Evening star., 1897-05-08


(signed) A. LINCOLN.
Dear Mr.. Lincoln: He Is not a preacher.
(Signed) Z. NJ. STANTON.
The following Endorsements are dated a
rev months later, but come just below;
Dear Stanton: He IL now.
(Signed) A. LINCOLN
Dear Mr.. Lincoln: But there is no va
cancy.
(Signed) f. M. STANTON
Dear Stanton: Appoint him chaplain at
| large.
(signeD A. LINCOLN
Dear Mr.. Lincoln: There is no warrant Of
law for that.
(Signed) E. NJ STANTON.
Dear Stanton: Appoint him anyhow.
(Signed) A. LINCOLN.
Dear Mr.. Lincoln: will not.
(SigneD Z. NJ STANTON.
The result was that the appointment was
not made. but the man was evidently told
| that his papers would be kept on file. for
| they are to be seen in the War Depart
ment now, testimonies to the nerve OF
Stanton and the friendship Of Lincoln.
LiacoIn's Autobiography.
This brevity is found I'm all Lincoln's
letters. but in none more than that which
| he prepared when giving a sketch Of him.
self for Charles Lanman's Dictionary OF
Congress. The congressman OF today
uses from three hundred to a thousand
words in the sketch which he prepares OF
| himself for the Congressional Directory.
Lincoln got the story of his life into nifty
words. Here Is what he wrote:
Born 1909. iE Harding county. Kentucky.
Education. defective. Profession. lawyer.
Have beeE a captain OF volunteers In Black
Hawk war. Postmaster at a very small
office. Four times a member of Illinois
legislature. and was a member OF the lower
house of Congress.
yours, etc. A. LINCOLN
Many other incidents OF Lincoln's mod
esty might be found in his correspondence.
While he wanted to go TO the United States
Senate, he did not think he was mt to be
President, and there is an autograph let
ter of his, now owned by a man in Ne
braska. which states his views on this sub
1ect- This letter was written April ~
1859. to Mr.. T. j. Pckets OF Rock Island
Illinois. Among other things IL included
the following:
"As to the other matter you kindly men
toned. i must in candor say do not think
myself fit for the presidency. I certainly
am nattered and gratifed that some par
tial friends think of ME In that connection
but L really think II best for our cause
that no concerted effort such as you sug-
sest may be made. Let this be considered
confidential.
cSigneD "A. LINCOLN"
Queer Request for "a Pass
A railroad man showed me a COPY the
other day of a letter of Lincoln's returning
a railroad pass and asking for another
Inc original letter was found during the
war in one of the offices of a leading rail-
road company. and the man who owns Il
now. 1 am told. paid fifty dollars for it.
nave not seen the original. but here is the
copy, leaving out the name:
''SPRINGFIELD. Feb. 16. ls5y
''B. B. Blank. esq:
Dear Sir: Says Tom to John: Here's
yoar old rotten wheelbarrow Eve broken
II usen on IL. / wish you would mend n
case should want to borrow IL this after,
noon.'
T. Actihg on this as precedent L say:
Heres your old chalked hat / wish YOU
would take it. and send me a new one c,sa
shall want to use it on the lst of March
Yours truly,
esigne0 "A LINCOLN"
Lincoln's Best Stories.
LII is wonderful how many stories Presi
dent Lincoln told. Senator Voorhees, WIN
died the other day. said that Lincoln had
more stories than any other man he had
ever met He had a story for every occa-
sion, and he Illustrated everything by an
ecdote. Some of the best stories cnrrcn,
today originated with Lincoln and bundreds
OF his best stories have never been puh
lished. Senator voorhees, had pre served a
number which he expected to use in the
lectures which he was DreDarinp M the
time he died. Here is one he told al tba
capitol only a short time ago 1T was
SAID he, in illustration of some parties who
had peen making a great fuss about Lin
coin administration without having any
grounI for doing so. They had charged ali
sort of things and, arguing from their own
charges as premises, had made Lincoln out
as pelng very bad man. President Lin
coin told me that their action reminded him
OF law suit in which he was once en-
gaged The opposing lawyer was a glib
talker. but very light weight as a thinker
and not at all careful as to the truth of his
statements. This man made the first speech
to the jury and Lincoln followed He OMEN
ed his speech by saying:
My friend who has just spoken to you
VI al1 ffuhf
thing, and i don't know that You ought 10
blarne him for that, for he can't help it.
What i refer to is his reckless statements
without any ground of truth. You have
seen instances of this in his speech 10 you
Now, the reason of this lies in the constitu-
ton of his mind The moment he begins to
talk all his mental operations cease. and he
is not responsible. He is, in fact much like
a little steamboat that / saw on the Sam
CANON river when / was engaged I'm boat
ing there. This little steamer had a five
loot boiler and seven-foot whistle, and
every time ii whistled IL stopped.'' -
A Story of the Wnr.
I was chatting not long since with Ed
ward Rosewater, the editor of the Omaha
Bee. about his experiences with Lincoln
during the darkest days of the war He
told me that he believed Lincoln got relax
alton by his story telling. and that the
hearing or telling of good story gave
him the mental rest that he so much need
ed during those brain-taXing days. These
stories came out under the most trying
circumstances and at the most solemn
times. A striking instance of this was just
after the battle of Fredericksburg After
the Union armies were defeated an official
who had seen the battle hurried to Wash
ipgton. He reached there about midnight
and went directly to the White House
President Lincoln had not yet retired and
the man was at once received. Lincoln had
already heard some reports of the battle.
He was feeling very sad and rested his
head upon his hands while the story was
repeated to him. AS the man saw his
intense suffering he remarked:
Il wish, Mr.. President that / might be
a messenger Of good news instead of bad
l wish 1 could tell you how to conquer or
to get rid of these rebeilious states"
At this President Lincoln looked I'M ana
a smile came across his face as he said.
That reminds ME of two boys out in Illi-
nols who took short cut across an ORCH
ard When they were in the middle of the
field they saw vicious dog bounding to-
ward them. One of the boys was sly
enough to climb up a tree but the other
ran around the tree, with the dog following
he Kept running until by making smaller
circles than II was possible for his pur-
suef TO make he gained upon the dog suffi-
as txr IL