The National tribune., 1897-04-15
L1NcoLN,s YARNs.
Used to Tell Them While Waiting for Dis
patches.


story teller will never fade. Any story
attributed to that President or told OF
him is always listened to with close atten-
ton. In New York the other evening
MIR. ID. Homer Bates, at banquet OF the
Methodist Social Union, related some inter
esting things about the way Lincoln would
tell his stories while waiting for war dis
patches. Mr. Bates when a lad of IL was
called to Washington for service IN the
United States Military Telegraph Corps,
where he remained until after the close OF
the war; For the first time in the conduct
of great war the telegraph was brought
into use, and this use was constant, not only
between Washington and the Headquarters
of the commanding Generals in the field, but
also between the several corps and brigades.
In the course of his remarks he said:
"All kilograms to and from the several
Departments of the Government passed
through the War Department telegraph
Office, and during those years the tall,
homely form of our beloved President was
seen to cross the well-sbaded lawn between
the War Department and the White House
morning afternoon, and evening, with cease
less regularity, in order that he might be on
hand to hear the latest news from the 'front.'
when battle was imminent or in prog
sometimes for hours together, awaiting the
news that would mean so much to the coun-
try and to himself In the intervals OF wait
ing he would write message of inquiry,
counsel, or encouragement to the General In
command at Headquarters.
"In the intervals, also, he would tell his
inevitable stories or converse on special top
les in such a way as to lead some OF his near
ers to think him wholly Indifferent to the
awful questions of the hour.
"Once / recall him speaking OF the func-
| tions of the eye and brain when one was
reading aloud from newspaper or book.
| He said that in his boyhood days he had
come across volume in VIII ch it was stated
that as each letter Of the alphabet appeared
before the eye it was photographed upon the
retina, so that the particular letter was act
ually spoken aloud at the exact moment its
printed form appeared before the eye.
He discoursed at some length on this
marvel, remarkiug upon the attendant
fact that the eye is capable OF receiving
several distinct impressions at the same IN
slant, and that these numerous and often
times radically different impressions are i'm
| mediately communicated from eye TO brain
by means of the most delicate nerve centers.
| He likened this operation 10 the telegraph, :,
although as regards the dual process 1t
| should be said that the duplex Telegraph
was not then invented.
This reference will indicate Lincolns
habit of thought and analysis, which he fol-
| lowed more or less closely and doubtless
|>almost unconscousy III the study of army
| questions brought 10 his notice. His logic
was unerrng, his homely illustrations effect
i've aud his fund of good humor proverbially
| unfailing.
| Never once in the four years did ever
discover in him any anger or malice, nor
was he ever without definite opinion. If
others disagreed with him, he sought to con-
vince them that they were wrong rather
than that he was right. l heard him say
once that in trying a case in court he gen.
orally adopted that plan.
He was well known to he a lover OF
Shakspere, and in the Winter of 1865. not
long before his death, he went to the theater
a number of times to see Hackett's FalstaH
and when at the telegraph Office between
times he spoke of Hackett freely, and on one
occasion brought copy of Shakspere with
him and read aloud for an hour, myself be-
ing his only auditor.
Mcclure, in his Early Life Of Lincoln,
alludes to his intimate knowledge of Shaks-
pere. and particularly to an interview be-
tween Lincoln, Judge Kelly, of Pennsyl-
vania, and an actor named McD0nOugh, dur
ing which Lincoln took from shelf near his
table well-thumbed copy of Shakspere
and, turning to Henry w.. read with fine
discrimination an extended passage which,
he said, in his opinion, was not surpassed in
wit aud humor by anything else in Shaks-
pere. The omission from the acted play OF
the passage in question WAS remarked upon
by Mr.. Lincoln as curious fact.
I'm May, 1864, the Cleveland Convention
met, which nominated Fremont and COch-
rane. This Convention was engineered and
controlled by number who were dissatis.
fed with Lincoln's conduct Of the war, and
who professed TO believe that there was nc
hope for the country, save through an entire
change of the policy and army leaders. One
of the New York papers had humorous
editorial referring to David in the cave o.
Adullam, and quoting from l Sam, %: 2
And every one that was in distress, anG
every one that was in debt and every on,
that was discontented, gathered themselve.
unto him, and he became Captain ove
them, and there were with him about 40(
men,
When this editorial was referred TO il
the telegraph Office, a Bible was called for, il
order that the whole context might be read
One of the attaches ran TO find the copy, ant
soon returned with it, presenting it to tn,
President with profuse bow. This gentle
mans reverential manner attracted the at
, tention of Mr.. Lincoln, so that upon his de
parture, Mr.. Lincoln arose, and, Seaving TIL
room, returned with the open Bible in hi
! hands, and made mock presentation to on
of the company, mimicking the sty lie and &C
tion of the secretary, who was short ant
dapper, but, in fact, very graceful. The con
trast between Mr.. Lincoln's tall, ungainl,
form and that of the secretary was yer,
! great, and the whole affair very funny, s.
, that we were all convulsed with laughter.
, "In Nicolay and Hays History of Lincol
there is an entirely different version Of III
cave of Adullam incident. For instance, tn
number of delegates in the Cleveland Con
. vention was stated as 400. Nicolay an
2 Hay say that Mr.. Lincoln was struck wit
the fact that 400 was the number of David
t. contingent in the cave, and that he cale
, for a Bible to verify the number"
, A Remarkable Contest.
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: sum of $500 will be paid to the person VIII