The Elk Mountain pilot., 1901-02-19

school together four score years ago.
All the old structures that clustered
around the hills of that section have
one by one rotted and disappeared.
until now the little log hut stands
alone. and she. the last of little Abe's
companions, its sole occupant, is quiet
ly winding up the last years of her
allotted time. Retiring and unassum-
ing. Miss Castleman is beloved by
those of her acquaintances. and her
memory. which is remarkable. has
gained her considerable notoriety. 1t
is seldom, though, that she assumes
retrospective mood when she con-
verses.
Yes, she said, 81 knew Abe Lincoln
when he was a boy. but l don't think
that II is anything wonderful that 1
should. Just because he was president.
l went to school with Abe in little
schoolhouse that stood up there on the
hill. He was just such a common,
green country chap. like the rest OF
us in those days, only that he was
awfully smart. more intelligent than
the average boy. Yes, l felt glad when
they told me that Abe was made presi
dent and when the papers referred to
him as President 1t sounded a little
strange to me. as l always called him
Abe, and would have done so had
met him on the streets in Washington
after he was president.
"Oh yes, / know of several incidents
connected with the boyhood life of
Little Abe. Yes. | was part to one
of them. You know. nowadays a girl
amt girl unless there is bit of
romance connected with her life. and
suppose it was always thus. Well.
was Abes sweetheart.
well, guess I'll have to tell the
whole story of mine and Abe's life.
My father was a pioneer. He came
here from Virginia and settled where
we now live. This is the same old
house that he built. 1t was plain old
/ log house then. but it was weather.
boarded many years ago. / was born
| in 1908 in this very house. Abe's par
| ents came to this county in 1908 and
settled on the now famous Lincoln
homestead, on the other side of Hodg-
enville. Abe was born in 1909. When
| Abe was but nine years old his par
| ents moved from near Hodgenville to
near this one. They were poor. but
hard working people. Abe's father
was carpenter, but didn't make much.
He couldn't in those days. My father
was tolerably well Off The next year
| Abe and I started to school together.
| About twenty of us chaps were going.
| Austin Gollaher was among the num-
ber. Austin was Abe's best boy friend
| and / was his best girl friend, so Abe
| said No, Abe wouldn't tell story.
You see, Abe was too poor a boy to
buy any books, and so was Austin, SO
I let them use mine. Abe was a good
student and when we had hard lessons
he always knew his. When lessons
were hard l was glad to let him use
my books, because he would then help
| me get my lessons. In that way we
were thrown together a heap, and ma
turally, common liking for each other
soon ripened into love. Our school
teacher was strict with us, and some
times he wouldn't let us sit together
then we wrote notes. Since Abe was
made president | wish | had saved
some of them, but we were afraid the
| teacher would catch on, so we tore
them up after reading them.
THE nearest church in those days
was miles from us, and my father and
mother used to go for Abe's parents
every Sunday and take them to church
Then Abe would come over and stay
with me and we would have a time
We would go that stream of water
down there under the hill and wade
all around it.
ABE was fighter in school. and in
my mind he was a hero. 7 suppose
Though. it was because he whipped a