Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1893-11-29
HE WAS INDEED A GRAND MAN.
Characteristic Anecdote of President
Abraham Lincoln.

"To me,n said Mr.. c. P. Huntington
to a writer in Kate Fields Washington,
abraham Lincoln was the finest char
acter Of this generation; | esteem it
privilege of my life to have known
him, for to know him was to believe in
the divinity of human nature. You
don't know, so I'll tell you, that it was
left by law to President Lincoln to de-
eide upon the gauge of the Pacific rail
roads. At that time-the spring or
winter of 1868, think-railroads had
different gauges; the South had 8 feet,
the North had feet l-2 inches, the
roads from New York to st. Louis
measured feet, and the road from st.
Louis to Kansas City 1-2 feet. 1t
was imperative that there should be
uniform gauge. which eventually came
to pass. Now by the consensus of ex-
pert opinion it has been fixed at feet
8 1-2 inches, though there are few
narrow-gauge roads OF 3 feet.
an order TO get Central Pacific mat
ters before Congress spent months at
Washington. The President referred
this matter of gauging to John P.
Usher, Secretary of the Interior, who
Wa1 TcQucsteu W COiloCb uhbd uuu
present a report to the President.
Before Usher made his report
called at the White House and saw the
President. Mr.. Lincoln said, 4
have been dilatory not from choice but
from necessity. / now have the re-
ports OF five engineers in favor of
five-foot gauge which desire to pre-
sent to you for consideration before
you give your ultimatum.'
"'Ill hear you next Friday at IL
o'clock a M, replied Mr.. Lincoln.
"That was more than | had expect
cd. telegraphed for e. I. M. Davis,
formerly Of Springfield, H., to como
from New York, where he then re-
sided, and make the argument. He
was personal friend of Lincoln and
an able man. He and were promptly
at the White House at II o'clock, but
the President did not receive us until
twenty minutes before ~. The Cabi-
not met at noon, SO that Davis had
only time to shake hands with the
President and say few words before
the officials arrived. Lincoln permit
ted him to proceed. This did not
please Seward, who lived on the New
York Central and wanted gauge of
four feet eight and one-half inches.
Addressing the President in his own
peculiar way, the Secretary OF State
exclaimed Mr.. President, what kind
Of 4 meeting have we to-dayP'
"A meeting of the Cabinet and
their friends replied Lincoln with
dignifed composure. Go on, Col.
Davis
"Davis went on. At the conclusion
Of his argument the President ad-
dressed him thus: OF the merits of
tho case: l know nothing. There are
30 many things Of which know moth
ing as to make it absolutely necessary
for me to trust to others. call in
men for that purpose. l depend on
their judgment and find when too
late that their advice has been far
more selfish than patriotic. Tell me
truly what is the best gauge?'
"The pathos of Lincoln's appeal was
sublime. The mans whole nature
was unveiled. He was as true as steel
to duty, as sympathetic by nature rs a
woman. wouldn't have lied to him
for the whole Central Pacific road.
The decision was in favor of fve-foot
gauge, but the later uniform gauge,
three and half inches less, is perhaps
better. / did not think 80 then, nor
did experts. All, Lincoln was a grand
man."