The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-05-19


platform. puIlin' Abe after me- The Con-
stable X his men follered us but / GOT Abe
Lincoln inside the door, shet il, Il made him
put his shoulders agin it. The Constable &
his assistants wuz buttin away at it. & me
GRIMM at them when the train pulled out
q they had jump off i begin , think
there wuz something good in Abe Lincoln
after all, Il when we stopped at an eatin-
plais, about halfway Louisville, & Abe
looked at the grub as if he haddent had q
mouthful sence the war begun | busted a
S2-bill all pieces gittin' him little sup
per. If | wuz goin into the bizniSs ov freein
slaves I'd want , have mule train haulin
grub follering me at every step.
Abe WIZ awful hungry agin when We
reached Louisville, but l found place
where dollar would buy him enough pork
& beans . probably last him over the river.
But l begun be afeared that sum nosin
pryin Mike Medler might make trubble in
Citing Abe safely acrost the Ohio. l TUX
him 2 house, & laid it down strong 2 him
that he must stay inside all day, and make
sure | bargained with the woman 2 keep him
eating as much as she could. 1t ruined 50
bill, 81 even then Abe looked as if he could
hold some more I've always made 1t pint
2 lend 2 the Lord for the benefit ov the
heather as much as my means would allow,
but begun 2 think that my missionary con-
tribushons this year would beat what | was
layin out on my own family.
After it got dark, me & Abe meandered
down through the streets the ferry. There
wuZzent many people out except soljers, ~
I've got feel purity much at home with
them. They seem more likely 2 think more
nearly my way than folks in everyday
clothes.
There wuZ quite passel ov soljers on the
wharf-boat waitin' for the ferry when we got
there. They saw at wuns that l had prob
ably bin down the front 2 see my son, 81 so
sum ov them axed me 2 what regiment he be-
longed. When told them the Booth Injianny
Volunteer Infantry they all made friends
with me at wunst, for they said they knowed
it wuz good rijiment.
Bineby big, important-lookin' man,
with club with silver head for cane,
cum elbowin through the crowd & scowling
at everybody as if he owned the wharf-bOat
& all on it, He stopped in frunt ov Abraham
Lincoln, q says very sharp & cross:
Boy, where ID you come from?"
Abe diddent say nothin'. His ize got all
white, he grinned sort ov scared like, showed
his white teeth & looked sickly over at me.
spoke up, 81 says:
- brung him along with me, from Muir
freesboro.' ~
$50 1 sposed," said he "He's slave
you're tryin' 2 steal from his master. You
can't do it. I'll jest take charge Ov him my
self. That's my dooty here" & he ketched
hold ov Abraham Lincoln's collar. Abe, in
his scare. put out his arms & to ketch hold
ov something, 81 throwed them around the
a, oil al off
his feet / never before realized how strong
Abe wuz. The soljers gethered around,
purity mad, & then laffin' & yellin' when
they see the man in Abe's arms Suddenly
sum one hollered:
Throw him overheard; throw him in the
river"
Abe wuz wuss scared than ever when he
found he had the man in his arms. He WIZ
afeared hold ON, 81 still more afeared let
go. He heared them hollerin, & thought he
had do jest as they said, & begun edgin
toward the river
The man got more scared than Abe. He
began kickin q wrigglin & hollerin:
Don't let him do it. Help me. can't
swim lick"
At this the men hollered worsen ever:
''Throw him in the river Duck him
Baptize him Drown him"
line Baptist, but 1 don't believe in i'm
mersion onless the convert has bin prepared
for it, & is willin, which neither this man
wuz. stepped forward make Abe let him
down, but before 1 could do anything Abe
had got the edge of the wharf-boat & let go,
& PUNK went the man into about 10 foot ov
water. Abe, scared now nearly 2 death, stood
there with his ize biggern sassers and whitern
gOose-eggs.
In minnit the man cum up, sputterin &
hollerin. A big Sergeant, with his left arm
in sling, reached over & ketched him by the
collar Il held his head above water.
:" If [ pull you out will you prOmis 2 90
out Ov the nigger-ketchin bizniss forever?"
axed the Sergeant.
Pull me out & then I'll talk you,
says the man. grabbin for the slippery sides
ov the whart-boat.
No, 1 WON'T" says the Sergeant, sousin
him under water agin.
Yes, yes, Tll PROMISE" says the man,
when he come up agn.
Will you swear it ?" axed the Sergeant.
''Yes, Pll swear it before Justice ov the
Peace"
''Will you swear 2 support the Constitution
Ov the United States agin all enemies q OPP
posers whatsumever, & vote for Abraham
Lincoln every time +" axed the Sergeant.
''I'll take the oath ov allegiance" says
the man, sputterin the water out ov his
mouth but I'll never vote for that Abolition
ape as long as | live"
Then down you go" says the Sergeant,
sousin him agin.
''Yes, yes, I'll vote for Abe Lincoln. &
anybody else, if you'll only pull ME out"
says the man, in tired tone of voice, when