The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-09-20
HIS FIRST RUM BATH.
How Abraham Lincoln Was Rejuve-
mated When Almost Exhausted.

mated When Almost Exhausted.
George P. Floyd in Pittsburg Dispatch)
Many stories have been told and pub
lished about Abraham Lincoln. While
some Of them are truthful, more of them
are exaggerated and misleading. Again,
there are some good anecdotes that pos
sess the merit of truth connected with
the life of the great statesman and mar
tyr that have never found their way into
print.
During the autumn of 1858 Mr.. Lincoln
and Stephen A. Douglas were candidates
for the United States senate. They made
their celebrated campaign in joint debate
in Illinois. The debates opened at Otta-
wa Aug. q and continued at Freeport,
Jonesboro, Charleston, Galesburg and
Quincy, and closed at Alton Oct. Is. The
debates from start to finish were a de-
termined struggle on both sides. It was
nip and tuck between the two giants
through the whole campaign. Mr.. Lin
coin seemed to have the prestige by his
superior logic, and perhaps because of the
justice of the cause he advocated.
While Mr.. Lincoln was abstemious in
every way. the Little Giant Douglas,
was generally pretty well filled up, but
ne seemed to carry the load easily.
The sixth debate was at Quincy. Oct 10
The strain on mind and body began to
tell on Mr.. Lincoln, and after the debate,
which was a supreme effort, he col
lapsed from sheer fatigue.
AT that time the writer was proprietor
of the Quincy house at Quincy. The no.
tel being near the place of the debate
Mr.. Lincoln was taken TO the hotel and
a room prepared for him.
As he was reclining on a lounge he re-
marked to his friends: We'll, I'm mighty
near petered out; l guess I'll have to
watching him. and being one of the old
school that believed in homely remedies,
she suggested that a rum sweat be APP
piled to Mr.. Lincoln.
Rum sweat" said Mr.. Lincoln. why,
I never drank drop of rum in my life.
You don't have to drink it; it is an
external remedy, replied my wife. We'll,
If YOU think it will do me any good,
crack your whip and go ahead. Any
port in a storm, and I'm mighty nigh
shipwrecked," said he. The remedy was
applied according to directions of my
wife. 1t consisted of pan of New Eng
land rum placed under a cane-seated
chair: the patient is stripped and covered
with a wooden blanket the rum Is lighted
and the fumes or vapor produce profuSe
perspiration. The patient is then put 10
bed between wooden blankets. given hot
decoction of ginger and the sweating con-
tinueS.
The next morning after the rum sweat
Mr. Lincoln made his appearance bright
and early When asked how he was feel
ing he replied: why. I'm feeling like
a fighting cock. l can jump siX-rall
fence right now. I've heard of drinking
LIQUOR and rubbing the limbs with the
liouor through the hide TO get man full.
Where is Mrs. FLOYD? / want to see her
IL she would only accompany us through
this campaign and prescribe Tor me,
think we can clean out Juuse Dou@4dS
slick and clean.
Abraham Lincoln never forgot FAVOR
In 1851 I was in business in Montgomery,
Ala The confederate government formed
there in February, 1861. Jeff Davis was
inaugrlrated there Feb. 10 and the gov
eminent continued there till July, when
It was removed to Richmond, va HAY
ing mail and other contracts with the
Confederate government, l was exempt
from military duty, while every male from
is 10 90 was compelled to perform military
duty. My connection with the OFFICIALS
enabled me to peep behlnd the scenes anu
watch some of the workings OF the IN
erenio1,s'' leaders of the lost cause. Be
mo a native of the northern states, l
didn't banker for a gun on my shoulder
end | was not in love with the secesn
movement Having quite bit OF prop
erty i'm Montgomery 1 returned there TO
take care OF IL ...,.,, 49,. ,,,,,
There are facts connected with the war
of the confederates from 1851 TO 1900 that
. ye Interesting. but have never been pub
Iisbad MANY stories have been told ana
as facts that have either been
with sensational ruInors ,r or
discolored by violent preJuuttJbe a sacri-
fees self-denials, the bulldog tenaclty
and perseverance of the people OF the
south during the civil war have never
been half told, and are only known TO
those who were there and witnessed tnell.
MANY Iaughable as well as sad incidents
occurred during the little family quarrei
between the north and south.
The carriage the four horses ana the
negro driver that conveyed jeff DAVIS
from the hotel to the capitol IN Mont,
gomery. where he delivered his inaugural
address. Feb. Is. 1861, were all owned by
the writer and furnished for the occasion:
The carriage was an imitation OF lne
then in use in London, IL was
called the English carriage IN MohtgoiIi,-
cry, and was kept at our staple exc .,
sively for the wives and famllles OF tns
confederate officials. When they wanted
to go for a drive the English carriage
must be furnished, as II was ma3e IN
England and not by the Yankees. men
the confederate government noNeu u
Richmond from Montgomery preserves
the carriage TO Mrs. Davis, ana Whamse
they lived in Richmond, from 1851 TO lSoo'
1t was known as the English carrlage.
When the confederate government proke
up in Richmond, in April, 1860 the Eng
fish carriage went with the DAVIS IaHl'y
to Dalton. N. c.
l purchased the carriage in Mobile just
rs the war broke out in 1861, and II was
built In New Haven, Conn, and was
therefore Yankee built carriage. some |