The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1889-02-06
a STORY ABOUT LINCOLN.


Captain CT Greene in Atlanta C1a-
sfsoaioa 70 intinasely knew great man
IS 4 rass privilege, because great men
ars rare, and their intinafesa-e not often
Numerous. and they seldom kave time OF
inclination to give thought or attention
to those Ehase spheFe Of life Is FAR re-
moved from their own. The world i
agr.ei that Abraham LincolR xasa great
man. and as it was my privilege to know
him qnite well some years before his
eountrymen recognized his ability. OF
demanded his services, It may Dc taken
a. suiheie1s excnse for reisting the cir
ca Instances that made Us acquainted, and
aithongk I have know 1Ir. Lincoln %
laugh and raise a laugh IN rel4ting II. ye.
even now, after a lapse Of near fosty
years, i appears &s a very serious matter
70 me 1t Is needless, Therefore, to wait,
hoping that Il might assume more
pleasant aspect: bgt ifihe world can take
a cheerful xiew Of il. am sure. consider
Ing al that has followed, that ought
not 70 complain.
IN The summer and fill Of $50 vas
second clerk On a Mississippi Steamboat
plying setsseea 81 Louis and Sew Or
leans Ca tke so9n triTs in October vas
a gentleman and bis family who had
been spending the sumner al the North.
They resided near jackson. Tenn. where
they had a large plantation They we're
old friends Of the Captain They desired
to englge teacher for their children, 10
reside IN their family anti they went
North ike following year It looked Ike
pleasant employment. and the Captain
recommended Ele as g eomPetsHt person.
and accepte,i the sifaafion. agreeing
to meet a member Of the family a. Mem-
phis On the return Of the boat from New
Orleans This | did and found every
thing gaite as good az I had reason 20 ez-
pecf. and was treated with all ne consid-
Grafton I deserved, soon maie the a.
qaaintance cf the youag people Of the
neighborhood. AMI entered into the
VARIOUS amass1eatsuommont to them, aad
probably added 10 the general fund, hav-
log seen more Of the world and mingled
sosneaist ia society. This Inevitable
deiafiRg soeieiy Of that ancient day
ExOke the echoes IN a neighboring
school house, and I vas cutie az readv
then as now 70 argue either SIDE u any
1arsiion that needed defenders. as nv
bump Of egotism was we'll developed AZ
that early day. we'll remember Was
rathsr sought after by the Advocates Of
questions that were weak 0r unpopular,
The freedom Of debate, as I understood
IT. however. did net always shield me
from Violence when no other answer
could Be lHaie to uiy arguments.
THE ISETrTABtE sI-avEgg qtEsrIoN
pas not long in being brouzht to the
froat. aad having spent some years in a
free s0il printing Office, probably was
more familiar with the question than
my opponents hAl dreamed Of. and
dOahtiess brought arguments sgaiass the
Constitution they had never heard and
we're quite unable 70 answer The di,-
eussion continued a number of evenings.
and the old shool-house was FIJI Con-
sidering the time and circumstance, I
doubtiess was very Iudiscreet. I Szs not
for The purpose or expected to
discuss the question, but feeling sure Of
my premises probably was TOO wiling
70 diseGss K Eiih any opponent regardless
u time OF pace; bur looking back over
all these long wears 20 the ocrarFenrs as
il nos appears 10 me. can not think
that the threats ami violence of a whole
community were justified ornecessary, or
in any sense in answer to the arguments
Of bear,iIess boy. Repeated threats
bad been made. 10 which 7 gave 10 need
and violence attem pied Thich had
been a DE 10 repei- IN arran cement had
heen made to hold another meeting a
ssS nights before Chrissnas, and tine
10 keep asay only made me
the more determined 10 be present A
riot ensae,i, as lad doubtless been pre-
arranged, add I found myself Obliged %
ily for safety. The road to nly residence
was lined with arned men. and could
not approach Il to procure aid or even an
overcoat had a small sum o. money.
Ny sirs, thongif vas % reach Memphis,
hoping to intercept tle boat on which
aad been employed, either on up Or
l0xn i,ip. The weather was very eold
anil bad, boz I got there only to fud that
the steamer was laid up a New orleans
with broken shaft. and would not make
Z trip for several weeks. The only boat
s1ing Ep the river xas an Ohio River boat,
aud in my anxiety 10 getaway I took pass
z. on Il to Cairo. and arrived there to
In both The Mississippi ard Ohio fr0zen
lver and all navigation suspended
Ny home vas in ike extreme northern
sad Of the site Of Illinois, within fre
miles u the Wisconsin line-over zoe
niles. in an airline from Cairo at the
meath Of the Ohio River. There was 10
railread at that time in that portion Of
Illinois, OF any that ran IN that direction
ouf vas determined 70 @ home The
weather was uncomm8nly cold. I was
icanfily eiad and had but a few dollars
u money, and the distance WIS very
,reat hat afteE thinking the masteFover
or day Or two I 1T ogt upon i, and
never fzlfered for an hour until sat
loKn IN my own pheasant hoH.e on the
lauks q the R0rk River- It vas ter
sbie expsrienee. ami vas asre boy,
Unused to great physical exertioa- MT
noaey gave on before half the trip was
Iccorn plisiled. and 90 many wants, han-
.eF. too. often vas aided bot the long.
lieerfess trip vas illuminated by a single +
incident that % my mind amply CON- I
,ensa,es me for all the suffering eudur-
i. made aPon this TIP,
HE tC.lr AIST8ScE ~ kEHsHAN LsVc1rS. 1
shon regard the greatest uain II has
,eeu my f5r;Gne % know. og even look .
.pon- I have seen thirteen Presidents .
( lhe nifed States. hadreis of Senator's
najority Of the great men af our time. .
have spoken 70 the Prince Of Wales. 1
ave stood before kings YET 90 not for 4
monlent doubt but that Abraham lin