The National tribune., 1899-11-23

rock, and the rock was magnetized and
drawed the nails out of HIS boat, an he got
a duckin' or drowned, Or suthin', | forget
now" ct was the arabian Nights. y
under his head, andlaugh over them stories
by the hour. l told him they was likely
lies from end to end; but he learned to read
right well in them. | borrowed for him the
Life of Washington and the Speeches
Of Henry Clay They had a powerful
influence on him. He told me afterwards,
in the White House, he wanted to live like
Washington. His speeches show that;
but the other book did the most amazing
work. He was a Democrat, like his father
and all of us, when he began to read 1t.
When he closed it he was a Wing, heart
and soul. and he went on step by step until
he became leader of the Republicans"
ABE A "RASSLER" AT FIFTEEN.
Abe was at this time, says Uncle Dennis,
mot grown, only six feet two inches high.
He was six feet four and one-half inches
when grown-tall. lathy, and gangling-
not much appearance. not handsome, not
ugly, but peculiar He was this kind of
a fellow: If n man rode up on horseback,
Abe would be the first one out, up on the
fence and asking questions, till his father
would give him knock side o the head;
then he'd go throw at snowbirdS or Suthin {,
hut pOnderin' all the while. | was 10
NtSilS bltltT, DlG COtuUu LrdSSle MIN uON H.
His legs was too long for me TO throw him.
He would fling one foot upon my shoulder
and make me swing corners swift; and his
arms was long and strong. My, how he
would chopi His AK would flash and bite
into Sugar-tree or sycamore and down
it would come. If you heard him fellin'
trees in a clearin' you would say there
We're three men at work by the way the
trees fell. But he never was sassy or
quarrelsome. I've seen him walk into a
crowd of sawin' rowdies. and tell some droll
yarn and bust them all up. 1t was the
same when he was lawyer; all eyes when
ever he riz were on him; there was Suthin'
peculiar some about him."
EARLY RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE.
"Abe wasn't in early life a religious
man. He was moral man strictly-never
went to frolics, never drank liquor, never
used tobacco, never swore In after life
he became more religious; but the Bible
puzzled him, especially the miracles. He
often asked me in the timber, or sittin'
around the fireplace nights, to explain
Scripture. He never joined any church
or any secret order"
Thomas Lincoln and wife were Of strong
ly marked religious character, and were
members of the Baptist faith. Whenever
services were held in the log building a
mile distant which passed for church,
they and their two children were there.
AS an illustration Of the lads remarkable
memory. Uncle Dennis relates that "he
would come home from church. and put a
box in the middle of the cabin floor, and git
on it and repeat the serrnint from text to
doxology. I've heard him do it often"
CORN-DODGERS, BACON, AND BLUE
JEANS.
As far as food and clothing were con-
cerned the boy had plenty such as it was
bacon and game, some
fish, and wild fruits. I've often seen him
when plowing. We had, very little wheat
flour. The nearest mill was IS miles.
A boss mill it was, with plug pullin' a
sweep around; and Abe used to say his
dog could stand and eat the flour as fast as
it was made, and then be ready for supper.
before he wore all-wooi, pants. 1t was
a new country, and he was raw boy,
rather bright and likely lad; but the big
world seemed far ahead Of him We were
all SlOw-goin' folks, but he had the stuff
for greatness in him, He got his rare sense
and sterling principles from both parents,
but his strong viii from his father. I'll
tell you an incident: His father used to
swear a little, and one day his baby girl
picked up foul oath and was bruisin'
the bitter morsel in her sweet lips. when
Nancy called 'Thomas, and said, Listen,
husband He stcppe4, that habit thar;
never swore again. But Abe's kindli-
ness, humor, love of humanity, hatred of
slavery, all came from her. l am free to
say Abe was mothers boy.
Il moved from Indiana to Illinois when
Abe did. ] bought little improvement
near him, six miles from Decatur. Here
the famous rails Were split that were car
ried around in the campaign. They were
called his rails; but nobody can tell about
that. / split some Of 'em, and we had a
rail frolic, and folks came and helped us
split. He was master hand maulin'
rails. | heard him say in speech one
day about these rails: If l didn't make
these, made many just as good Then
the crowd yelled"
A VISIT TO LINCOLN'S INDIANA HOME.
Every incident connected with the boy
hood Of Lincoln is precious for the help it
gives toward a correct understanding of the
Influences which nodded his disposition
and determined the bent of his mind Some
facts relating to the past and present ap-
pearance of his home in Indiana are related
by one VINO lately visited the scene: Being
on train one day, on the railway leading
from Jasper to Rockport. in southwestern
Indiana, Il casual travelling acquaintance
remarked that we would soon pass over
the Lincoln farm. On seeking further in
formation he informed me that it was the
lariU once OWHel ana occupied Dy InOfnaS
Lincoln the father of President Lincoln,
and where the latter passed most of his
youthful years. This arrested my at
tention and decided me 10 stop at Lincoln
Station (Which takes its name from the
farm, and pass few hours amid the scenes
and surroundings which had been so ia
miliar to the martyred President. The
place is in Carmen Township, Spencer
County. Lincoln Station is located in the
center of the Lincoln homestead, and is now
a village of q dozen buildings orso, having
the usual features of store. blacksmith
shop, and saloon. Into this then wild and
rough region, almost literally in the wilder
ness, Thomas Lincoln moved his family,
composed of his wife and two children,
Abraham and Sarah. He built his cabin
on a knoll some 15 rods from where the
depot is now located. The cabin has been
and nothing remains to mark
the spot where it stood but the partly
filled cellar, and a solitary cedar tree near
by, planted by young Abraham"
BY ONE OF LINCoLN's
PLAYMATES.
OF the reputation which Lincoln left
behind him in the neighborhood where he
passed much of his boyhood and youth,
an aged man in the vicinity, who was