The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-06-23

: heard him spoken of by those who
knew him as a wonderful character.
They boosted that he could outwrestle
; any man in the country and could
beat any lawyer I'll Springfield speak
ing. In 1896 he was a candidate for
reelection to the legislature, and 1
believe I heard the first speech he ever
made at The county seat.
An Unhappy Effort to Take Young
Abe Lincoln Down.
AT the time there were but two
parties, Wing and Democrat. Lincoln
was a Wing and the leading man upon
the ticket. l was then fresh from
kentucky, and heard many of her
great orators. It seemed to me then,
as il seems 10 me now, that I never
heard a more effective speaker. He
carried the crowd with him, and sway
ed than as he pleased. So deep an i'm
preston did he make that George For
quer, a man of much celebrity as
sarcastic speaker, and with a great
reputation throughout the state as an
orator, rose and asked the people to
hear him. He began his speech by
saying that this young man will have
10 be taken down, and he was sorry
dhe task deVOlved upon him. He made
what was called one of his SlaSher-
gaf speeches, dealing much in ridi-
cule and sarcasm. Lincoln stood near
him with his arms folded, never inter-
supting him When FOrquer was done
Lincoln walked to the stand and re-
piled so fully and completely that his
friends bore him down to the court
house on their shoulders.
80 deep an impression did this
first speech make upon me that 1 re-
member its conclusion now after
lapse of thirty-eight years Said he:
- The gentleman commenced his
speech by saying that this young man
mill n hn fal<aD dOvr-r no
was sorry the task devolved upon him.
] am not 50 young in years as 1 am
in the tricks and trades of a politician:
but live long or die young, 1 would
rather die now, than, like the gentle
man, change my politics, and stimuli
taneous with the change receive an
office worth $4,000 year, and then
have to erect a lightning rod over
my house TO protect guilty concience
from an offended Cod
ITO understand the point of this it
must be explained that Forquer had
been a Wing, but had changed his pol
itics and had been appointed Register
of the Land Office, and over his house
was the only lightning rod in the
town or county. Lincoln had seen the
lightning rod for the first time on the
day before. Not understanding its
properties, he made it a study that
night by aid OF a book, bought FOR the
purpose, but he knew all about It.
The same quality of mind made him
look into and understand al he saw.
No matter how ridiculous his ignorance
upon any subject might make him an
pear he was never ASHAMED 20 ac-
knowledge it; but he Immediately ad-
dressed himself to the task of being
ignorant no longer.
LincOIn's First Lodging in Spring.
field.
e for,
speaks Lincoln did not live in .-pr.ng-
field, nor had he yet ueen admitted to
the bar. He was studying law, \ 1w-
ever, at his humble home on the banks
of the Sangamon from books borrowed
from John T. Stuart, who was after
spring of 1897 said Mr. Speed and
on the very day that he obtained his
license that our intimate acquaintance
began He had ridden into town on a
borrowed horse, with no earthly prop
erty save pair Of saddlelbagS con-
daining a few clothes. 1 was a mer-
chant at Springfield, and kept a large
country store, embracing dry goods,
groceries, hardware, books, medicines
bed-ciothes, mattresses, in fact every
thing that the country needed. Lin
coin came into the store with his sad
die bags on his arm. He said ne want
ed TO buy the furniture for a single
bed. The mattress, blankets, sheets.
coverlet and pillow, according to the
figures made by me would cost ST.
He said that perhaps was cheap
enough; but small as the price was he
was unable to pay it. But if I would
credit him till Christmas, and his ex-
pertinent as lawyer was a success, |
he would pay then, saying. in the sad |
dest tone, IF L fail in this, do not |
know that / can ever pay YOU As I |
looked up at him I thought then, and I !
think now, that 1 never saw sadder /
lace.
II said to him: You seem TO be so
p q panied al contracting so small |