The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-03-15
LINCOLN INCIDENT
THE STATESMAN FOUND A HOOSIER
HOMLIER THAN HIMSELF.
Remark Made by the President to
Hon. George Nebeker at the
Bates House.

JuuSe buHuys u new (dSlies liz. u
holding cour. last week at Muncie. and at
the dinner table at the Kirby House related
the following "Reminiscences of Abraham Lin
coin. He began by saying that he was a
page in the Indiana House of Representa-
tives in the winter and spring of 1861. Pres
ident-elect Lincoln was on his way to Wash
ington to deliver his inaugural address, and
stopped at the Bates House, in Indianapolis,
to greet the citizens of this State. The page
was we'll acquainted with all the members of
the Legislature, and was stationed a short
distance from the President to give their
names to the reception committee, so that
they could be promptly introduced to the
President.
Hon. George Nebeker, an uncle to +. HI.
Nebeker, ex-United States Treasurer, was a
State Representative. and very much re-
sembled Mr.. Lincoln in appearance, except
that he was probably homelier. AS soon as
Mr.. Nebeker's towering form appeared in
the doorway the page said, i'm a stage whis-
per to the reception committee: There is
Mr.. Nebeker, of Fountain and Warren"
Mr.. Lincoln heard this, and before Nebeker
could reach him, and without an introduce
ton, Mr.. Lincoln reached over the heads Of
the intervening persons, and, grasping Neb-
eker's hand, said:
How do you do, Mr.. Nebeker; / am espe-
cially glad to see you. Over in Sangamon
county they say that 1 am about the ugliest
man i'm the United States. While l am
would go there, the people would unanimous
ly crown you with this title"
Mr.. Nebeker took the matter in good hu-
NOR, and the incident had been forgotten I'M
til recalled by Judge Bundy.
There are few churches that are not in
debt. Some people believe that working to
pay the debt is all that keeps some of the
churches going. True or not as that may
! be, money has to be raised in some way,
and one Of the most popular ways is for each
woman Of the church to pledge herself for
some amount and then do something to earn
the money. A time is set for the money TO
be turned in, and when that day comes 1t
is a kind of festival where the women all
meet and tell how they made their money.
These are always great days, and all the
women go and have lots of fun, laughing at
the novel practices Of the wage earners.
There is a church in this city where money
was needed and each woman pledged 81.
There was one dear, old lady OF eighty-four
who wanted to make a dollar. but she won
dered how such an old lady as herself, who
lived SO quietly, could make anything. one
day a good, CHEEKY sister of the same church
| called on the old lady and the dollar to be
contributed was foremost in the converse
ton. II would like to make some money
said the old lady, but / do not know what
1 can do
..Why don't you do some sewing? You
| sew beautifully"
81 suppose 1 could do that, If l only knew
| Of anyone who wanted some sewing DONE
| There was a little tremor in the old lady's
voice, as If she thought that no one wouiu
wen. I nave been wanting some sewing
done. and / am sure / would like 10 nave
you ; do i. "a "a w siye a you any % U CENTS Worth Of
| sewing to do, and probably we can find
| someone else who will give you as much.
I nave the money, right mere IN my pocket
The visitor handed out the money ana
| said She would send for the work The next
day there came from one Oh .ne down he oId
lady. with the name of her caller or the day
| before, so she knew that it was the prom
ised work to be done. sne n n1ya the 3
| table cloth, a dozen napkins some sheets,
| inflow cases, towels, wash cloths and tea
fowls: all to to be Sor hem %Sen TIN the S Say lf fof t hss
| gathering came the ladies met at the cnurcn
| and each told her story. When It came 20
the old Ia iad :a;a turn .arh sne t we're OK lust Mht thirty-four
| pieces that 1 hemmed." There were various
exclamations, some of them of the explosive
| order. "How did YOU earn the other 90
cents?' asked one. II mHAe. q pair OF pillow
was was the answer. "Tn give you 80 cents if
| Won will tell me who the woman was you
| hemmed the thirty-four pieces for. said one
lady. "And I'll give you a dollar SAID an
| other. But the old lady kept her peace as
| She passed in her two half dollars.
sI notice by the papers that somebody In
the south part of the State wants to know
where blue grass first started" said Prof.
John Collett. ex-State Geologist. "A great
| many people contend that 1t was first found
in Kentucky, but this is not so. Blue grass
Is a native of the wabash valley, in In
| diana. It was found by William Henry Har-
| rison's troops during that solemn march to
| Tippecanoe in 1871. Harrison gathered a
small army at Ohio Falls and started north.
At vincennes the gallant heroes realized
| that they could not go 300 miles up the Wa
| hash without feed for their horses. General
Harrison had two cribs of corn at Terre
| Haute and pursuaded the men to go on AS
they came on with hungry horses and scant
blue grass. Six miles west OF Newport, on
| the Collett farm, was found a bountiful
supply OK blue grass Some places in the
snch feed had never been heard Of by the
/ Kentucky soldiers. At State Line City more
blue GRASS was found and from there to
Tippecanoe the whole line Of march was
/ sied back to Kentucky and sown there.
but they could not make L thrive alone in
/ the warm soil and 4 had 90 be pown with
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