to him as a friend of Lincoln
| he must be republican.
II was democrat once for about fifteen
minutes, and the humiliation and shame which
very sympathetic with the democrats"
How was that judge?"
"Well, you see, Long John Wentworth and
Isaac N. Arnold, who were both democrats
| forty years ago, came out to McHenry to attend
a democratic convention. / knew them both
well, and after few sociable drinks they
invited me to 60 to the convention with them.
| When they got me in there they concluded to
keep me In the democratic party by electing me
chairman. Well, was not drunk enough to
iaii ihto tneH Trap, Dut accepted tne pOsltlOn
as chairman and thanked them for the honor.
II told them that l realized that for some
years l had not been the man should have
| been: that had strayed away from the straight
and narrow way, and had been a subject for
repentance, but that the future looked brighter
| and was
HOPEFUL OF BETTER DAYS.
"This encouraged the boys to cheer me on, for
they were sure that 1 had become a democrat.
When they stopped cheering 1 continued
! Roll on, oh wheel of fate, and it don't make
ID bit Of difference which way you turn,
| Tor am bound to come up, as l am now in the
| very lowest depths of degradation, having been
elected chairman of a democratic convention.
This disappointed Long John and Arnold
and the boys were ready to pitch me out, but
! presided for while and then left the conven-
| ton. determined to never again have my re-
publicanism questioned. l guess have kept
the record close and l propose to continue
working and voting for the republican party. "
You were the friend Of Lincoln and Doug
las3" asked your correspondent.
Yes; Abe was just year younger than L
We were young men together and were init
mate friends so long as he lived. 1 first knew
Lincoln at Springfield. When Abe concluded
that practicing law would be more to his tastes
than splitting rails he borrowed some law
books, spent all the money he had saved for a
little batch of groceries and barrel Of whisky.
He Went to New Salem and started a grocery,
thinking that he could make a living at that
business and study law too.
STEVE DOUGLAS WAS TEACHING SCHOOL
down there at the same time. and every night
after supper he would go over to Abes grocery
to talk politics and law. But Steve liked liquor
and during the winter he was Abe's best GUS
toner. He would take two or three and some
times more drinks every night and always have
Abe mark it on the slate. Before the winter
was gone Abes barrel was empty the slate was
covered with Steves accounts and the firm
went into bankruptcy. Abe had neither money
nor grocery and he concluded that he would
go back to Springfield and study law in earn
est. You see, the senatorial race was not the
| first time Steve beat Abe.'
But they were good friends then?'
why, they were always the best of friends
When in the legislature, between 1886 and
1o4O. those two young chaps would pull to-
| gether and each help the other to maintain his
leadership. They were leaders then That
was great legislature, too. We had more
talent and brains in it than you can now find in
| the United States Senate. There were Lincoln
| and Douglas and Browning and Harding and
Gatewood and Thornton and Linder and De-
ment. They all became great men. But we
| didn't have any idea there SO much unde-
veloped greatness lying around at the capital
then. They were all bright young men. but
| Lincoln and Douglas were the natural leaders.
| Lincoln headed the wings and Douglas the
democrats. We had great times and we did
| lots of good work."
What kind of man was Lincoln socially?"
''The most entertaining fellow ever met.
campaigned with him in 1910, stumping the
state for old Tippecanoe, the grandfather of
President Harrison. We travelled on horseback
through all central Illinois, and Abe was
DELIGHTFUL COMPANION,
the life of the company whether riding across
the prairies or stopping at little tavern. He
had such fund OF stories that he never lacked
one to illustrate point. 1t was the same in
his speeches. l never saw any other man who
had story ready to suit every emergency. 1t
seemed an inspiration. 1t was his way of pre-
his audience"
you were also intimate with Yates, were you
not?"
''Yes, in after years. But Dick was child
when Abe and Steve were my friends and fell
low statesmen at Springfield. Dick was a
bralny man and had he lived would have been
known for more than war governor of nli-
nois'"
''You campaigned for Gen. Harrison?"
80, yes. Old Tip and 1 were friends. I
knew him very well and when he was nomi-
mated by the wings struck out to do what 1
could to elect him. 1 don't think made him
| President, but l did what could. never
| have seen his grandson. Why did come here
today? To see Alger. 1 had heard a great
ueal aDOut him. ana Wnen heard he was to
| attend the fair, concluded would come over
and am glad came"
you like the general?"
why, who can help liking him? He may
| not be as great as some men have known. but
he has mighty winning ways, and my private
| opinion is that would like to vote for him in
1892 for President"
You seem to have NO thought of ever stop
| ping your attendance upon elections?"
We'll. not for some time yet. l don't feel
| very old, but everybody used to know is dead
and sometimes feel lonesome. am lonesome
when go to Chicago.
| LONG JOHN AND ARNOLD
| and all those whom knew are gone. new
crop of public men has come to the front. For
the last twenty-five years 1 have been rather
quiet and remained at home. So know but
little OF the outside world except as 1 get nv
! impressions from the newspapers I once cam
| palgned in Chicago when Long John ran for
mayor in 1860. Nearly every campaigner OF
note In the state went to Chicago to help Long
John In that fight. We wanted a republican
mayor OF that town. That was time when we
were all interested in the Chicago mayor. We
proposed to nominate Lincoln for President al
| the Chicago convention. We wanted a repub.
hcan mayor to preside over the city where the
convention was to be held. Wentworth az
| mayor helped us and Lincoln was nominated
and elected. Then came the war and LONG
John was good man to be at the head of the
| city government"
While the old gentleman stood on the side.