The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-03-15
Highest OF all in Leavenng PowerLate u S. Govt Report
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ABSOLUTELY PURE
LINCOLN WAS BARRED.

The most favored hour for reminis
cences with the pioneers is that which
follows the dinner, when the old
gentlemen still sit at the table with a
glass Of wine at the elbow and fra
grant cigar freshly lighted. Then the
best things they bear in mind. and the
events of the white days" of early
life are told One Of the most enter
tanning stories OF Thursdays Pioneer
banquet was told by James Kneeland,
of d sleigh-ride fifty three years ago.
Il had just sold out my business as
contractor on the Illinois d Michigan
canal" he said, "and went with John
5. Wright Of Chicago to Springfield
for a frolic We were both young
men, and went into the best society
There were some nice girls IN Spring
field and we tried to make ourselves
agreeable There was no theater in
Springfield then, but we took the girls
to the Supreme court, to the lower
house and the upper house of the
Legislature. When every other means
of entertainment was exhausted we
determined to give a sleigh ride to
our friends. 1t was beautiful sleigh
ing and the moon was bright. There
were no bOb-sleighs in those days, so
we had to have one built. We secur
ed two farmers sleighs, and hired car
pepters to build a large box for it,
large enough to hold forty people.
We borrowed a dozen buffalo robes,
which formed a beautiful lining to
our sleigh.
Eight horses and two drivers were
necessary, as we could not find any
man in Springfield who could drive
eight horses. We started about IL
o'clock from the American house. We
invited twenty ladies and eighteen
gentlemen, and sent two or three
sleigns out to bring them to the hotel,
as cur sleigh was too large to drive to
the different houses. After all were
in we drove to Rochester, distance of
six miles. where we had dinner and a
dance. Dancing began about 4 o'clock,
and we drove home by moonlight.
LINCOLN NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
My friend and [ had aimed to make
the affair as select as possible, and to
invite only those who moved in the
best society. Abraham Lincoln was
in Springfield then, but we refrained
from inviting him because he did not
go in good enough society, There
were a few young married people in
vited, but most Of the company We're
unmarried The young men went
courting. My friend and | went to
have a good time. That manner of
getting up a sleighride was new In
Springfield, but [ had known them in
the East.
ONLY THREE OF THEM LEFT.
There are only three Of the ladies
and gentlemen alive day. They are
Mrs. [. p. Walker then Miss Whitney,
sister to Mrs Caleb Wall, Lyman
Trumbull of Chicago and myself. Six
of the party were afterwards United
States senators. Judge Stephen A.
Douglas and Judge Trumbull after
wards represented Illinois in the
senate. Another was Col. Baker, who
went to the Senate from Oregon, and
was killed at the head Of his regiment
early in the civil war. McDougall,
who was afterwards senator from Cali
fornia. was one Of the party, and [. Z.
Walker, one of the first senators from
Wisconsin. was another. Mr.. and Mrs.
Caleb Wall We're present, and Miss
Edwards. sister of Gov Ninian Ed
wards (the prettiest girl in SpringtieldJ,
was also a guest. Stephen A. Doug
/ las seemed to be sweet on her"
HOW He GOT INTO BUSINESS.
In conversation afterwards Mr. Knee
land gave some additional reminis-
/ cences. Il became Interested In build
ing the Illinois q Michigan canal by
chance" he said. Il landed in Chi
cago in 1886, a young fellow barely
( y. [ was acquainted with Horatio
| Stevens. who was building a section of
/ the canal about twenty five miles from
Chicago, and when | went to call on
him he invited me to dinner Dinner
was a primitive affair It was spread
/ in hat built OF turf. The table was
! four boards laid lengthways side by
side On saw-hOrses. and slight jar
made the dishes rattle. There Were
about twenty at the table and they
We're all drinking whisky. In the
conversation | said: Well. gentle
men, YOU all seem to be getting rich,
but | am of the opinion that fortune
could be saved out Of what you waste.
Brig. Gen. Hugenin ia veteran of th'
war OF 1872. who was known as The
Old Tiger growled out. BY G.
young man, you ought to come on
here and show us how to run our busl
ness | was SO angry l could no
speak for two minutes afterwards. A
soon as [ could speak [ jumped u
and said emphatically, striking 10.
hand on the table till the dishes dane
ed. L can do it The others began t
pound on the table with their knive
and to laugh. After dinner they cam,
and shook hands with me, and I hat
three or four business offers at once
Soon after [ bought out a contracto
who had a piece of work, and who wa
on the verge of bankruptcy l built
half mile Of rock cut and turned tn
: Desplaines river and received S135,OO
, for the Job. / should have made pret
ty well on the contract if the state ha,
paid cash. as the actual cost of tn
work was only $4,000, but l had t
take bonds that were not worth pan
Afterwards | took some more work
but foresaw bad times coming an
!. sold out in January, 1S41 just befor
/ went down to Springfield and CAV
the sleighing party. While my stal