The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-13
LINCOLN in HIS YOUTH
ONE OF HIS BEDFELLOWS RECALLS
INTERESTING INCIDENTS.
Richard Jones, Eighty-Ffve Years Old,
Remembers Many characteristics
of the Great President.
pecial to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal
EVANSVILLE, Ind, Oct. 12-Historic
associations enhance the interest which
visitor finds in Dale and Lincoln City, Spen-
Ger county, this State, for it was in the
fields that divide these towns that Abra-
ham Lincoln spent his boyhood and youth.
Now that many years have elapsed since
he lived and worked there, the Lincoln
perspective gradually fixes itself and the
attention of investigators Is drawn more
and more to the locality where the great
President lived the formative years of his
life. Time and again biographers and
writer's of national prominence have can
vassed the Dale and Lincoln communities
to CLEAN new facts about those early days.
The great mass of tradition that clings
about memorable spots and memorable oc-
casions has been winnowed repea tedly, but
even now. when the failing memories of old
men brighten for moment, a new thing is
recalled to add to the authentic biography
of the great man or to prove what before
was doubtful because of contradiction or
hearsay.
Of the men and women who were asso-
ciates of Lincoln in the period of his strug-
giles and failures in Spencer county barely
a half dozen remain. One of these, Rich
ard Jones, lives in Dale. Descendants of
David Turnham, who was a contemporary
and friend of Lincoln, live there also. They
preserve precious relics of Lincoln and the
period of Lincoln occupancy OF Spencer
county. Mr.. Jones is now in the eighty
fifth year of his age, but his memory is
clear and he takes deep interest in pres
ent-day affairs.
What do l remember about Abraham
Lincoln reneatpd
Then, leading the way into the yard, he
stood where an opening in the trees COM
manded view in southeasterly direction.
He pointed to a group of trees a half-mie
distant
See those trees?" he inquired. I'm the
early days that was a four-acre orchard
belonging to John Jones, my father. Abra-
ham Lincoln cleared that ground. If /
recall rightly, now, father was wanting
some one in the spring of 1927 TO help him
/ in the clearing, and he heard of young Lin
coin. We knew him and his father, for
there were not many persons in the wilder
ness hereabouts in those days. Father
saw Thomas Lincoln, and he said his son
| might go to work.
Lincoln ate at our house and also slept
there. except on Saturday nights, when he
went home. L was a boy of twelve and
he was just passed eighteen. We slept
together for two months, 1 should say
| Lincoln worked for my father about three
| months. In that time We learned to know
| him well. He was not talkative and seemed
| particularly taciturn on affairs that re-
| lated to his home, his father and his STEP
mother. What were his feelings toward
| his step-mother l never knew, though II
| has been said by some that he held her
| in high regard because she gave him his
first opportunity to educate himself.
Whether this be not L cannot say.
He never went to school here.
Every Saturday night he would start
| for home and frequently he would carry
| with him fitch of bacon which my father
| had given him in part payment for his
| work. Whether there was ever a money
| transaction between father and young Lin
| coin | cannot say. On numerous occasions
| Thomas Lincoln came to our house and OBJ
| tanned corn for meal He would speak
with father, and then he would go with a
| bushel or so of corn and ride on to the
mill with it, This, as / understood them
and as still believe, was Lincolns only
| pay for his work.
| 1T may have been on the four acres YOU
see over there that Lincoln gained his first
experience in splitting rails. Much of the
was he turned into rails, and some of these
were still preserved in fences on the farm
when Lincoln became President
| While we lived in the same neighborhood
| until the Lincolns left for Illinois several
years later. and while met Abraham more
| than once afterward, j have no distinct
recollection of his boyhood other than what
1 have just told you: l met him when he
| returned TO Indiana in 1874. 1t was on the
| first of August of that year, and an cleo
ton was held that day Several of us were
| place. The polls had not been open a very
| long time when a man on horseback ca me
| up. We did not recognize him at first
He alighted and began greeting us. Each
man he named instantly after a separation
| of twelve years or more, and some had
grown from boys to men in the meantime
slapped him on the back and cried Here s
| David Turnham, here's Thomas Metcalfe
| here's William Wood here's James Blair.
| There may have been other men in the
| crowd, but / do not remember them And
| then there were cries from the men for
! speech. Lincoln began hesitatingly He
stopped over, his hands behind him. hold
ing his SLOUGH hat AS the words fell from
| his lips, as he grew more interested in his
| subject and less conscious of his hearers
| he Strengthened to an erect position drew
his hands from behind him and his hat fell
to the floor. 1t was all extemporaneous
but the effect was magical He spoke for
| an hour and he held the breathess at
| tention of every man. Then, with a We'll
| boys, 1 must go now he rode away as
| suddenly as he came. and he never visited
| Southern Indiana again. On his Journey
| through Spencer county he stopped al
| Rockport a few days later and remained
there a short time. He delivered a speech
| there.
I'm those days we little dreamed of the
| Importance to which this ungainly mar
would arise later in life. We knew him
as just plain Abe Lincoln. We had a
sincere respect for him. He was a mar
that could always Command respect He
was Honest Abe. -