The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-11-06

ga little mlxea.n Abraham had attended
school a few weeks in Kentucky. lie
attended long enough In Indiana to make
bis entire schooling amount to year.
and bis stepmother was fairly well cd
ucated woman. So 1t Is not likely that
Dennis could have taught him much.
disease ravaged the settlement. The
acne they had always with them. and the
| dreaded milk sickness came again and
.gsjn-about once in five years, as the way
- This disease Is. No one has explained
this mysterious blight. In my boyhood
| ali that was known was that certain
snrinos were infected with 1t, and that the
streams flowing therefrom had to be
fenced till it had flowed some 200 yards,
when the poison evaporated. Cattle sur
| fered most. and though ever so little at
fected. their milk and meat were poison 10
ALI who ate them. 1t returned at success
sive longer intervals as the country was
cleared. and as late as 1873 wrought ter
rible destruction in one neighborhood.
In 1898 and the next year 1t completed
the financial ruin OF the Hanks and Lin
coin families, and in 1890 they made their
oft described migration TO Illinois. A few
anecdotes are all we have of Dennis for the
next thirty years, but at this point "Old
John Hanks" as the boys called him, be-
came a prominent figure. de had more
"money sense, as western people say, than
any of the lot, and had gone before and Sc
lected good locations for the Others. That
sprin2 he and Abraham Lincoln split
enough rails to fence in fifteen acres, and
uncommonly good rails they must have
been. for thirty years later "Old John"
electrified the state convention by enter
ing with one Of them on mis- shoulder, and
before the close of June, 1850, tens OF thou
sands of toothpicks and other souvenirs
made Of these rails were in evidence IN the
west. 1t Is only fair TO add that the rails
were made of black walnut and white oak,
and that those woods do last a long time
In 1856 Charleston, capital OF Coles
county, Ills, in which Dennis Hanks To-
Gated in 1881, was the scene Of terrible
tragedy. A man named Monroe, who had
killed his father-in-law. Mr.. Ellington, in
an ARRAY, wax lynched. with circumstances
of shocking barbarity. Visiting the yicin-
ity Immediately after, ! first heard the
name of Abraham Lincoln mentioned as
that of an influential man and popular
speaker, but among all my acquaintance
between there and Terre Haute l never
once heard mention Of Hanks
Seven years later there was another
tragedy at Charleston, and Dennis sud
denly became a prominent man. He then
INDUCED in many "reminiscences of his
cousin Abe-president now, you know"
In the meantime, however the rails split,
as alleged, by Abraham Lincoln and John
Hanks had gone on their sensational
course and been whitfield into souvenirs,
and early in 1861 Lincoln made his last
visit to his relatives in Coles county.
Dennis then lived in the vicinity of Farm
ington, where he had located in 1881,
and of all the relationship he was the
only one who ever saw Lincoln again.
The occasion was one of those riots which
were so frequent in the third year of the
war. as towhich the actual facts will never
be known. as all the accounts were dis
torted by partisan fury and personal preju-
dice. Suffice 1t TO say that some soldiers
then at home on furlough came into col
lision with some citizens of opposite polit-
cal views There was deal of wild shoot |
ing, and few men were killed. 1T was a
vice OF the times rather then the men," |
says a prominent soldier and lawyer who |
figured in the trial Of some similar cases, |
and when some Of the parties were arrested |
by federal authority and taken to an east
ern prison much sympathy for them was |
After many prominent men |
had been appealed to in vain friend of the
suggested that good natured old |
Dennis Hanks could get them out if he
could see Old Abe"
1t was hailed with reclamation, and |
Dennis was straightway arrayed in new
suit and started for Washington. 1t was
the event of his life. He was robbed on
the way, but reached the White House.
His experience he detailed thus: Rapping
at the door he was met by colored serv-
ant who asked his mission:
IL want TO see President Lincoln"
"Where is your card?" inquired the
usher
Haven't no card. Tell Abe that Dennis
Hanks wants 10 see him"
The colored man soon returned with q
broad smile on his face and showed him
up. Mr.. Hanks walked into the presidents
room and exclaimed, How are you, Abe"
The president left his desk, and walking
toward him exclaimed, why, Dennis,
what brought you here?" and threw his
arms around the old man and embraced
him.
The president heard his plea and sent
him TO Secretary Stanton. Later he saw
the two together, and, according to Dennis,
the secretary told him, Every ID one
Of those men ought to be hung" Decision
was reserved, and Dennis returned home
the proud possessor of a silver watch pre-
sented TO him by Mr.. Lincoln. He had
seen a good deal of life at the White House
in a short time, and detested Secretary
Stanton worse after it than he had before