Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-10-02
LINCOLN AND HIS MOTHER.
Queer Incidents of Their Trip to the white
HOuse,


House.
After the departure of the Prince OF
Wales from Portland / was ordered by
the Herald to join President-elect Lin
coin, then on his way from Illinois to
Washington, and report his progress by
telegraph met the presidential train
at Albany, and was heartily welcomed.
The reporter whom / superseded told
me that he had faithfully telegraphed
every thing that had occurred on the
train, except about Douglas. He meant
Senator Stephen A. Douglas, friend
Of Lincoln's from boyhood, but his OPP
ponent in politics, and one of the demo.
cratic candidates for the presidency,
whom he had defeated. OF course,
wanted to know all about Douglas. II
was not much, but very significant.
Douglas has boarded the train, been
overcome by the Inequalities, and, as
he tossed in his sleep, kept the party
awake by repeatedly muttering: 80
Lord! Old Abe Lincoln the president
of the United States! Good Lord! Abe
Lincoln president! Ha! ha! hal"
The contrast between the presiden-
tial party and the royal party which
had just left could not have been great
err. Familiarity took the place of cere-
mony. Mr. and Mrs Lincoln had no
privacy, except in their sleeping com
partment. The reporters and special
correspondents took possession of the
| Lincoln car and walked in and out or
sat about as they pleased. At every
station some delegation came aboard
and shook hands with the new president
and his wife, unless the place was large
enough for Lincoln. to go out on the
rear platform and say few words,
usually interrupted by the starting of
| the train. Between stations Lincoln
told storiesior laughed at those told by
the rough and ready politicians who
surrounded him. | remember one char
acteristic speech which he commenced
at several stations, but was not allowed
by the engineer to finish, until l asked
him for the end of it as we ratified along
the Hudson river
| wen, odll LluCOlIl, UucSc COH-
tinued stoppages remind me of horse
l once hired to drive over the mountains
to attend convention at which lex
pected to be nominated for the legisla-
ture. The stableman said that it was
a good horse, but the harder | drove
the slower it went; so that when l
reached my destination at last / found
that the convention had adjourned af-
ter nominating the other fellow. All
the way back kept meditating about
what that horse could be good for, and
when l turned him into the stable ]
asked the owner the question. He gave
a chuckle and said: Why, good horse
for funeral, guessp No, my friend,
| replied; never hire that horse out for
a funeral why not?' asked the man.
Because, said l, as impressively as |
knew how, ''if that horse pulls the
hearse, the Judgement Day will come
before the corpse gets to the grave.
yard!'' It's the same way with this
train. If they keep on stopping at every
station, this funeral will never reach
Washington.
Nobody then had the slightest idea OF
the great man into which Mr. Lincoln
would develop. He was simply tall,
lank, gawky, ugly, awkward western
lawyer, simple to fault, but with
some natural dignity, and with large
heavy solemn eyes that promised more
than any other feature. There was nc
pretense of personal respect for him
among the men who accompanied him
They addressed him as "Mr. President
only when the train stopped and loca,
delegation entered to request speech
AS we neared New York it was hintet
that Mr.. Lincoln rather dreaded meet
ing Fernando Wood, then mayor of thai
democratic city, who had achieved {
reputation as an orator. 81 have ne
speech ready" said Mr.. Lincoln, wher
spoke to him upon the subject; 50
shall have to say just what comes into
my head"
When the train slowed up, and tn,
crowds could be seen through the win
dows and the cheering heard above tn,
noise of the locomotive, Mrs. Lincoln
said: Abraham, must fix you up
bit for these city folks" She was
little, old, plump, motherly woman
and, as she opened her hand bag, Mr.
Lincoln lifted her upon the seat of tn
car. Standing there, she combed, part
ed and brushed his hair, and arrange,
his necktie.
''Do look nice, now, mother?" h
inquired affectionately
you'll do, Abraham" replied hi
mother; and he kissed her and lifted he
down.
This was the new president of tn
United States and the new lady of tn
White house! l am afraid that l ech
oed the Good Lordr' of Senator Doug
las But the next moment Mayor Woo
appeared, courtly and dignified as an
nobleman, and in the swirl of introduc
tions and presentations l escaped t
write my copy at the Herald Office 9th
er reporters having been detailed t
take charge of the president as soon a
he left the cars. did not see him agai
until we resumed our journey the mex
day at Jersey City, and then he greete
me like long-lost friend, and Mrs
Lincoln made room for me to sit besid
her The forlornness- of this strang
couple and their inadequateness to tn
position toward which they were ad
vancing struck me painfully. An &C
quaintance of the day before seemed t
them friend by contrast with the ney
faces constantly inspecting Them
Stephen Fiske, in the Metropolis.
Preferred the Smoke.