Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-03-27
LINCOLN'S PLUG HAT.
4 veairAsLe "!o,Nr or srovrpiPG-
WITH ROMANTIC BRlM.

4 vGRiTAele JOINT or oVovePiPt'
WITH ROMANTIC eaiM.
% sssvsl - Tile nash - ~ oss fios
We Ne rssssass % Nsv ssiso-tts
tlv.issss Espsssssss We whss % sssvsa
- vsssssIi Zee l>Ais~
There are enough Of funny incidents
reported Of Mr.. Lincoln's hat 10 make
Il "fabici IN cong and Slammed In
story" Foe example,. 10 served - .
football ON tho night Of his election to
the presidency. when tho ladies Of the
old homestead testified their glee over
bic good fortune. The scene would have
done credit 90 the great game between
Yal, and Princeton On Manhattan held.
This is tho story ~ told by IN eyewit.
bess,
~ few % az ladies went over and
helped Mrs. Lincoln prepares little sup.
Der for the friends Of Mr.. Lincoln. who
had been invited In 90 hear the rsturns.
Every half hour or ~ We would pass
around coffes aud cakes. About o'clock
In the morning enough had been learned
% warrant the belief that tho rail split.
ter had been elected. think u was
when We heard the news from New
York. The men rushed ON Mr.. Lincoln
snd shook his hands. while sons OF the
women actually Rugged hiin. and--i
misht ne we'll admit it, kissed him.
"Thea eome one went into the hall
and took from the rack the old silk hat
that b. wore. and which Was ~ long Ne
q Joint % stovepips and about ~ SHAPE
iy a. my mind. and 10 Was thrown mp 10
tho ceiling. AZ 10 came down sone one
gave n a kick. and then the women
Joined In the fun. and We played foot.
hall with that hat until 10 WAS an indis-
tinguishablc mass. We werc simply be-
You'd control. What . ridiculous scene
II would have BEEN % one locking IN
without knowing what prompted it'
lit was all the more -. ~ far ~ !
was concerned. for originally bad been
q seward woman. While the conyen-
ton was In se--ion In Chicago We were
waiting % hear the news. 10 had been
arranged In case Lincoln rcceived the
nomination 90 fr- . cannon. Ny near
e-t p,ighbor was q Mrs. Dubois. with
whom had several friendly spats dur
Ing Oh. campaign preceding thu Domi.
nation. I heard the cannon shot, and
the next moment ] saw AIRS. Dubois
running across the ,tr-et. she had been
making q shirt for her husband, who
was about tho size 81 the late Judge Da.
vii Davis. 81 you may have zone idea
Of the Ella. u the garment she was wav.
ing. She rushed into the bous- and
Haunted 10 In my face. II made me
mad. and I at down and logan crying.
The good woman put her arms around
me. bsggcd my pardon and kissed me.
and from that time We were Lincoln
women. She took part In the football
match"
AZ N not content with his q feet 4 or
9 inches ~ gaunt stature. Lincoln hal
his now historic hat made fully foot
high, W TN q brim almost Ne big ne q
southern sombiero. II seemed 90 have
been q combination Of all styles then In
existence. and In this respect II reflected
/ his own early experience Ia having BEEN
q siur,k.eper. soldier. surveyor and
finally q solicitor. IL was q v.riiabl,
"jnint u sto,epipc. and It, remarka.
bic and romantic brim made " alike
ser,iccablc In rain or shine. II might
have been called with proprieiy a"plug
ugly." after the maine of lh. mob In
baltimore that threatened him In his
/ journey % the capital.
During Lincoln's great debate with
Douglas the hat fairly loomcd into
space. The smallpe~s Of the laitsr's
siatur. canscd him b. IL nicknaned
The Little Giant" and when Lincoln
stool beside him with his hat on the
difference b,twecn the two seemed ell
but Unreasonable. Cautiously enough.
when Mr.. Lincoln came b. L. inaugu.
rated at Washington and took Of his
bat ON the stand preparatory Co making
his inaugural address Douglas held the
high hat ~ that no careless person might
rut hi. foot In u.
Representative Springer. who balls
from Lincoln's old home. knew the hat
well. aud In speaking % u rcentiy said
Mr.. Lincoln's high hat was the most
indispensable thing u his Who'll. outfit.
In u b. carried all bis valuable papers.
In fact. 10 wa. . sort % file rack. Herr
w,ie all the briefs of his various law
Eases. Curiously enough. he carried the
accounts In his bead. and that IL why
DO let 20 much money. Had be- re'
,er,cd the procc~ aud kept his accounts
In his hat and the cases In bis head, be-
would have ben better on. His bat
scty,d for his satch.l CA journey, and
all that was needed besides this weru
his sadiiebags ani his hors-. II was
large and capsciou-, and great many
document. and data could L. crowded
into II without seriously di.commodirg
the wearer."
Bat Mr.. Lincoln had still q better use
for his valuable tile. which seem, TO
have had more virtues than those re-
hesrsed In the nursery tale u Jack and
the Beanstalk." When be- was post.
master at New Salem. his hat hscam. q
most important part Of hi. Office -quip.
ment. A. soon a. the mail was received
each day the young postmaster would
put the letters In his hat and take q
stroll through the village. The villa.
gers knew that be was q peripaietic
po-,otiice. and u course everybody was
an1iOu. 20 know the contents of the hat.
which seemed 10 promise as much TO
them as bat In the hands Of sleight
of hand performer. Washington Cor.