Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-05
The Man Who Once Fished the Martyr.
President Out of a Creek
is STILL LIVING IN KENTUCKY.
The Story of the Boyhood Adventure In
Mountaineer Dialect.
"REMINISCENCES OF ABE AND SALLY.
How Austin eallshsr Felt whsn &c Voted for Els Old
Time Friend
rcoRREsroNpENcr OF THE p1srArcH. I

October 2.-1n the Century Magazine fol-
November, 1886. the following paragraph
occurred, by way of foot-note, in the first
installment of Nicolay and Hays "History
of Lincoln
There is still living near Knob Creek, in Ken
tucky, at the age of so, man who claims to
have known Abraham Llncoln in his childhood
Austin Gallaher. He says he used to play
with Abe Lincoln in the shavings of his faith
er's carpenter shop. He tells story which. If
accurate, entities HIM to the civic crown which
the Romans used 10 give to one who saved the
life of citizsn. When Gallaher was IL and
Lincoln the two boys were in the woods in
pursuit Of partridees. In trying to coon"
across Knob creek on q log Lincoln fell in and
Gallaher fished him out with sycamore
branch-a service to the Republic, the uslue Of
which it fatigues the imagination to compute.
TRUE AS GOSPEL.
man, and, by tradition, his story is known
to be true. And tradition and not Mr..
Gallaher is responsible for its perputration.
Had heard him tell the story in hero
like manner, 1 would not have believed it,
but old citizens say it is true. Mr.. Gal
He avoids coming in contact with strang-
ers, because be says, strangers are curious. "
"What boots it to me, y he is credited with
saying, "whether folks believe it or not?
He want Presinent then-only a little
tad, and anybody can fish tad outen a
branch"
drove out to Mr.. Gallaher's yesterday.
An hours drive from this place in an east
a. -
Muldraugh's Hills. 1t was to these hills
that Lincoln's father moved from a little
farm near here, and it was in these valleys
and along the branches of Knob creek that
Mr.. Gallaher and the martyred President
knew each other.
A MoUNTAINEER'S WELCOME.
Upon approaching Mr.. Gallaher's house
he came to the door and invited me in, at
the same time telling me, "That is my
daughter" before he had learned my name.
The daughter" appeared to me quite as old
as had expected to find his wife. Mr..
Austin Gallaher is "a years old. He is
large and round, and deeply set in his
heshy countenance are a pair of eyes that
yet have expression and force in them. His
face, a grizzly stubble field of ragged un-
dergrowth, lights up with the fire OF COLI
versation, and deep ruts lead to q large,
toothless mouth.
He has always lived simple life His
garb is coarse and plain. He wears pair
OF homemade jeans pants, supported by a
pair of yarn suspenders, and, like all mount
aineers, the trousers come high upon his
well-rounded shoulders. He is remarkably
well preserved, and he told me that 1t was
only within the past year he became too
feeble to walk to Athertonville, a distance
Of three miles. and carry basket of eggs.
In nature he is agreeable, descended from
old Scotch stock, he is impetuous. He has
never Travelled, never read extensively, and
is far behind the times in everything.
IN PRIMITIVE QUARTERS.
Mr.. Gallaher owns a small tract Of arabl.
land, the old farm of his father, where he
manages to grub out a scanty existence. His
dwelling is log structure of two rooms and
"passage," so familiar IN wooded coun-
tries and is rather meagerly furnished. 1t
is situated Immediately at the base of an
almost perpendicular cliff, which protects it
from many a winter wind, and seems to have
been located with an eve single to comfort
and convenience to water, II being only a
few PAGES to a spring of the purest limestone
water to be found in the neighborhood.,
After conversing for while on general
subjects, which here in Kentucky includes
the quality of the whisky that stream"
would make, I said: "Mr. Gallaher, 1
came out to learn all you know about Lin
coln."
well, that amt much" he hastily
added.
"But you were boys together. were you
not?" asked.
"Yes, but it's been long time" he said
slowly. as if doubtful of the fact that he ever
was boy.
IN A REMINISCENT MOOD.
"You see," he began, fixing his eyes on a
speck far away in the horizon, as if trying
to look back upon path he had travelled
"Abe was young and was not very old.
We used to waller around together some, 10
be sure, but Abe had not heard that he was
to be a President and was like all other
boys, and when l think of him now it's
allus as little barefooted tod and not as a
President"
'I have been told, Mr.. GalIaher, that
you once saved Mr.. Lincoln's lite; is it
true?"
mot exactly true-that is don't believe
he'd drowned ii it hadn't been for me. 1
wonder if you think cause 1 pulled the
souallin' rascal outen that hole saved his
lie. Why, allus have believed he'd come
out any way. Besides l don't like the idee
brsggin' bout gettin' feller outen q hole
if you've got HIM in there yoursel -
81 fear do not quite understand you,
Mr.. GaIlaher."
MADE ABE TEST IT.
"Why, bein' lighter an me, told him to
try the log first. He tried it, and it broke.
Splash, splush, splash he went, that's all
there was of it, and in second I yanked
him out You'd "a done the same thing.
Sides, the water want deep then-flled
plum up now-and / 'spose he'd "a come
out on dry ground any way"
By this time the old gentleman>was get
ting warmed up, and while he did not court
conspiciousness, by any means, he was COM
municative to the highest degree.
"Tell me something of Mr.. Lincoln's
early life and habits, insisted.
His pa lived across yonder," he said,
pointing to the north, "about a quarter,
and Abe and Sally were the only children.
Abe was ugly and Sally was purity, and ats
about all know of EN-"
"Was he kind-hearted or selfish; ABE I
mean?"
"He'd allus give up to Sally, but lowed
it 'us cause she was older. We all three
got along without fussin'. tho, as none of
Us had anything the other wanted, 'cept
when Abe and me 'ud 60 off into the woods
or down the crick and fetch home some
kind O. stick or rock, and then Sally d git
choice. That's where we had been when
Abe fell in."
RATHER A GOOD JOKE.
AID here the old fellows face lighted up
as il he still considered it good joke to see
the log break.
"Whst did Mr.. Lincoln's father do for q
livelihood, Mr.. Gallaher?" / continued,
after we had tried some OF his favorite bev-
erage mixed with little sugar, and had