The herald., 1895-04-09

:. Although gay, prosperous and light
hearted, these people were brimming over
With superstition. 1t was at once their
tccd and drink. They believed in the bane-
kuI influence Of witches, pinned their faith
Do the curative power of wizards in dealing
With sick animals and shot the image Of
. Witch with q silver ball to break the
spAil she was supposed to have over hui
man beings They followed with religious
minuteness the directions of the water
wizard, with his magic divining rod, and
the faith doctor who wrought miraculous
bures by strange sounds and signals to
some mysterious agency. The flight of a
bird in at the window, the breath of a
horse on child's head, the crossing by a
dog Of . hunters path, all betokened evil
luck in store for some one. The moon ex-
eEcised greater influence on the actions Of
the people and the growth of vegetation
than tho 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
shpae 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
b begun on that unlucky day, for if the
xule were violated an endless train of dis
esters was sure to follow.
Surrounded by people who believed in
these things Lincoln grew to manhood.
With them he walked, talked and labored,
apA from them he also absorbed whatever
OF superstition showed itself in him there
after. His early Baptist training made
him fatalist up to the day Of his death,
and listening in boyish wonder to the leg
ends Of some toothless old dame led him
70 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. 1t was august and noble.
The winter Of 1899 was marked by an
other visitation of that dreaded disease,
1.-THE milk SICK" 1t was making the usual
favaees among the cattle. Human VIC
ftims were falling before it every day, and
It caused the usual stampede in southern
Indiana. Dennis Hanks, discouraged by
the prospect and grieving over the loss of
his stock, proposed move further west
ward. Returning emigrants had brought
encouraging news of the newly developed
state Of Illinois. Vast stretches of rich
aliuvial lands were to be had there on the
easiest of terms.
His land grosned under the weight Of
long neglected encumbrance and, like
many Of his neighbors, he was ready for
land to James Gentry, and his grain and
stock to young David Tnrnham, he loaded
bis household effects into wagon drawn
bystwo yoke Of oxen, and in March, 1880,
started for Illinois. The two daughters of
Mrs. Lincoln had meanwhile married Den
mis- Hanks and Levi Hall, and with these
additions tho party numbered 13 In all.
Abe had just passed his twenty first birth
day.
After fortnight of rough and fatigu-
Ing travel the colony of Indiana emigrants
reached point in Illinois five miles north
west Of the town of Decatur, in Macon
county. John Hanks, son of that Joseph
Hanks in whose shop at Elizabothtown
Thomas Lincoln had learned what he knew
Of the carpenters art, met and sheltered
them until they were safely housed on
piece Of land which he had selected for
them Ave miles farther westward. He had
preceded them over year and had In the
meantime hewed out a few timbers to be
used In the construction of their cabin.
With the aid Of the oxen and plow John
and Abe broke up 16 acres of sod, and
Abe and myself" observes Hanks in a
matter of fact way "split rails enough to
fence the place In" AS they swung their
axes or with wedge and maui split out the
rails how strange to them the thought
would have seemed that those selfsame
tv,od %, 10 nf <ha,,
Immortal! If such vision flashed before
ths mind Of either, he made no sign of it,
but each kept steadily on In his simple,
uDromantic task.
Beginning Life on His Own Account.
Abe had now attained his majority and
began to throw from his shoulders the
vexations Of parental restraint. He had
done his duty to his father and felt able to
begin life on his own account. AS he steps
cut into the broad and inviting world we
take him up for consideration as man.
For long time nfter beginning life on
his own account Abe remained in sight of
the parental abode. He worked at odd
jobs in the neighborhood or wherever the
demand for his services called him. AS
late as 1881 hewas still in the same parts,
and John Hanks Is authority for the state
nn6nt that he "made 5000 rails for Major
WARWICK" walking daily three miles to
hin work. During the intervals of leisure
he read the few books obtainable and
continued the practice of extemporaneous
speaking to the usual audience Of undem-
onstrative stumps and yoioeless trees. His
hrst attempt at public speaking after land
Ing In Illinois is thus described to me by
John Hanks, whose language incorpo-
rate: After Abe got to Decatur, or rather
70 Macon county, man by the name of
Posey came into our neighborhood and
made speech 1t was a bad one, and
said Abe could beat it, l turned down q
box, and Abe made his speech. The other
man was candidate. Abe wasn't. Abe
beat him to death, his subject being the
navigation Of the Sangamon river. The
man, after Abe's speech was through
took him aside and asked him where he
had learned SO much and how he could do
80 we'll. Abe replied, stating his manner
and method Of reading and what he had
sead. The man encouraged him to perse-
we're"
For the first time we are now favoskks
With the appearance on the scene of u very
important personage.-onc destined to ex-
ert-no little influence in shaping Lincoln's
fortunes. 1t is Denton Offut, brisk epa
venturesome business man, whose opera
tions extended up and down the Sanga-
mon river for many miles Having hend