The morning times., 1896-02-09
Log
Cabin to
White House

That early environments may have
lasting influence upon one is undeniable;
that they must of necessity have is denied
In the career OF Abraham Lincoln.
No one who had the construction Of the
plans of has own fortune was ever beset
by more unauspieious early experiences
and surroundings. The cloud OF adversely
hung around him even after he was well
into his professional career.
Abraham. Lincoln was horn on the 18th
DAY of February, 1909. In a log cabin on
BIS fathers farm, on Nolln's Greek, near
Bodgensville, Ky. Bearskins stretched the
frame where a door should have been, and
deer hides were in place OF windows. and
there was no flooring. the father being so
stricken with poverty as to be unable TO
buy the material 10 complete the house.
The Lincolns were originally, in this
country. Pennsylvania people. The fam
iiy afterward went TO Harrisonburg, Va,
from which place the first Abraham Lin
coin went TO visit the Boones. in North
Carolina. He went TO Kentucky in 1878,
when his son Thomas, father OF him OF
whose anniversary This page is commemo-
rative, was a babe in arms.
PARENTS OF LINCOLN.
When Thomas was twenty-eight he mar
ried Nancy Hanks. who was twenty-three.
BE was a carpenter and worked for his
Tife's father at Bear Grass Fort.
Nancy Hanks is described as "taIl. dark
haired, comely, dignified, and winsome."
She had gone TO school in Virginia and was
rultured beyond the narrow intellectual
limits OF the people OF the frontier. Their
wedding was in SOC. The first home OF
fhe couple was al Elizabethtown, where a
daughter. SARAH, was born.
The husband then took up quarter sec
tlon OF land near Hodgensville. where
Abraham was born year later. The site
was near au ever-flowing spring, issuing
from a cleft in a locR, shaded by forest
trees and overgrown with asters and col
unbines.
Thomas Lincoln never learned TO read
wei. Abraham's early teaching was from
his mother. Thomas Lincoln was entirely
unambitiouS; his wife had great aspirations,
with which She early imbUed her SON.
Occasionally q preacher would come TO
the Little Mound Church at Hodgensville,
and at five Abraham came from services
and mounting a stool initiated the minister
in gesture and parts of language. This
preacher. Rev. David Elkin. became the
boys warm friend and counselor.
InlSl4 the family moved TO Knob Creek.
II was in this year that Lincoln first at
tended school, and the first day went 10
the head OF The spelling class, his mother
having been good teacher.
THE MOVE TO INDIANA.
1t was about this time that people were
going in great numbers TO the free State
OF Indiana. IN 1917 Thomas Lincoln
sold his farm. preparatory 10 Joining the
westward exodus. He went alone TO Sc
Iect his Quarter-section, north from the
Ohio River. twenty miles on Pigeon Greek.
II was in November of this year that the
family went TO Indiana There was no
cabin, so shock" was constructed with
one side entirely open, where the winter
was endured. A log cabin was built the
following year, the father having been busy
ali winter hewing the logs and cleaning
ground for corn.
The new house had loft above the
grOund-fluor room for Sarah and Abraham
90 sleep in, a decidedly more elaborate
residence than the one in Kentucky. But
in the fall OF this year 1s1s) a great
sorrow befeIl the household in the death
sif the mother, who was then in her thirty
eight year. She had discemed, however,
what the father had not in her buy-his
rich nature, regard for the right and
many or The grand qualities SO conspiou-
OBs in his mature life.
She had taught him to write, and as she
had been buried without the presence OF
& minister, her husband making her coffin
himself, and all the details being OF the
erudest cllarater, Abraham wrote a letter
30 his friend, Rev. EIkin. TO come and
preach q funeral sermon. Many days after
gle minister arrived and the service was
Neid. This was Lincoln's first letter.
LNCOLN's sTEPMoTHER.
tife became even harder now with the
fsmily. The little daughter had TO do the
q; gdgery the mother had done before. Both
children had outgrown their clothes in a
year. when one day the father suddenly
left, and going 10 Eliza BEETHOVEN, married
Mrs Sarah Bush johnson, widow with
three children. They all journeyed TO In
diana, and the dreary household became
very animated with its large addition OF
young people.
Lincoln then was employed at Gentry's
Landing 10 ferry people over the Ohio
River for which he received $3.50 a week.
While looking at The books in Judge
Pitchers office al the Landing he sat down
and wrote an essay on iutemperance, which
was published in local paper.
When he was nineteen Mr.. Gentry sent
him with boatload of produce 10 New
Orleans, paying him $3.50 a month.
When he returned from New Orleans his
father was preparing TO remove TO Decatur,
Ill. Abraham drove the OK team the en-
tire journey. which consumed two weeks.
He entered the State be was 10 become
citizen OF a tail, lanky youth, with jeans
trousers and coOn-skin cap. He was
twenty-one years OLD when be moved there,
strong Of muscle above the averag ge, as well
as in intellect. He split / 400 rails for the
cloth for his first pair Of good trousers.
There was no one lower in poverty than he,
but in this year that he attained his ma jority
a new era seemed TO open for him.
Then be favored the principles advocated