The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-12

WIN ner came ner three children, John,
Sarah and Matilda Johnston. Dennis
Hanks now found the Lincoln cabin far
more attractive. 1t was his home, so far
as he could be said to have one and in due
time he married Sarah Johnston.
The story that Dennis had some time be-
fore taught young Lincoln to read and
write is in the language of that locality,
"a little mixed" Abraham had attended
school few weeks in Kentucky. He
attended long enough in Indiana to mako
his entire schooling amount to n year,
and his stepnother was fairly we'll ed
ucated woman. So it is not likely that
Dennis could have taught MIN much
disease ravaged the settlement The
ague they had always with Them and the
dreaded milk sickness came again and
again-about once in five years, as the way
of this disease is. No one has explained
this mysterious blight. In my boyhood
all that was known was that certain
springs were infected with it, and that the
streams flowing thcrefrom had to be
fenced till it had flowed some 200 yards,
when the poison evaporated Cattle suf-
fcred most. and, though ever so little af-
fected, their milk and meat were poison to
all who ate them. 1t returned at success
slve longer intervals as the country was
cleared, and rs late as 1878 wrought ter
rible destruction in one neighborhood
In 1873 and the next year it completed
the financial ruin of the Hanks and Lin
coin families, and in 1880 they made their
oft described migration to Illinois. a few
anecdotes are all we have of Dennis for the
next thirty years, but Mt this point "Old
John Hanks" as the boys called him, be-
came prominent figure. He had more
money sense, rs western people say, than
any OF the lot, and had gone before and Sc
lectcd good locations for the others. That
spring 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 his 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, i'll which Dennis Hanks To-
Gated in 1881, was the scene of a terrible
tragedy. A man named Monroe who had
killed his futher-in-law, Mr.. Ellington, in
an ARRAY, was lynched, with circumstances
of shocking barbarity. Visiting the vicin-
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 II prominent man. He then
indulgcd i'll 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 OH 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 to which the actual facts will never
be known, as all the accounts were dis
torted by partisan fury and personal preju-
dice. Suffice it to say that some soldiers
then ut home on furlough came into col
lision with some citizens of opposite politi-
cal views. There was II deal of wild shoot
ing, and few men were killed 1T was n
vice of the times rather then the men,"
says prominent soldier and lawyer who
figured i'll the trial of some similar cases.
and when some of the parties were arrested
by federal authority and taken to IN east
ern prison much sympathy for them was
expressed. After many prominent men
had been appealed to in vain friend of the
prisoners suggested that good natured old
Dennis Hanks could get them out if he
could see Old Abe"
1t was hailed with accamation and
Dennis was straightway arraycd i'll n new
suit and started for Washington. 1t was
the event of his life He was robbed on
the hIt rporhn1 ha NNhita
His experience he detailed thus: Rappng
at the door he was met by n colored serv-
ant who asked his mission:
II want to see President Lincoln"
Where is your card?" inquired the
usher
Haven't no card. Tell Abe that Dennis
Hanks wants to see him."
The colored man soon returned with n
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 herc?" 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 hungp' 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 n short time, and detested Secretary
Stanton worse after it than he had before
81.