The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-15
One of Lincoln's Stories.
From the NetO York tribune.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9.-Stories of President
LincOlns keen humor are seemingly inexhausti
lie. One, which 1 think has never appeara1 in
print, comes from ma1 who held prominent
office under Lincoln, and who knew the great
statesman well. AT an official ball some thieves
made off with many of the hats and overcn atS
Of the guests so that when the presidential
party was ready to take leave Vice
found.
IN tell you what Hamlin," said a friend
early In the evening | saw a man, possessed
Of keen foresight, hide his hat upstairs.
am sure he would be willing to dorate
it to the administration, and will go and get il
for you"
When the hat was produced it was discovered
to be very much after the style Affected nv
Hamln but 1t bore a badge of morrning, which
emblem the Vice President rIDp-d off with his
penknife The party stood chatting merrily ms
they waited for the carriage to be driven up
when a man stopped directly in front Of Mr.
Hamhn and stood staring at the tile with
wnich his head was covered
What are you looking at, sir?" asked Ham,
lin sharply.
''Y ur nat, answered the man mildly eff
had weed on it l should say it was mine. -
We'll, 1t hasn't got weed on it, has it?'
asked the Vice President
"No, sir, said the hatless man. sit HASN'T
Then II Ism your hat, is ltY" said the proud
possessor of it.
mo, guess not" said the man as he turned
to walk away. When this little scene was ex
and said:
That reminds me- Hamlin, of a long time
a 70 when | was pioneering and soldering in
| Ii dis andwe put up joke on some officers OF
the United States army. NY party and | were
a long way off from the comforts of civilized
life, and our oaly neighborS were the garrison
of United States fort. We did pretty well for
ratonS, and had plenty Of salt meat and tionr
but milk was not to be had for love or money
and as we all longed for the delicacy we thought
it pretty mean that the officers of the fort who
had two cows "a stubb-d-tailed one and black
and white One-ofered us no m TX though we
threw out many and strong hints that it would
be acceptable AT last, after much consulta
ton, we decided TO teach them a lesson an
borrow or steal one of those cows, Just as Won
choose to put it, But how it could be done
without the COW being at once identified and
recovered was the question. At last we hit on 9
plan One of our part was dispatched a day 5
ride to the nearest slaughter house, where he
procured a long red cows tail to match tn
color of the stub-tailed COW, after possessing
ourselves of which animal we neatly tied ouI
purchase to the poor stub, and with app titles
wnetted by long abstinence We drank and rel
ished the sweet milk which our cow gave
few days afterward we were honored by q call
from the commander of the fort say bows
sad he, we have lost one of our cows OF
course we felt very sorry, and expressed our
regret accordingly. But, continued the COM
COW of yours had stub tail. should say it was
ours.
- But she hasn't a stub tail, has she?' asked
we, sure Of our point.
NO said the officer, she certainly has not
a stub tail
"'Well. she isn't your COW then, and our ar.
gument was unansworable as was Hamlin's."