Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-02-06
FIR Ess i i n K 5ED TOR THEM.
IA soL0leRas STORY or PRESIDENT
LINCOLN AND BoYs ny BLUE.

An Envelope That Is ssese valuable Than
the Beet stump IN Aay colieotlon-she
Soldier who wouldn't Ten Linoola a
Lie.
'Let tips go. a LINCOLN
Unless &c has boon destroyed there Is
in a home II Fond da Lac county, Wis.
a soldier latter IN an envelope bearing
the above words, signed by the great war
president
Frank King was a LamarEno hey
fresh from the farm, and a character
oug whole company took to kindly from
the first
When the army was eamped in Vir-
giuia. near Washington, the winter Of
1862. is was "a common practice with
the soldiers when they get pass, to
visit the city TO buy package eff en-
velopea and call st the capitol, send in
for their senator or representative and
get him to frank them.
One Of our boys eano back to camp
in high feather. He had tive packages
Of enyeIopos--one frauked by Senator
james Is. Doolittlo. now a Chicago law.
yer, the other by the late Senator 2. o.
Howe, who succeeded Captain James as
postmaster general in President Arthur q
cabinet For 20years senators and menu
bers have been giving good deal Of
their time to helping the soldiers with
their pension claims. II they have done
it as willingly and pleasantly as they
used to frank envelopes for the boys,
they must be pretty nearly angels,
on fellows, there, are making q
big blast ever getting q couple Of sena-
tors to frank your envelopes said
Frank King. Just you wait till you sec
me come back from Washington with
the presidents name on some letter COY.
ers.
Within few days Frank King and
Harry Damn, who for years aftar the
war was a Chicago business man, went
TO tho city They called at the White
House. IL was easier TO see the president
then than it is now At certain hours
of the day a soldier could reach the
chief executive with fully as much ease
as a senator can in these later years.
King was the ringleader Approach
ing the guard, he said: we want to
see MFR. Lincoln. Please stand aside and
let US pass -
Who are you, and what Is your bust
ness?'
You tell old Abe wo have charge Of
a regiment ever en- Arlington Heights
and want to see him on an important
matter He'll lot rs IN "
Where are your shoulder straps?"
eve came over in our everyday
clothes. Come. We are in q hurry. Len
us go in and see Mr.. Lincoln.
The parley had attracted tho attention
Of the president The door swung open
and the good natured chief OF the nation
smiled upon tho cheeky young fellows
and babe them step right in.
What can do for you, my men?'
''Mr. Lincoln, I want you to frank
these envelopes. said King.
Better get your congressman to do
that.
I'd much rather have you do it, MIR.
Lincoln. The folks ct homo would like
to see your name on my lettors
"I'll fix one Of them Iake the rest
W your GNiEI D1541itAls w 10 40 dbA
81 don I know.
''Whore is your homo.'
"Lamartine, Fond du Lac county,
Wis
THAT is my friend Scott sloan'a dis.
trict. You go to MIR. Sloan He Will fix
the rest Of them.
The president shook hands with the
two priyates, aBl1ed them to be brave
soldiers and wished them q safe return
to their western homes.
Frank couldn't make hia tentmates
believe shat the president had written.
''Let this 20. A. Lincoln. But the next
day be wrote q letter to his father. The
name Of Lincoln was personally exam
ined By oil Of the neighbors
In january, 1864, our regiment was
in Washington on the way home, having
re-enhsted-' veteranized, as they
called it. In company with two others
went to tie White House. Tho presi-
dent shook hands with US, thanked us
for swearing in for three years moro and
expressed the hope that we would have
a nice visit on our veteran furlough.
'Mr. President, said Jones-Ed
Jonos-'yoh franked a letter for one of
the boys in our company. Frank King.
wish you would frank one for me.
"Odd as it may seem, you are the
second soldier to make such a request.
So both are Of the same company? Very
we'll
On Jones envelope ne wrote A.
Lincoln, President, and as he handed
it back be asked what had become Of
that other man who had asked him to
pass letter
lie was killed at Gettysburg.
shall never forget the look Of sad.
ness in the presidents face when the
answer was giyen, and it had not disap-
poared when we left the room.
Jones, what did you tell him about
King for? Did voq see how it panied
him?n
nat did he ask about him for? Do
you suppose was going to lie TO man
I would die forf'' was Jones indignant
reply Chicago Times. Herald.
The Courts Decision.
You remember Eowforth, who mar
ried the woman who kept house for him
so long?"
Yep
well, the court granted her a di.