The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-28
\ CAR RIDE WITH LINCOLN.
How He Impressed His FeIIow-Trav-
eIers Some Time EerOre His EIec-

HOW lie impressed fiIS FelloW-IFaN-
eIers Some Time EerOre His EIec-
ton.
From the st. Louis Globe Democrat.
lie Roy Wiley, Esq, for many years a
resident of Charleston, ILL.,. but now liv-
ing in an adjoining county, tells story
of Lincoln's ability to get close to the
people.
The, Renaissance was brought out by a
recent account in a local paper of the
great debate held in Charleston in 1858
between Lincoln and Douglas, which told
of Lincolns effectually silencing the Lit
tie Giant with a word from that rock
ribbed Democrat, Orlando B. Ficklin of
Charleston who had served In Congress
with Mr.. Lincoln. Douglas had repeate d.
ly made the charge in other towns where
these debates had been held that Lincoln
had refused to vote for supplies for the
NJ sxican war With Characteristic shrewd-
ness, Lincoln bided his time until they
spoke at Charleston. There the little, but
eloquent and mighty, Douglas repeated
the charge Mr. Lincoln rose to his feet,
seized Ficklin. who sat on the platform,
by the coat collar, and, almost dragging
him to the front said in a voice to be
heard all over the old Court House yard:
'Fickin knows that's lie Ffckln, to
his credit stood by the truth to the dis
credit of his party's greatest leader. He
sad simply, Mr.. Douglas is mis- AIKEN
TIE story Mr. Wiley tells is as follows:
Late in the fall of that year l was on
train going north, on the Chicago branch
of the Alton Eleven o'clock at night had
come the car was well filed; the passen-
gers had become drowsy and most of
them were trying to get such sleep and
rest as were to be had while sitting in
the hard and uncomfortable seats of
primitive railroad coach
AT Springfield Mr.. Lncoln's tall form
came in at the door and he took seat
Immediately behind me- He wore short
cloak of broadcloth and silk hat, as was
the fashion in those days when a gen.
teman was dressed up After shaking
hads with me and inquiring after many
Charleston friends among them his step
mother, whom he loved as a mother, ana
Dennis Hanks and Gus Chapman, he said,
if I didn't mind, he'd like to talk, as he
was only going a little way up tho road
and didn't want TO go to sleep. / readily
assented, and Lincoln soon had me fas>
cinated with his wonderful flow of sensi-
BILE words.
''The cars in those days made more
noise in running thon they Go now, so it
was necessary to talk much founder than
one would ordinarily. While Mr.. Lin
coins voice was not of the heavy, sOnor>
Gus kind, yet it was tolerably loud, and
ra Their penetrating. So in elevating nis
voice to be heard above the rumble Of
the train he spoke much as he would on
the platform in open cir.
He began by telling me his ideas Of
money-loaning. specializing, etc. Then he
mentioned some friend who had induced
him TO join in buying tract of land IN
Missouri and laying out town. | have
forgotten the name of the town, but Lin
coin said he believed 1t would make them
-. hot
10 per cent legal rete Mems necessl-
ties, however often made them willing
to pay Is per cent, and even higher. LIN
coins idea was that money loaned at law
full interest would earn more in the long
run than at a usurious rate: for a mans
willingness to pay high rate showed his
extreme necessity, and the probabilities
were that in loaning TO a man willing 10
pay usury. the principal itself would be
jeopardized.
"Lincolns earnestness of speech even
in conversation, the loudness of his voice,
and his style of presenting any subject,
soon attracted the attention of every one
in the car. They shook off their drowsi-
ness left their seats and gathered close
around us. Even the conductor would stop
to listen as he passed by.
TT was a night / shall never forget
The ride lasted two hours perhaps. MIR.
Lincoln getting off at Bloomington, IL my
memory serves me right. But he held his
audience spellbound during the entire
way.
when he bade me good bye and went
out of the car, the question began to be
asked, "Who was that?" l told my fell
low-passengers that that was Abraham
Lincoln, the greatest man. I then belev-
Cd in the nation, Immediately there were
expressions Of joy on every side. Though
none had seen him before all knew him
from the reputation he had won in his de-
bates with Douglas. One man said 4
would not have missed ii for $500 Anoth-
er said: And that is the great Lincoln;
the man that has no equal: and yet he
talks about the small things-the things
the common people can understand "