The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-08-12
Anecdotes of Hamlin.

The grandfather of Hon. Hannibal Ham
lin had seventeen children. The eldest sons
were named respectively Europa, Asia, AT
RIGA and Americas Asia died an infant and
the fifth son was named Asia. Then fol-
lowed daughters and sons to the number of
seventeen, by two wives, and a third wife
was a widow with two children. Europa
settled in New Hampshire, Asia in Massa-
chusetts, America and Africa in Maine, as
did Cyrus, Senator Hamlin's father. This
Cyrus had twin brother, Hannibal. The
former named a son Hannibal the senator),
and the latter named son Cyrus, the dis
tinguished missionary and philanthOpiSt so
many years in Turkey. Senator Hamlin's
father had seven children, Elijah, Cyrus
Eliza, Annie, Nesta, Hannibal, and Han
nah. Hannibal was the last survivor of the
family.
Mr.. Hamlin, not long before his DEATH
told how he was defeated, literally by sim
gle hair, when first an aspirant for the
United States Senate in 1877. When he was
speaker of the house in the Maine legisla-
ture, William c. Allen was member, and
was noted for the great care with which he
combed his hair. One day, during dull
debate, Speaker Hamlin noticed the smooth
careful way in which Aliens hair was
" done up" so he sent page to the gentle
man, asking him to step up to the speaker
Allen complied, and with marked gravity
Mr.. Hamlin informed him that one of the
hairs on the top of his head crossed another
Allen grew wrathy at once, and declared
that he did not come there to be insulted
Afterward he became a state senator, and
by stubbOrnly refusing to vote for Mr.. Ham
lin finally compelled him to withdraw.
One day Mr.. Hamlin, in describing his in
timacy with President Lincoln, told an in
teresung story regarding his connection
with the emancipation proclamation. 81
was always more radical than he" said
Hamlin. i was urging him. he was hold
1,a u
wiser, probably, as events prove. | desired
to arm the blacks, and to issue the procla-
nation sooner than he did, and was always
for urging. | was the first person he ever
showed the proclamation to. / saw it be-
fore he submitted it to the cabinet. He met
me one day and said; Where will you be
this evening" am going out of town.,
replied, No, you are not, sir Indeed |
am, sir, unless you command me- Well,
| do command you. / want you to spend
the evening with me at the soldiers home,
| met him at the executive mansion, and
we started to drive to the home AS soon
az we had started he drew from his pocket
the rough draft of the proclamation, and
read It over to me. Naturally | was de-
lighted, and told him so, He was much
moved at the step he was taking"
Another story of Hamlin's, illustrating
his start in life, was told in these words
When Horatio King and bought The
JeBtrS0htdR at Paris, both of us We're under
twenty-one years of age. | remained in
partnership with him six months and
worked for him six months more | set
type and helped work off the paper on the
old hand-press We had to spread the ink
on with balls made of buckskn. 1t was
very laborious. | sold out my share of The
JeterSoatdn for $500 l made pretty good
speculation, and the money | know, helped
me materially in my law studies ''-EG-
change.