The National tribune., 1902-08-14

Nnen We were going on one OF tneSe trips,
Tom Pen, have yoN 2apt any money!
him some money. HsTwiS like other boys,
fond of sweet things, peahuts, apples, and
the like. The fellow was always
very honorable i'll paying back whatcve,
amount he would borrow from me.
On one occasion, 4 President Lincoln,
when riding near the rSoldicrs' Home, said
to his footman, Charles Forbes, who had
but recently come frpm ireland. What
| kind of fruit do you have in Ireland,
Cnarles!" To which Charles replied, Mr..
President, we have n good many kinds Of
| fruit: gooseberries, pears: apples, and the
like" The President then asked, "Have
you tasted any Uf our American fruitsg
Charles said he had not, and the Presi-
! dent told Burke, the coachman, to drive
| under persimmon tree by the roadside.
| Standing up III the open carriage, he pull
| ed OF some Of the green fruit, giving some
Of it to Burke and some to Charles, with
| the advice that the latter try some of it.
| Charles, taking some of the green fruit
| in his hand, commenced to eat, when to
! his astOnishmcnt he found that he could
! hardly open his mouth. Trying his best
to spit 1t out, he yelled, mir. President, l
am poisoned! l am poisoned"' MIR. Lin
coin fairly fell back in his carriage and
roared with laughter.
| Al thc VI NoStiuDtI, 1SOf,
] Dana, Assistant Secretary of War Qung
years after this well known as the editor
of the New York Sum and Mr.. Lincoln
| had an interview at the White House on
| Il Sabbath morning, after which they left
! together for the old War Department.
After they had transacted their business,
we started over to the old Navy Depart
ment. l kept short distance behind
| them, because l did not want to Overhear
| hN,,
tered the building the doorkeepcr slammed
| the door to, with bang, in my face.
| In an instant it was opened again, ami
Mr.. Lincoln told the doorkceper that it
was all right and to let me i'll. We Scpa-
! rated after they finished their business,
and l accompanied Mr.. Lincoln back to
! the White House.
In the same year, during the month Of
November, there was great crowd as
sembled in front of the Presidents man-
sion. / stood up at the window by Mr..
Lincoln, and held candle in my hand
! while Mr.. Lincoln delivered his address.
| The majority of his listeners were soldiers.
| l thought while he was delivering that
| address how easy it would have been for
| some assassin to have killed him with an
air gun. Afterward Henry Ward Beech
| er addressed this multitude of people, and
| the crowd then dispersed.
THE SECOND INAUGURATION.
Mr.. Lincoln's last Inauguration was
held on Saturday, and that night recep-
ton was held. There was a lady from
England, personal friend of Secretary
Stanton, who wished to see the President
and shake hands with him. Mr.. Stanton
had her sent to the White House in his
private carriage. When she got out of
the carriage the multitude of people was
so dense on the portico that it was almost
impossible for her to get to the main en-
trance. She was nearly crushed to death.
Unfortunately there was some man with
his heavy boot right Upon her foot.
was in the little Waiting room on the
right-hand side of the sntEance looking af-
ter the wraps and hnts, Ypf the diplomats
and officers when Il KNOCK came at the
door. There were two gentlemen with
this lady who had rescued her from this
terrible jam OF people. They said to me,
''Will you kindly let this lady be brought
in here?" l said, Certainly" She was
in fainting condition. 81 After she was
brought in closed the door, and the gen
tlemen retired. Immediately got some
water, took my handkerchief. and while
she lay on the settee bathed her temples.
/ continued doing so untilfshe appeared to
feel better. In the meantime, l left her
in the sitting room, and crowded my way
through the hallway wEere the jam of
people was very c0nlplct, Into the Blue
Parlor, with glass OF water for Mr..
Lincoln. He drank it, and seemed to en-
joy it very much. The perspiration was
just rolling down his face as he grasped
the hands of the passing throng, as though
he had been splitting rails as of yore.
After the lady had thoroughly recovered
and the reception was nearly over. she
went in and had grasp of the Presidents
hand. Everything passed off very nicely
that night, and next morning, the Sab
bath. Simon Cameron called upon the
President
Mr.. Cameron was received in the Blue
ParlOr. After while they came out and
stood in the grand corridor opposite en-
gaging in earnest conversation. The Pres
ident said, Cameron, something occurred
to me last night at the reception that new
er did before" He held his hands up and
said, Cameron, between every one of
these fingers is blister from the shaking
of hands" After one term in the White
House, and numerous receptions, the Pres
ident had never experienced anything like
this before. 1t was probably due to the
interest felt in him on account Of the
great events of the day.
THE NIGHT OF THE ASSASSINATION.
On April ii, 1865, in the evening, just
previous to the time when the President
and Mrs. Lincoln were going to the the
ater, George Ashmun, of Massachusetts,
called on Mrs. Lincoln, and showed him
into the Red Parlor, took his card up
stairs, and soon the President and Mrs.
Lincoln, with Mr.. Colfax, then Speaker
of the House, came downstairs and went
into the Red Parlor, where Mr.. Ashmun
was waiting. They oil entered into a
lively conversation, and came out Of the
Red Parlor presently, and stood in the
inner corridor. Their conversation was
about the trip Mr.. Colfax proposed 20
take across the continent. They then
passed out of the corridor into the main
yestibule. and stood in the main entrance,
where they again chatted. Mr.. Colfax
bade the President and Mrs. Lincoln good
evening, and went upstairs to see the
Private Secretary, Mr.. John G. Nicolay.
Mr.. Ashmun went out on the portco with
the President and Mrs. Lincoln, said
goodbye, and started off downtown Ned
Burke and Charles Forbes, the coachman
and footman, respectively, drove over to
a private residence, and took in the coach
Maj. RathbOne and Miss Harris, who
was the daughter of Senator Ira r. Har-
ris. OF New York.
Previous to starting Cor the theater I
said to John Parker, who had taken my
place, to accompany Mr.. Lincoln, "JOln,
are you prepared" l. meant by this to
ask il he had his revplyer and everything
all ready to protect the President in case
of an assault. Alfonso Dunn, my old
companion at the door, spoke up and said.
"Oh Tommy there ia m donvaro I