Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1897-10-09

A correspondent of the New YORK
Sun, writing from Calistoga, Cal. writes
that the woman who was Abaham Lin
coins first love, and Refused 10 marry
him, has been long resident OF that
town. Now she is Mrs. Susan Bpyce.
but when she was Lincoln's sweetheart
she was Miss Susan Reid, Of New
Salem, en- the Sangamon river, in lii
nois.
My father was one of Lincoln's best
friends she said, in speaking Of her
acquaintance with President Lincoln
He was Lewis C. Reid, and it was be
who took Lincoln 10 Springfield and
introduced him TO William E. Seward,
from whom he borrowed the first Law
books he ever read. Mr.. Lincoln and
my father belonged TO the same polit-
ical party, and they used to talk poll
ties by the hour / first met him in
1886 at the house Of neighbor named
Able. There was quite party Of
young people there. and ] remember
that he seemed very bashful. He
soon began to pay me good deal Of at
tention, which pleased my father more
than il did me. for my father liked him
very much and had great faith in him.
Mr.. Lincoln often took me out horse
back riding and to singing school and
church. He was a spiritualist, and he
believed in dreams. He often told me
his dreams were prophetic. he also
talked of thesstars great deal. and
remember thought him queer kind
of a fellow. Still. he was very enter
tanning, and he studied hard all the
time.
He was not as ardent lover as I've
seen since, but he kept his case going
pretty lively. and pressed me hard for
| an answer. He told me was the first
woman he ever loved, and that he was
sure he could never love any one else
as he did me, and ! believe he meant
what he said. ! did not want to marry
/ him. because / didn't love him. and SO
| invented a story about being engaged
| to young man back in Kentucky.
| where we had come from. That cooled
his ardor for little while, but he soon
began coming to see me again, and
finally he told my father that he would
call on a certain day for my final an
swer. When the day came / made IL
a point to be away from home. and
Lincoln didn't get over the way treat
/ ed him. My father lectured me about
\ II, and told me had made Ounce of
myself, but my mother took my part.
and said that IL / did not love him !
ought not to marry him.
l 4
were one night at little party where
the young folks were trying their for
tunes with Bible and door key. Mr..
Lincoln was always very much interest
ed in such things. and at once he
wanted to know all about the game. 1t
was explained to him that the key
would be placed on verse in the open
Bible and when questions were asked
the key was supposed TO turn by super
natural power. Lincoln asked. VIII
Susie marry a man whose name begins
with L?' and the key did not move.
Then he asked, VIII she marry q man
whose name begins with B?' and the
key whirled A young man named
Brooks was then paying me some at
tention, whenever Lincoln gave him an
opportunity, and he was the one re.
ferred to, for | did not then dream
OF Mr.. Boyce, whom | afterward mar.
ried.
81 never heard Mr.. Lincoln make {
speech, and never saw him after 1887
MY father scolded me so much for re
fusing his offer that married rather
sooner than | mNyht otherwise hay,
done in order to escape being lectured
My husband was a friend of Lincoln
and they fought side by side in tn,
Black Hawk war. draw pension
now by reason of the injuries he re
ceived there.
my husband nrd went to Texas