The Dickinson press., 1890-06-21
DENNIS HANKS STORY.
He Called ON President Lincoln and n
An Interestipc Experience.

MI AutereStlnS Experience
Dennis Hanks, cousin and early COM
panion of Abraham Lincoln, still lives,
at the age of 81, near Charleston, Ills,
and at intervals talks with much anima-
tion Of Lincoln's early life. Though ten
years older, he has long outlived the
martyr president. He gives this &C.
count of his only visit to Washington:
"When went down to Washington to
see him it was about a neighbor that had
got into trouble. Tho folks here sent me
to speak to Abe about him. 1t was durin'
the war, and thar was lot O. soldiers
around the White House stickin' their
guns in everybody's face. 1 went to .
door-thar's only one, though looked
round fur back door, thinkin' to sneak
in. A porter stopped me, and asked as
smart: 'Who do you want to seep
"I want to see Abe Lincoln / says.
"'You can't see him this time o day.
he says as smart.
"'You bet kim answered him.
Hes not goin' back ON Dennis Hanks,
his cousin, and the boy he's rassled with,
if he is the president. hain't come here
from Illinois to be told can't see Abe
Lincoln
''He grinned and showed me the office.
There wa lot of fellers waitin', but
waded through 'em and opened the door,
and thar sot Abe, as tails his own shad-
der, writin' at a old desk he TUX from
Illinois.
"'Hey! hollered. You're a purity
president, amt you? Git up hyur and
shake hands. l amt after no office yit,
Abe
"tWell, Dennis, is that you? I'm glad
you don't want an office. Most of them
do. You've got a big heart, but no head
for all office Then he run and jist geth-
cred me in to him like they did in the
Bible, and so wept little SO 1 had to
take my bandanner out. He looked
kinder tired. When 1 told him what I
wanted he said:
"'I'm busy today, but Ill get Stanton
to fix that up. You 60 down and Mary
will give you something to eat and a
shakedown.'
81 knowed it was too fine for me
where Mary was. She was a good wo.
man, but was too highfalutin' for me; 80
jist went to tavern and put up. Next
mornin' Abe had lot of papers for my
case and told me to take 'em to Stanton.
"'Abe,' says I, blamed IL I know
where the plagueoned place is.' So he
called feller and sent the papers, and
pretty soon Mr.. Stanton como lookin'
like n jaybird in a spike tailed coat, and
snarled about them papers, but Abe got
him to sine 'em. He acted so ugly that
when he went out said:
"'Abe, if Tsas big as you would take
that little feller over my knee and spank
him. Abe, he laughed and said he
guessed Stanton was a bigger man than
lie was i'll some respects. I came home
then and the next spring Abe was shot.
81 heard of 1t this way. was sit.
ting in my shop peggin' away at shoe
when man came in and said: Dennis,
Honest Abe is dead!'
"'Dead, dead. Old Abe dead,' 1 kep
sayin to myself. My God, it amt so!'
went out to SEQ Sairy where she lived
all alone after Tom died, and said.
Grandmother, Abe's dead Yes,
know says she. I've ben waitin' fur
it. knowed they'd kill him. and she
never asked any questions. A body
thought the earth stopped whirlin' fur
few days, the way everybody went on.
It was like, even hero in Charleston, like
black cloud that covered the sum-" The
dim old eyes became blurred by the sad
MISUNDERSTANDING,