davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-26
1868
coon after ] sent 10 Washington.

soon after ] went to Washington.
'Ihad been on dutyull night He had left
the Office as late as 10 or II the night be
fore, but SO anxious was he for news from
the armies that he often came over from
the White House soon after dayhreak to
see the despa tohes that had come in during
the night. He seemed amused a finding
me in exactly the same position and as he
came in he said
Have you been sitting right there all
night2'
Mr., Chandler also remembers the little
drawer and the Presidents invariabe re-
mark about the raisins
One day. soon after this hearing news
boy on Pennsylvania avenue, he mimicked
him and added:
Did lever tell you the Joke the Chica 20
newsboys had on me? just before my
nomination l was in Chicago attending a
lawsuit. A photographer asked mo 10
sit for picture and did so. This coarse,
rough hair OF mine was in particularly
bad tousle and the picture represented
me in all its fright
After my nomination. this being about
the only picture Of mo there was. copies
were struck of to show how l looked
AHV AoHSbSJo NSlI'td NHuli HIOHllA " brI4
and cried:
Here's your Old Abe; he'll look better
when he gets his hair combed.
He laughed over this "a lRartily as
though it had been a good joke on some
one else.
A friend OF mine IN New York wrote me
asking for picture OF Mr. Lincoln with
his autograph on il; 30 | bought two good
photographs of him. and when he came
that night asked him 10 put his name on
them, remarking that ! supposed he was
frequently annoyed by such applications.
He said:
Well. l suppose that you know that
men will stand n good deal when they are
fattered little smiled doubtfully
and he continued You haven't learned
that YETI Well, you needn't remain in
ignorance OF it any longer, for it's So
LINCOLN sKETCHED.
He was much in the habit Of sitting with
his feet on a table. desk or chair In cold
weather. during all my observation Of him,
he wore large gray shawl and never an
overcoat. This shawl he usually hung
on an inner door Of the Office as he came
ina position in which a man of ordinary
height could not place it.
His composition in writing was slow
and apparently somewhat labored. While
writing, as | have often seen him, sitting
opposite 10 me at the same table, he was
accustomed 10 look out of the window
between sentences and scratch his head,
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Chicago operator, asking for a message TO
"Old Abe Lincoln" Mr. Lincoln watched
the instrument closely "a it licked of the
message and remarked that the mystery
Of the whole thing was that the operator
could understand while he couldn't
II was in the summer of 1862 that Mr..
Tinker was called to he one of the War
De pariment operators. Lincoln, although
he chattcd with the operators often, did not
recognize the new man; and the latter for
fear Of being thought impeItinent, did not
make himself known.
After the New Years reception Of ls61
the President, tired out with handshaking,
dropped over TO the telegraph Office for his
evening loaiing. He started to tell story
about his old court DAYS in pekin, and
stopped, stuck FOR name. The young
operator spoke up and supplied the name.
and then the President suddenly remem-
bered the man who had shown him how
the thing worked
LIGHT on a CLOUDY POINT IN HISTORY.
From these talks in the telegraph offce
and from the inside information. sacred
at the time, which the operators held. Mr.
Tinker was able. a few years ago to clear
up a cloudy point in history-the attitude
OF President Lincoln toward Andrew John
son.
1T happened that when the MESA ge
announcing The nomination Of Andrew
johnson TO the Vice Presidency was am
nounced tie President was in the Office
He read it carefully and soliloqmzed
aloud:
-Well, thought possibly he might bs
the man. Perhaps he Is the best man.
but and rising from his chair, he passed
out Of the office, leaving me impressed with
the significance OF the unfinished doubt,
which in the light OF subsequent events
became thrilling prophecy.
The last time l saw Mr.. Lincoln said
Mr.. Tinker, was on the afternoon Of Apr
II. 1858, three days before his assassination
He came to the office as usual that after
noon, and something reminded him OF
story.
70 illustrate the finale he gathered his
coat tails under his arms and with three
long strides crossed the room and passed
out OF the door with the last words Of tho
story echoing from his lips That evening
went home from the Office i'll with eli ght
fever, which prevented my resuming duty
until the morning OF April 49, when | VIVA
aroused by loud voices in the street and
learned that the President had been assas-
sInated.'
