Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-04-11
LINCOLN TUMsleo HIS HAIR.
MEpILL's rIRMNEss GAVE THE CouN.
TRY ITS FIRST CORRECT IDEA OF
THE RAIL-sPLIrrER.

The death OF Joseph Medill recalls the
story OF q picture Of Lincoln, the one by
which he became known TO the country.
II was very soon after the trst nomins-
ton OF Lincoln for the presidency. The
story OF the picture Is given In Mr..
Medilrs words ss nearly as they can be
recalled:
III knew him 30 well that called him
Abe and he called me Joe. He came to
see me In the Tribune Office soon after
his nomination. think sent for him.
I said 10 him after we had talked OF
more important matters:
| "'Abe, there are not many people In
the country who know how you look.
You must have your picture taken. Get
ready and will 60 with you
"Snsp shots were unknown then and
80 were newspaper artists, a. they are
called. Lincoln went 70 his hotel TO hx
up, and called for him at the appointed
time. think he saw that Was sur
prised.
"sHow do I look p he asked. His coat
was buttoned from top to bottom. But IL
was his hair which caused me TO look st
him. He had evidently wet II, and Il
| was brushed to the skin and across his
temples As smoothly as II Il had been
ironed. IL Was so unlike him that he
looked unnatural.
",It will never do said rs soon NJ
could recover my breath. Abe, you
never could be elected president II the
country thought you wore yoaf hair that
| way.'
''He looked at me as II he were daxed.
He had the heart Of child. He had
plastered his hair down honestly and In
nocently. IL hurt him TO think he had
done something he should not have done.
That was his nature. He looked In the
mirror and then that expression OF
humor which never saw In any other
face came out. He took both hands and
showed them through his hair until IL
looked like brash heap after hurri-
cane. Then he looked at me, and told
| him that WAS more like him. We walked
10 the photographer, several blocks.
and nv recollection Ia that he scarcely
spoke during the time. When he sat be-
| fore the camera he ran his long fingers
through his hair again, and then looked
at me like child that had been whipped.
From that picture all copies for cam
psign purposes were made, and whst-
OF him during the campaign were sug-
gested by that picture"
The strongest trait In Mr.. MedilFs
character was his sense Of justice. An
old man In his service had been dis
charged by the head OF the department
10 which he was employed. The old msn
bought u stand, = few lemons, and some
sugar, and opened q lemonade stand in
front of the elevator entrance OF the
building. He had been there two days
before Mr.. Medill saw him. Mr., Medill
! bought glass Of the old mans lemon
ade, and after he had tasted It asked:
"what are you doing herey'
"Mskiug lemonade" was the reply.
"Why are yol not st work.
II have been discharged"
you will have to 90 TO work again.
( You can't make lemonade"
| Mr.. Medill was too much OF q dis
ciplinsrian TO 20 over the head OF de-
partmpnt without good reason. He did
not reinstate the old emplove, but gave
him work iu another department, and he
still has the Job.
Mr.. Medill never taxed his memory
with the contents Of his paper except It's
editorial page or matters Of nstionsl i'm
portance. This led to some humorous
incidents. He was an inveterate reader
of exchanges. He read them wherever
he went, and whether ut home or In his
travels In this country or abroad he sent
nearly enough reprint to the Office daily
TO crowd out the news and the advertise
ments az well. When he was in Ireland
some years ago he found newspaper
printed somewhere on the island. In
remote town. When he flushed clipping
| from Il there was not much In the paper
but holes. He enclosed the clippings,
marking on the margin OF each his well
known "Must. j. M" and mailed them
to Chicago. On his return he inquired
for the issue of his paper containing his
Irish clippings. The Inquiry necessitated
the explanation that they had not been
printed, or, rather that they had not
been reprinted. They had originally ap-
| peared 10 the Tribune under the direction
OF Mr.. Medill., The Irish paper had pur-
loined them without credit. He was
quite deaf and sometimes his afiliction
was utilized to his advantage. In this
case when the explanation had been
given he looked out of the window and
to the sky and said:
"Yes, II looks like storm"
An hour later he dumped seven col
umns of reprint on beet sugar on the
managing editors desk with the instruc-
! ton that he wanted twenty-five copies
of the paper the next day. Every cor.
respondent In the country was instructed
that night to keep everything down, and
at 10 o'clock the managing editor vas
served with request TO send over to
Mr.. Medill proof. Of that reprint srti-