The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-04-19

From injuries and harm.
Poor Sarah, at whose wedding this
song was sung, never lived to see the
glory nor share in the honor that after
ward fell to the lot of her tall and an
gular brother. Within two years after
her marriage she died in childbirth.
His Physical Proves.
By the time he had reached his seven
teenth year he had attained the physical
proportions of full grown man. He
was employed to assist James Taylor in
the management of ferryboat across
the Ohio river near the mouth of Ander-
son S creek, but was not allowed man s
wages for the work He received 81
cents Gay for what he afterward told
me was the toughest work man could
be made to do. In the midst Of what
ever work he was engaged on he still
found time to utilize his pen. He pre-
pared composition ON the American
government, calling attention to the me-
cessity of preserving the constitution
and perpetuating the Union, which,
with characteristic modesty, he turned
over to his friend and patron, William
Woods, for safe keeping and perusal.
Through the instrumentality of Woods
it attracted the attention of many per-
sons, among them one Pitcher, lawyer
at Rockport, who, with family conceal
ed enthusiasm, declared 'the world
couldn t beat it. -
An article on temperance was shown
under similar circumstances to Aaron
Farmer, Baptist preacher of local re-
nown, and by him furnished to an Ohio
newspaper for publication The thing,
however, which gave him such promi-
nence-a prominence, too, which could
have been attained in no other way
was his remarkable physical strength,
for he was becoming not only one of the
longest but one of the strongest men
around Gentryville. He enjoyed the
brief distinction his exhibitions of
strength gave him more than the admi-
ration of his friends for his literary or
forensic efforts. Some of the feats at
tributed to him almost surpass belief
One witness declares he was equal to
three men, having on a certain occasion
carried load of 600 pounds. At another
time he walked away with pair Of
logs which three robust men were skep-
tical of their ability to carry. 'He could
strike with maui heavier blow, could
sink an ak deeper into wood than any
man | ever saw" is the testimony Of
another witness.
After he had passed his nineteenth
year and was nearing his majority he
began to chafe and grow restless under
the restraints of home rule. Seeing no
prospect of betterment in his condition,
so long as his fortune was interviewer
with that of his father, he at last en-
deavored to strike out into the broad
world for himself.
In March, 1928, James Gentry, for
whom he had been at work, had fitted
meat for trading expedition to New
Orleans and placed his son Allen in
charge of the cargo for the voyage.
Abe's desire to make river trip was at
last satisfied, and he accompanied the
proprietor S son, serving as ''bow hand. !"
due course of time the navigators re-
turned from their expedition with the
evidence of profitable results to gladden.
the heart of the owner The only occur
renee of interest they could relate of the
voyage was the encounter with a party
of marauding negroes at the plantation
of Nine Duchesne. few miles below
Baton Rouge, Abe and Gentry, having
tied up for the night, were fast asleep
on their boat when aroused by the al
rival of crowd of negroes bent on
plumber They set to work with clubs
and not only drove off the intruders, but
pursued them inland; then, hastily re-
turning to their quarters they cut loose
their craft and foated down stream till
daylight