Although he missed the climax, Mr.. Tin
ker saw the last scene Of the great ira edy
OF the civil warsaw the curtain drop-fur
he was one of the witnesses to the execu-
ton oil Booths four accomplices.
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irving TO get them to mail that letter In the
states. They took the letter ana heitn
dropped OF at the next station.
- went over, made myself agreeable to
tbe priests and got them TO talking about
the Latter Itold them that was going to
be In the States and would be glad TO mail
n Tor them. They handed it over. 1t
vas sent Mt once 10 the authorities, and gave
great line on the plans OF Sanoy hei'h'
THE QUEEN OF THE BLOCKADE auNNEES'
sIn those days there was Mrs GrinneIl
in Halifax. A novelist would call her Tho
Queen of the Blockade Runners Sho
was n singilarly beautiful and clever
woman. found out great many OF her
plans. Later a vessel on which she was
irving 70 run the blockade was sunk by our
wnrships in Wilmington harbor and she
was drowned.
INV last Job before left concerned two
vessels loaded with locomotives which
we're detained on suspicion in Philadelphia
harbor. The owners said that they were
destined for certain railroad near Hall
fax. | investigated the road. 1t was
little tramway from granite quarry and
could not possibly use such rolling stock
as the Philadelphia vessels had on board
The vessels we're seized.
This campaign did not absolutely break
Nd the blockade running game in Halifax,
but IL did bother and limit 1t whole lot.
Mr.. Tinker had known Lincoln before the
war In fact, he had first taught the future
President the working OF the telegraph
BAcKwooDs LAWYER AND PRESIDENT.
In the spring of 1857 Mr.. Tinker, then
barely 20, was the operator at Pekin. Ill.
Lincoln, practising lawyer, dropped in
to attend the March term OF court.
a tall angular type of Western human
ity. with long strides and forward bent.
good natured and jovial' says Mr.. Tinker.
During the eight years Of my acquaintance
with him saw little change in his personal
ity. other perhaps than a marked pensive,
almos saddened, mood as he carried the
burden Of his great responsibilities.
The young operator was one Of the crowd
that used 10 gather about Lincoln evening
after evening to listen TO his tales One
afternoon Lincoln saw that the wire was not
busy and asked to be shown how the thing
worked
Mr.. Tinker explained. and called up the
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-26

during those four years, with the kindness
and charity of Lincoln toward the whole
world, but especially toward HIS opponents
and his conntrys enemies,
SADNESS AS WELL AS HUMoB.
During some OF Mr.. Lincoln's daily
visits to the War Department there were
many spare moments when lie waited for
fresh news from the front or for the transla-
ton OF long cipher messages
He would fill up this time frequently
by telling stories or reading aloud some
humorous article from newspaper. One
Of Nasbys catch phrases which Mr. Lincoln
especially enjoyed repeating was oils well
that ends we'll
Mr.. Lincoln would stop his reading TO
laugh at these foolish expressions. he
greatly enjoyed this form Of hum espe-
cally when it was directed against preya-
lent or alleged faults Of some Of our Cen
erals. or even when 1t criticised his own
public acts or those Of his Cabinet. In
fact he dearly loved to twit some OF his
own official family by calling attention to
newspaper references or humorous articles
rejecting upon their administration or
personal peculiarities To those of us who
watched him day by day II was clear that
the telling of funny stories and the reading
Of these articles was really the safety valve
that gave him sorely needed relaxation.
Often, indeed, he would lean back in his
chair with his feet on the desk in front OF
his long body and relapse into serious.
thoughtful mood. idly gazing upon the
moving traffic in Pennsylvania avenue, over
which. in the fall Of lSGl, he had seen his
old friend. Gen Baker. march with his
troops TO Balls Bluff and death.
AT such times Mr. Lincoln's face was
n study. The inherent sadness Of his fea-
lures was a study even to us youngsters.
4DowN TO RAfsINs.'
