The National tribune., 1900-03-08
A VISIT TO LINCOLN AT HIS HOME.


cheering"
| A VISIT To LINCOLN AT HIS HOME.
Mr.. Volk, the artist, relates that on the
day OF LincOln's nomination he was travel
ing to Springfield. and at Bloomington
learned the result Of the Chicago Con
| vention.
AT 3 or 4 o'clock" saws Mr.. VoIk. "ve
reached Springfield. The afternoon was
! lovely-bright and sunny, neither too
warm nor too cool; the grass, trees, and the
| hosts of blooming roses, so profuse in
| Springfield, appeared to be vieing with the
ringing bells and waving flags. As soon
as had brushed off the dust and registered
at the old Chcnery House, went straight
to Mr.. Lincoln's uuprctentious little tWoJ
story house. He saw me from his door or
| window coming down the street. and As |
| entered the gate, he was on the PLATFORM in
| front Of the door and quite alone His
| face looked radiant. / exclaimed: L am
the first man from Chicago, Ibaiieve, who
your nomination for President Then
those two great hands took both of mine
| with a grasp never TO be forgotten. And
while shaking, | said: Now that you will
doubtless be the next President of the
| United States, ! want to make statue of
you, and shall 90 my best TO do you Justice
Said he, Il don't doubt it, for / have come
to the conclusion that You are an honest
man. and with that greeting | thought nv
hands were in Il fair way of being crushed.
81 was invited into the parlor and soon
Mrs. Lincoln entered, holding a rose
bouquet in her hand. which she presented
to ME after the Introduction: and in rntIIrn
! gave her cabinet-size bust Of her hus-
band, which ha ! modelled from the large
one. and happened to have with me, Re
fore leaving the house, IL was arranged that
Mr.. Lincoln would give Saturday forenoon
to obtaining fuli-lcngth photographs to
serve me for the proposed statue
"On Saturday evening, the committee
appointed by the Convention To notify Mr..
Lincoln formally of his nomination. headed
by Mr. Ashmun. of Massachusetts, reached
Springfield by special train, bearing a large
number OF people. two or three hundred of
whom carried rails on their shoulders
marching IN military style from the train
to the old State House Hall of Representa-
tivcs, where they stacked them like muskets
The evening was beautiful and clear. and
the entire population was astir The bells
pealed, flags waved, and cannon thunderad
forth the triumphant nomination of Spring
fields fayorite and distinguished citizen.
The bonfircs biazed brightly. and especi
ally in front of that prim-looking White
house on Eighth street. The COMMITTEES
and the vast crowd following it passed in
at the front door, and made their exit
through the kitchen door in the rear. Mr..
Lincoln GIVING thcm all a hearty shake of
the hand as they passed him in the narlor
After it was all over and the crowd dis
persed, late in the evening, ! took stroll
and passed the house. A few small bovs
only were IN the street, trying TO keen nm q
| little blaze among the dying embers of The
bonfire. One Of them cried out: Hero, eRiIl
! Lincoln, here's stick Another chimad
in: I've got n good one, Biil,-a pirkat he
had slyly knocked from door-yard fence
BY previous appointment, was 10 cast
| Mr.. LIncoln's hands on the Sunday foIIoU,-
| ing this memorable Saturday, at . o'c,ock
a. IN. j found him ready, but he looked
more grave and serious than he had ap-
pearcd on the previous days wished him
10 hold something in his right hand, and
lie looked for piece of pasteboard. bui
| could find none. / told him II round sticL
would do as well as anything. Thereunon
he went to the woodshed, and heard the
saw go, and he soon returned to the dining
| the end Of Il piece Of broom-handle. / re-
marked TO him that he need not whittIe off
the edges. Oh well, said he, Il thoIIght
would like to have it NICE
| when had successfully cast the mold
Of the right hand, ! began the left, palsing
a few moments to hear Mr. Lincoln tell me
about a scar on the thumb 'You have
heard that they call me a raiI-spIittcr. and
| you saw them carrying rails in the pro-
| cesslon Saturday evening; well, il is frue
| that did split rails, and one day, while
was sharpening a wedge on log. the AK
glanced and nearly took my thumb off, and
| there is the scar, You See The right hand
appeared swollen as compared with the
left, on account Of excessive handshakinp
the evening before; this difference is dis
tinctiy shown in the cast
That Sunday evening | returned to
Chicago with the molds of hfs hands. three
Photographic negatives of him, the identi
cal black alpaca campaign suit of 1858. and
pair Of Lynn newly-made pegged boots,
The clothes were all burned up in the great
Chicago fire. The casts of the face and
hands | saved by taking them with me to
| Rome, and they have crossed the sea four
| times.
"The last time / saw Mr. Lincoln was in
January, 1861, at his home in Springfield.
| His little parlor was full of friends and
politicians. He introduced me TO them all.
and remarked 10 me aside that. since he had
| sat to me for his bust. he had lost 40 pounds
IN weight. This was easily perceptible,
for the lines of his jaws were very sharply
defined through the short beard which he
was allowing to grow. Then he turned to
the company, and announced in a general
way that had made bust of him before