The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-04-26
SKETCHES OF LINCOLN.
Beginning Life on His Own Ac-
count.
SECOND TRIP TO NEW ORLEANS.

Early erstitions-Another Visitation of
the "lIiIk Sick"-Abe Attains His Ma
jority-His Business Ability aud Physi-
cal Prowess-CIerk In a Store.
from ''The Life of Lincoln" by William a.
Herndon and Jesse W. Weik. Copyright 1888,
by Jesse W. Weik. Copyright 1892 by D. APP
pleton s. Co.
Although gay, prosperous and light
hearted, these people were trimming
over with superstition. 1t was at once
their food and drink. They believed in
the baneful influence of witches, pinned
their faith to the curative power of
wizards in dealing with sick animals
and shot the image of witch with a
silver ball to break the spell she was
supposed to have over human beings.
They followed with religious minute
ness the directions of the water wizard,
with his magic divining rod, and the
faith doctor who wrought miraculous
cures by strange sounds and signals to
some mysterious agency. The flight Of
bird in at the window, the breath of
q horse on child's head, the crossing
by dog of hunters path, all beto-
kened evil luck in store for some one.
The moon exercised greater influence on
the actions of the people and the growth
of vegetation than the sun and all the
planetary system combined Fence rails
could only be cut in the light of the
moon and potatoes planted in the dark
of the moon. Trees and plants which
bore their fruit above ground could be
planted when the moon shone full. Soap
could only be made in the light Of the
moon, and it must only be stirred in
one way and by one person. They had
the horror of Friday which with many
exists to this day. Nothing was to be
begun on that unlucky day, for if the
rule were violated an endless train of
disasters was sure to follow.
Surrounded by people who believed
in these things, Lincoln grew to man.
hood. With them he walked, talked and
labored, and from them he also absorbed
whatever of superstition showed itself
in him thereafter His early Baptist
training made him a fatalist up to the
day of his death, and listening in boy
ish wonder to the legends of some tooth
less old dame led him to believe in the
significance of dreams and visions. His
surroundings helped to create that
unique character which in the eyes of a
great portion of the American people
was only less curious and amusing than
it was august and noble.
The winter of 1929 was marked by
another visitation of that dreaded dis
ease, "the milk sick 1t was making
the usual ravages among the cattle. HUI
man victims were falling before it every
day, and it caused the usual stampede
in southern Indiana. Dennis Hanks, dis
couraged by the prospect and grieving
over the loss of his stock, proposed a
move farther westward Returning emil
grants had brought encouraging news of
the newly developed state of Illinois.
Vast stretches of rich alluvial lands
were to be had there on the easiest of
terms.
His land groaned under the weight of
long neglected encumbrance and, like
many of his neighbors, he was ready for
another change. Having disposed of his
land to James Gentry, and his grain
and stock to young David Turnham, he
loaded his household effects into a
wagon drawn by two yoke of oxen, and
in March, 1880, started for Illinois
The two daughters of Mrs Lincoln had
meanwhile married Dennis Hanks and
Levi Hall, and with these additions the
party numbered 13 in all. Abe had just
passed his twenty first birthday.
After fortnight Of rough and fatigu-
ing travel the colony of Indiana emil
grants reached point in Illinois five
miles northwest of the town of Decatur,
in Macon county. John Hanks, son of