He would not remain idly pensive for
long Out Of the cloud he would come,
his expressive face would light up. and he
would make some funny remark "a Secre-
tary Stanton entered the room or as he
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-26
,,sunllu Tho right tamnle.

usually the right temple,
-He would form his sentences in his mind,
often moving his lips in actual whisper of
the words, and then write them out, rarely
erasing interining or correcting. And
when it was finished, what perfect dlction
it wasl
aHe sometimes read aloud, and in doing
so would occasionally purposely mispro-
nounce words and misplace infections
and accent as though musing as he read,
His keen sense of the ridiculous extended
TO very little things, and he was as perfect
a mimic as his very large frame would
permit
"He came TO our Office. he said, to get
rid Of his persecytors.' most of whom wanted
10 see him lust minute, which meant that
If he could hear their whole case and decide
as they wanted him to In Il minute that
was all the time they wanted.
Peculiar names and alliterat lions seemed
to have charm for him, and he would re-
peat them over and over to himself. He
was in the habit Of talking to himself as l
several times observed when he WAS walking
from the White House TO the Department.
He was very fond of his little boy Tad
who was often with him and whose idea OF
the good 1altn OF tne clpneT operators,
1 suspect, was derived from his father.
1t was at any rate well illustrated in this:
Il was one morning passing the White
House. AS | entered the great porte
cochere. on the north side, saw Tad play
ing in an express wagon that was standing
there. Although years old, he could not
talk plainly. much of his speech being
quite unintelligible TO any one not accus-
toned TO it. He called out:
-What de new?'
Unanswered; Nothing new this morning.
Tad He said quickly: oh. l know bet.
There Il and you won't te'p
TYPICAL STORIES BY LINCOLN.
zone morning after Gen. Grierson's cele-
brated raid Mr. Lincoln came in and. as
the raid had been the most important recent
military event, it was made the subject Of
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force Mr.. Lincoln made tour Of the fortih-
cations to the north and west OF the city.
While engaged in this he witnessed quite
a spirited skirmish between a small detach-
ment Of Union and Confederate soldiers.
Il have in my possession the diagram
he made in the telegraph Office Immediately
after his return showing the position Of
the different forces and how and where the
skirmish took place, which he noted for
the Information of three or four of us who
were extremely interested in the situation
Even under those circumstances the mevi-
table story came to his relief. and he told
US Of couple Of new inventions Of which
he bad lately heard.
'One Of these was designed to prevent
hens from scratching up the garden and
consisted Of movable brace, attached
to the hens legs which at every scratch
moved the hen forward and by successive
scratches out Of the garden. This was
designated the hen walker.
The other was a little trapdoor adjusted
under the hen : nest, This on the appear
ance OF the egg, let it fall out OF the hens
sight and reach, the effect being that the
hen would Immediately set about laying
another egg. and this, to the Presidents
amusement, was called the double back
action hen persuader.
srANroS's TWO SIDES
Toward all stories Of this sort especially
when told under such circumstances, Mr..
Stanton several times within my observa-
ton manifested strong. displeasure.
Il remember on one occasion hearing
Mr.. Lincoln address Mr.. Stanton. with
great gravity and a low bow. Good morning.
Mars TO which Mr.. Stanton responded.
without the least recognition Of the pleas
antry Good morning, Mr.. President
with all his austerity and seriousness
Mr.. Stanton was an exceedingly kind and
lovable man devoted TO his family and
friends as we'll as TO his country. and am
sure that the President had the utmost
respect for his ability and tho utmost
confidence in his judgment and the excel
lence Of his purpose
Il think, nevertheless, 10 Is not to be
denied that he was sometimes annoyed by
Mr. Stanton's brusqueness and, may say,
his lack OF tact.
ION the other hand, while Mr.. Stanton
was sometimes annoyed by the freedom
with which Mr.. Lincoln gave out inforina-
ton and regarded his story telling as I'M
dignifed, there can be no question that he
also regarded Mr.. Lincoln as prominently
the man Of all men best fitted to occupy
the position he did occupy. OF all his
Cabinet | believe there was none more
loyal to him than Mr.. Stanton.
stanton accomplished work which
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-26

hourshes which partly obscured the
name Mr.. Lincoln remarked that II re-
minded him OF a short legged man wear.
ing a long tailed overcoat which, as he
walked through tho snow, wiped out the
tracks of his feet
'Lincolns humor got him out OF trying
situations and tempered his refusal OF
favors. as happened during the civil war
when a gentleman asked him for pass
through the Federal lines into Richmond.
