The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-28
LINCOLN'S EARLY DAYS.


Some "Reminiscences Of His Boyhood
I'm Indiana.
Gentryville Qnd) Letter in st. Louis Globe
Democrat
Until few years ago there was in Gen.
tryville an old wooden fire shovel, on which
Lincoln had traced these verses:
Time-what an empty vapor It's,
And days, how swift they are;
Swift as an arrow speed our lives,
Swift as a shooting star.
The present moment
The stanza was not finished. but it was
kept for many years until the old fire shovel
disappeared, and it's whereabouts are un-
known to this day.
There used to be q character around
Gentryville in its early days known ''Old
Holiness" who was often intoxicated.
One winter night "Old Holmes" would
have been frozen but for Lincoln, who
found him and carried him home sitting
up all night to resuscitate him. This in
cdent started a temperance wave over
Spencer county, and the debates were start
ling and interesting.
Half way up the long wandering street
for many years stood an old blacksmith
shop. In front Of ii was wide spreading
tree that still waves it's boughs, but every
sign of the old shop is gone.
for years was owned by Rev. Fred Heuring,
past commander of the Indiana Grand
Army of the Republic, but is now the prop
erty of Jacob Dendnger. a town marshal.
This old blacksmith shop was a famous
place in the life OF Gentryville. and was
a favorite resort for the people of Spencer
county.
The old blacksmith. whose name every
one seems to have forgotten. was a natural
story-teller, and he had around him a crowd
of as good story-tellers as himself.
Abraham Lincoln was at this shop a great
deal, and it was a common resort for his
father, Thomas Lincoln, and Abraham s
uncles. John and Dennis Hanks. The shop
was the country news stand and the lecture
platform, and 1t was there that Abraham
Lincoln learned many of the stories that
he told in after life.
1t was here that Dennis Hanks told the
story of Sykess dog, a story that Lincoln
told to Grant after the fall of yicksburg.
and which was one of the most famous
of Linc0ln's stories.
Sykes had a dog that was a nuisance,
and some one fed him a large cartridge
amounted to much after that as dog.
Lincoln's application of the story was
that those who were complaining of Grant
for paroling so many of Pemberton's army
burg it did not amount to much as an
army.
The Crawford school which Abraham
Lincoln attended was situated about three
logs, and was not more than six feet high.
Some of the older persons in this country
remember their parents telling of Andrew
Crawford, the teacher, and his brother,
Josiah Crawford the latter known as "Blue
Nose Crawford, name given him by
Abraham Lincoln.
Josiah Crawford once loaned Lincoln a
copy OF Life OF Washington, and Lin
coin got the book wet. for which Craw-
ford charged him Is cents, debt that
Lincoln paid by working for three days
pulling fodder.
The local history is that he never for
gave Josiah Crawford. and the name BLUE
Nose" that it is said he gave him. Is
part OF the legends of Spencer county 10
this day.
OF the enemies that Lincoln made, none
were greater than some members OF the
Grigsby family. many OF whose descend
ants still live in this neighborhood. Sarah
Lincoln. sister of Abraham. married Aaron
Grigsby, and two years later died.
Abraham. 1t is said. always declared that
his sister was not properly treated by the
Grigsbys. This brought about a social feud