Omaha daily bee., 1895-11-03

market prices prevailing at the time of de-
livery. l accepted the proposition and started
out to buy. During the next few months ]
bought thousands of hogs. ] galloped from
one farm to another buying all the swine In
sight, and l contracted for all the hogs In
two or three counties. At the close of my
season i found that | had cleared $500, and
also that l had entirely r~egained my health.
| took the money and went back to Spring
field. ] resumed my studies and was soon ad-
mitted to the bar"
How did you get into politics, senator?"
Every lawyer in those days was, to a
certain extent, a politician" replied Senator
Cullom. THE law is, as a rule, one OF the
stepping stones to politics. / got into politics
because l tried to use politics as a stepping
stone to the law. I was practicing in Spring
field, you know, and l thought II l became a
membe Of the legislature that this would
give me acquaintance all over the state and
would help my law business. The result was
that l became a candidate and was elected.
| was reelected, then made speaker of the
house and after that sent to congress. Later
on / was elected governor for six years and
then sent to the United States senate. There
you have it all in a nutshell"
LINCOLN AS A STORY TELLER.
"How about Lincoln, senator? Was he
really such a great story teller as is claimed p
Yes" was the reply. But he did not tell
| stories for the sake of telling stories. His
stories came out In the shape of illustrations
Of his thought, or to enforce his arguments.
He liked to talk, and during his life at
Springfield there was a drug store, which still
stands there, to which Lincoln used to come
nearly every night to talk. There was a
crowd who came there to listen to him, and
many an argument was sprung merely for
the sake of getting Lincoln TO talking. He
would brighten up as he began TO talk, ana l
used to sometimes think that he told stories
to get away from his thoughts and himself.
When he was alone he would often drop into
habits of deep meditation, would seem to be
gloomy and it was almost impossible at such
times to arouse him."
Il have heard that he was moody and blue,
and that he lowered at times ON the verge OF
insanity. Is that so?'
He NAV have been moody at times re-
piled Senator Cullom, but his head was ex-
traordindrily clear. | used to think, when |
saw him sitting and apparently brooding over
something, that he was possibly turning over
the great questions concerning the matters
which he had to settle in after life, and that
the responsibilities which he was to have
were already before him. He was, you
know, a philosopher, and his great mind and
soul were different from those of common
men,"
LINCOLN AND RELIGION.
WAS Abraham Lincoln a religious MANI
| asked.
I'm one sense he was, and in another,
not" replied Senator Cullom. LAS to a be-
| net III u future state anu Il GOu, i lulHh He
was. He had a religious side TO his nature,
and | have seen evidences that he had made
a deep study OF the bible. AS to being a
doctrinal Christian-a believer in certain
creeds and churches-he was not. AS tc
his study of such matters, l remember an
incident. The Universalist and Campbellitt
preachers OF Springfield were holding a joint
debate upon certain doctrines. Well, onC
night when they were discussing whether
there was a hell Abraham Lincoln attended
He and l sat together, and when the two
preachers had finished their discussion We
walked out. | remember Lincoln was dis,
gusted with the discussion. He swung him
self out Of his seat as they stated the de-
bate was closed, and said TO me: They have
scarcely touched the question He haC
evidently been thinking upon the subject
and had II all figured out in his mind"
Il have a book, senator, entitled, Wa
Abraham Lincoln a Spiritualist,' and trying
TO prove that he was So"
81 do not think that he was replied Sena
tor Cullom.
What were the elements Of his strength
Abraham Lincoln" replied Senator Cul
lom, had a great sympathy with the peo
pie. lie was a man Of the people. III
could feel for them and with them. I'll
had great common sense and great executive
ability"
LINCOLN AS A POLITICIAN.
"Was he a shrewd Politician"
Yes; he was a good judge of men an'
} knew how to move them"
WAS he ambitiousF"
"Yes; very much So" was the reply. Blu