Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1905-03-02

Thomas Glascock, a resident of the
southeast part OF Melville township,
is one of the most interesting charac.
ters in this portion of the state, OWING
to the fact that for fifty-siX years, or
from 1888 to 1890, ne was % resident OF
Sangamon, Co. III. and was more or
less acquainted with and was close
observer of the great leaders who
made famous the political atmosphere
around the Illinois capital city of
Springfield. We are glad to present
his picture to our readers.
Mr.. Glascock was born in Fanguire
Co., Va, in 1881 and is now 70 years
old. He came as an infant with his
parents in 1893, to Sangamon county
H., settling nine miles north of the
little town of Springfield, which be-
came capitol in few years. He grew
to manhood there, was married there,
raised his family there and did not
leave until in 1890, when he moved to
Vermillion county. He lived at this
latter place until seven years ago,
when he and his family moved onto
the Brown ranch in the southeast
part of Melville which his son, w. o.
Glascock, superintends.
In early life Mr.. Glascock had many
experiences, which, as u narration of
them now falls from his lips, hold the
attention of one interested in pioneer
days. Sangamon county received
immigration in those days ahead of
other sections of the state because of
its situation on the Sangamon river,
and because of the prevalence of both
good timber and prairie land. Those
settlers along the edge of the timber
30's and 40's were the typical. frontier
families, having the typical exper-
fences, privations and enjoyments.
The first time Mr.. Glascock remem-
bers to have visited Springfield,
which was nine miles away from their
home, was in 1910, during the famous
Harrison campaign. That was the
log cabin and hard cider campaign.
An old log cabin was hauled into town
by a string of sixteen yoke of oxen.
A monstrous flag pole was raised and
they had the biggest rally in all the
country that night, every body coming
for fifty and sixty miles around and
camping out in their wagons over
| night. Mr.. Glascock distinctly re.
members every national campaign
since then, extending over period OF
| sixty four wears.
| On reaching manhood's estate and
becoming man of affairs he attend
ed practically all township and coun'
ty conventions, joining the republican
| party at its organization. He observ
ed closely the workings of the terrible
| political forces clashing in southern
Illinois, watching the leaders and no.
| ticing their characteristics. He knew
Lincoln as every young man who Is
| interested in affairs and attends his
| county meetings and conventions
| knows his county'S prominent men,
| He heard Lincoln speak frequently
and heard him in one of his famous
| debates with Douglas. He says that
| up TO this time Abe Lincoln was moi
| regarded by his neighbors as q great
man, but that they all thought him q
deep thinker and an able lawyer and
an unusually honest> man. He knew
| the families there to whom Lincoln
was related, the Todd's, the Edwards
and others. Mr.. Glascock relates
that he was in Springfield the day the
Chicago convention nominated Lin
coin for president and saw him per-
haps fifteen minutes after he had re-
ceiVed the news. He was calm and
seemed to be contemplating the great
| res possibilities that might be put on
his shoulders. His fellow townsmen
got up a big demonstration that after
nodn over the event.
Mr.. Glascock personally knew and
heard not only Lincoln and Douglas,
but War Gov. Yates, John A. Logan,
John M. Palmer, Peter Cartwright,
Shelby M. Cullom and other men of
eminence in that locality. He knew
quite we'll Simon Francis, the editor
of the first newspaper published in IL
linois, the Illinois State Journal, of
Springfield. Mr.. Francis founded the
Journal in 1881. 1t was whig paper
and then became republican, becoming
and still maintaining its place as the
republican newspaper of the capital
city. On becoming a man Mr.. Glass
cock subscribed for the Journal and
still religiously takes it. Mr.. Francis
was appointed by President Lincoln
as Governor of Oregon, where he died.
These things come to us from the
lips of this old man as though from q
generation past and gone. His voice
seems as an echo from past becom-
ing dim, yet half heroic in the big
events which were worked out about
him there. Mr.. Glasscock is repre-
sentative of the intelligent and well
read man of his time. He is now in
honored retirement here, living with
his children, his wife having gone be-
fore few years ago. His children
here are, besides w. o. Glasscock,
previously mentioned in this article,
Mrs. Thos. Campbell, of Melville, and
Mrs. Nettie Williams, of Audubon.