Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-05-01

YOU with an attempt to inveigle me in
to Kentucky TO do me violence be-
lieve no such thing of you or Of Ken
tuckians generally, and l dislike to be
represented to them as slandering them
in that way. ;"
During the war Larue county--being
that part of Hardin county in which
Mr.. Lincoln was born-sent DR.. j. FL.
Rodman, one of her citizens, to Wash
ingten to see the president with view
to having corrected the number of men
demanded from the county under the
requirements Of the draft. Not long
after reaching the White House and
sending up his card Dr. Rodman was
admitted. somewhat i'll advance Of his
turn, as he thought. because several of
those who still fingered in the ante
rooms told him they had been Vainly
waiting to see the president fer days,
but were unable to catch even 3 glimpse
Of him In the course Of the CONVERSE
ton RoGman informed the president
that q number Of the citizens Ct LarRe
county lad sent with him to be present
ed to the president Il cane made from
/ timber that grew ON the farm eli which
the latter was bern, but that he had
left it with 4 jeweler in the city with
directions to put gold head with a
suitably engraved inscription ON it. On
the following day. when the jeweler had
finished his ytCr'., he would bring it
oyer. GLOW via [ know, inquired
Mr.. Lincoln. who the donors Of this
acceptable gift are Rodman answered
that he supposed the names would be
engraved ca the geld headpiece How
foolish ef lac, laughed the president,
e'to ask chat question / am like the
Irishman who called fer his mail at the
postoffice ard when the postmaster ask.
cd his nmne with true Irish wit an,
swered, Faith and me name is on The
letter -
DR.. ReGman says the president SEEM
ed to be III an unusually reminiscent
mood and made frequent inquiries about
the Cessnsis, BrowEfelds, Friends, Ash
crafts and other prominent Kentucky
families Recalling a few meager Incl
dents Ct lis boYhoed, he inquired espe
eially after Austin Godfather. one Of his
playmates Who by the ready and skill
ful use OF a sycamore branch claimed
to have saved young Abe frcm drowning
in Kaa5 creek
How is the cid fellow making it
now plaYfully inquired the president.
Tell hinl l would rather see him now
than any man living. He played me a
mean trick once. but you can assure him
when you see him that l have long
since forgiven him. 1t was this way:
We out in the woods playing one
day I'D hunting for game Our most
dangerous weapon was Il hickory club
or stick [ had climbed up into a tree.
and being more CT less tired had braced
myself in the forks of two limbs to rest.
leaving Austin below. Sitting thus for
some time [ looked down and beheld the
latter stretched out on the grass appar- /
entity asleep Beside him lay his hat,
bottom side uppc1m0st. / remembered !
that [ had in the pocket Of my little /
coat hanging from Il limb overhead
papaw which I had picked up Il few
moments before and which was thor. !
oughly ripe. Knowing il it fell to the |
ground it was black and soft enough to |
burst, I determined that as Austin was
asleep to drep it into his hat. Reaching |
up, Withdrew it from my pocket, and, |
holding it between my knees to get a
sure aim, let it fall 1t landed in the
very center Of my playmate hat and |
there was bountiful scattering of |
burstcd papaw inside and all around |
1t. In keen expectation Of enjoyment /
rapidly descended, but when I reached |
terra firma found that, contrary to my
supposition, Austin had not been asleep |
as all and that while [ had been en-
gagged in reaching for my coat he had
quickly transposcd hats, and instead Of
practicing Il joke on him l had carefully
defiled my own hat -
The period Of Lincoln's boyhootl !
spent in Indiana ~ fraught with the
greatest interest to the student Of his
history, for it was these earlier years Of
his life that had their lasting effect on
the mind and temperament Of this great
mlrthfuI ard set melancholy man. "
No better picture Of boys life in the
early days Of the west can be obtained
than the modest bit Of autobiography
furnished by Mr.. Lincoln to Jesse w.
Fell in 1859. 1t is one of these purely
Lineolnian specimens Of terse and Wig.
orons English. One seldom finds in lit
erature or history such concise and vet
foreible expression. I'VE reached our
new home, . he relates, referring to the
to Indiana "about the time the
state came into the Union. 1t was
wild region, with many bears and other
wild animals still in the woods. There
l grew up. There were some schools, so
called, but no qualification was ever
required Of teacher beyond 'readin.
wrltin and cipherin' to the rule of
three. Ii a straggler supposed to under
stand Latin happened to sojouin in the
he was looked upon as a
wizard There was absolutely nothing
to excite ambition for education. OF
course when | came Of age I did not
know much. Still somehow I could
read, write and cipher TO the rule Of
three, but that was all. have not been
TO school since, The little advance /
loW have upon this store of education
lave picked up from time to time mn.
lei the pressure of necessity, " How
modest the narrative of this carly chap.
or IN the history of his life and vet how
iearly patheticl 1t is indeed touching
a think Of fl,;o og,s,o,,,,, - -. .