The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-04-02
LINCOLN's PLUG HAT.
vERiTARLE Joint or sTovEPiPEn
WITH ROMANTIC BRiM.

#Hhs the Postofflce Of New Salem--Its
z.sveliess Experience was wines. 10 Served
la Football For Ladies'.
There are enough OF funny incidents
reported OF Mr.. Lincoln's hat to make
IL .'fabled in song and illumined in
story" For example, it served as a
football on the night Of his election to
TIE presidency, when the ladies at ths
Old homestead testified their glee over
us good fortune. The scene would have
d0ae credit to the great game between
Yale and Princeton on Manhattan field.
Iris is the story as told by an eyewit-
ness:
A few of as ladies went over and
helped Mrs. Lincoln prepare little sup /
per for the friends of Mr.. Lincoln, who |
had been invited in to hear the returns. |
Every half hour or so we would pass
around coffee and cakes. About / clock
in the morning enough had been learned
taswarrant the belief that the rail split
ter had been elected. think it was
when we heard the news fronI New
York. The men rushed on Mr.. Lincolnl
and shook his hands, while some of tbs
women actually hugged him, and |
might as well admit It'll kissed him.
Then some one went into the hall |
and took from the rack the old silk hat
that he wore. and which was as long as
ID Joint of stoyepipe and about as shape |
II to my mind, and It was thrown up to
the ceiling. AS it came down some one
gave 1t kick, and then the women
Joined in the fun, and we played foot |
hall with that hat until it was an indis- |
tinguishable mass. We were simply be-
yend control. What ridiculous scene
itwouid have been to one looking IN
without knowing what prompted I'll
It was all the more so, so far as !
was concerned, for originally had been
Seward woman, While the conyen-
ton was in session In Chicago we were
waiting to hear the news. IL had been
arranged In case Lincoln received the
nomination to Gre cannon. My near
ct neighbor was q Mrs. Dubois, with
whom I had several friendly spats dur
iag the campaign preceding the nomi.
nation. / heard the cannon shot, and
tie next moment saw Hrs. Dubois
RAINING across the street. She had been
making d shirt Tor her husband, who
Whs about the sire of the late Judge Da-
aagis, % gou xsay@ have sSxaa idsa
or the size or the garment she was wav-s
Ing. She rushed into the house and
Haunted it In my face. 1t made me
mad, and sat down and began crying.
The good woman put her arms around
me- begged my pardon and kissed me,
and from that time we were Lincoln
women. She took part in the football
match.
inches of gaunt stature, Lincoln had
his now historic hat made fully foot
high, with brim almost as big as q
southern somblero. It seemed to have
been combination of ali styles then in
existence, and in this respect it reflected
his own early experience in having been
q sterekeeper, soldier, surveyor and
finally solicitor. Il was veritable
'tjoint OF stovepipe. and its remarka-
Bile and romantic br1m made it alike
serviceable in rain or shine. 1t might
have been called with propriety plug
ugly" after the name of the mob in
Baltimore that threatened him in his
journey TO the capital.
During Lincoln's great debate with
Douglas the hat fairly loomed into
space. The smallness OF the latter's
stature caused him to be nicknamed
The Little Giant, and ~hen Lincoln
stood beside him with his hat on the
| difference between the two seemed all
but immeasurable. Curiously enough,
VIXEN AIr. Lincoln came to be inaugu-
rated af Washington and took of his
hat ON the stand preparatory to making
his inaugural address Douglas held the
high hat 90 that no careless person might
put his toot In it.
| Representative Springer, who halls
from Lincoln's old home, knew the hat
lwelI. and In speaking of it recently said:
4ssMr. Lincoln's high hat was the most
indispensable thing OF his whole outfit.
In II he carried all his valuable papers.
In fact, il was sort of file rack. Here
were all the briefs OF his various law
cases. Curiously enough, he carried the
accounts in his head. and that is why
he lost 10 much money. Had he re-
versed the process and kept bis accounts
in his hat and the cases In his head, he
would have been better OF. His hat
served FOR his satchel ON journey, and
all tkat was needed besides this were
his addlebags and bis horse. IL was
large and capacious. and q great many
documents and data could>be crowded
into II without seriously discommoding
the wearer.
But Mr. Lincoln had still better use
for his valuable tile, which seems to
have had more virtues than those re-
bearsed ii the nursery tale Of Jack and
the Beanstalk. |" When be- was post
master IT New Salem, bis hat became q
most important part Of his Office equip
ment. AZ soon ~ the mail was received
each day the young postmaster would
put the letters LID his hat and take q
stroll through the village. The Villa
gers knew that he was . peripatetic
postofIics, and Of course everybody was