Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-06-27
STORIES OF LINCOLN
~. ""ss Narrative About How the

rat b"tomrd boat Went Av,...',
~" l'"" Sac Got Safely nocL ,.,.
'''' Ohio River.
v" one occasion little drummer
boy, securing leave OF absence oooon,
pnlled a sergeant to public leyee that
'old Abe was holding at the White
House. They went early. and when
PRESIDENT Lincoln appeared and the
hahdshaking began they were not long
IN reaching him.
Inc tall man, almost giant in phys.
zeal proportions, looked down with an
amused smile at the tiny drummer how
VINO appeared hardly 10 years of age
Grasplng the little fellows right hand
the president suddenly reached out his
ieit' swung the boy Off Ills feet and
set him gently down on a small table
beside him.
Ana my little soldier" he said.
laughing, you shall help Uncle Abe
review this line today, and if your su.
perior officer objects, why, I'll prolong
your leave Of abscncew
Lincoln asked the boy his age. place
or residence, regiment and where he
was on duty Then, as some of the
more Important officers Of the army or
navy members of congress or of the
executive departments CHANGED to pass
IN the line, the president would gra yely
introduce his young assistant, with
whom they were required to shake
hands as we'll as with himself.
when the reception was over, Presi.
uelt Lincoln took the boy into his pri.
vate apartments and introduced him to
Mrs. Lincoln. After entertaining him
at luncheon he dismissed him with q
Drlef note to the commanding officer of
the hospital where he was then sta.
toned telling why the boys leave Of
absence had been extended.
Lincoln'S geniality and willingness Mt
all times to hear or to tell a good story
were conspicuous traits, not always
agreeable to some Of his able but wor-
iIt'l anu IIIIluDlt ADVISERS,
On one occasion sergeant had a
squad OF men at work unloading SUP
plies from an Ohio river steamboat
that in some mysterious manner had
made its way from the interior to the
coast waters of Virginia. 1t was fat
bottomed boat drawing not more than
three feet of water when loaded and
hardly dampening its plank bottom
when light. 1t was propelled by a
horizontal stern wheel, driven by
small upright engine Boats of that
type We're common on the Ohio, which
runs almost dry at some seasons. They
We're known as "Pittsburgers" and
were tabled to navigate freely in
heavy dew.
The sergeant's men were hard at
work carrying rations ashore from this
craft when suddenly they stopped and
sent up lusty cheer. A little tuglike
steamer had pulled up alongside, and
from it stepped tall, awkward man
dressed in rusty black and wearing
napless silk hat. The sergeant recog-
nized the president and saluted.
Your boat is well named, sergeant"
said the latter gravely.
The soldier was puzzled. He did not
know that the steamer had name and
said So.
The president took him by the arm
and led him back on the tug. There
the stern of the "Pittsburger" lopmed
above them, and on it's dirty white sur
face in furnished gilt letters yard
long appeared the single word. Mist.
Eyes" said Lincoln, Its very well
named indeed. sergeant. All those
boats need Is a mist, and they'll run
anywhere.
wears ago" he continued, 81 was at
tending court in Cairo, HIS. when the
Ohio was SO low that all the water
there was between its banks was whas
had SMILED over from the Mississippi.
Those 'plttsburgers were passing ana
renossing all the time. One night there
came Nh little shower that raised the
level maybe half inch. One OF 'eh
GOT out of the channel, slid ashore
and grounded in the mud right pes'ue
the courthouse.
at was there the next morning. ana
7 remarked to a brother attorney that
fiat boat was aground to stay. he
was from Egypt and knew more
about 'Pittsburgers' than ! DID. tie
merely smiled and said. You walt ana
see .,,+
of+ernoon. ! heard an engine pumng
and looked out of the courthouse win
dow. Maybe you'll think I'm exagser-
at,ny but there was that boat steam
inc down the road toward the river
ond tn two minutes she was back IN
the Ohio, Just as the shower was over
81 expressed my surprise TO ;tne
,rdce hut he said that was notning.
- the shower hadn't come up IN time
the captain would simply have hired a
hov with sprinkling pot to go aneau.
They're great boats, sergeant Alke'y
90 NOT this one got here by coming
across country" Alta
president Lincoln repeated this ex-
.ra vaeant story without the ghost OF
smile During Its recital Secretary
S.on+on and Generals HallecK anu