Il should be happy to oblige you, said
Lincoln, If nay passes were respected. But
the fact Is that within the past two years
| have given passes to Richmond to
quarter Of million men, and not one has
got there yet
In the spring OF 1862 Gen. Sohenck,
afterward United States Minister to Eng
land, captured twenty or thirty prisoners.
who, IL appears, were equipped with Colts
revolvers The President remarked az he
read the despatch that We would soon have
evidence of the prevailing tendency OF
newspapers toward oxagGeration, because
no doubt by the time the morning papers
appeared, these Colts pistols would have
grown to horse pistols
There was a pictorial book OF nonsense
popular many years ago which Mr.. Lincoln
once referred to in my presence. He re-
cited from 1t rhyme as Illustrating his idsa
that the best method OF allay ing anger is to
adopt a concilatory attitude. The picture
was that OF maiden on a stie gazing at
an enraged COW in the field nearby.
How shall soften the heart OF this COW,
VIII sit on this siic aud continue TO smile
TN soften tho heart ofth cow ."
MIR cHANDLgR's "REMINISCENCES.
Mr. Chandler was called 10 the military
telegraph service in 1851, but declined the
appointment al the time for personal rea-
sons. In 1858. he being then just under
n years old he received a second call and
accepted.
1T has sometimes been said Of mo that
| was President l.ncolns telegraph opera
tor in the White House. said Mr. Chandler.
Tho fact IS that was one Of tho three
cipher operators In the old War Depart
ment building, whom Secretary STATIONS
secretary used To call tho sacred three.
Il first saw Mir. Lincoln at Allegheny
Pa, when he was on his way to Washing
ton. The next time remember his speak
ing 10 me was very early one morning,
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-26

TO the Associated Charities of Evansville
for protection. She told her story, and the
Salvation Army, under the leadership o!
Capt. Mckay, was so moved by it that both
organizations arc working for her release.
She said that hor constant association
with theinsane was telling upon her nervous
system and that she felt thtt abe would be-
come insane If she could not shortly get out
Of the institution. The asylum authorities
confirm the woman's statement, SAYING
that she is becoming nervous and highly
excitable and that this condition Is the
direct result Of her associations. They say.
however that she has no home TO which she
can go, and II is better 10 keep her in the
asylum than TO turn her out upon the world
with no protector and nothing 10 do. Capt.
Mckay has hit upon plan which he thinks
will solve the problem, ndapplicetion will
be made to have her sent TO the Phil ip-
pines as a nurse.
Il feel she said to-day, while talking
about her life in the asylum. that cannot
stand II much longer. ! must soon be like
those about me. ! have no relatives who
will take me, and for that reason, it seems,
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-26

conversation. Grierson started into the
confederate lines at Memphis and nothing
was heard Of him for nearly three weeks,
when he arrived safely at Baton Rouge
with his command. The President said
mat 1t reminded him OF story he heard
once about person who had run u needle
INTO MS hand and never knew anything
OF II again until it came out of his foot
fifteen years later.
When he had finished reading the tele
grams announcing the result OF Sheridan's
last light with Early. he said that he thought
tariy's army was IN the condition of dog
he once heard Il man say he killed. The
cur ran fiercely at the man every time
he passed, Swapping at his heels.
so one day he filed piece Of punk with
powder set fire to it as he was about to pass
his neighbours house. clapped 1t inside
biscuit, and, when the dog ran out a usual.
tossed the biscuit to him. In an instant,
the dog swallowed it, Presently, the fire
touched the powder and away went the dog
his head in one place, a leg here, another
there but, said the man, the doe-as a
dog-I was never able TO find After this
fight. the President said: 'Early's army as
an army would be hard 10 find
nm MfADE NhlIlIlsEDs
ION the l4th Of June, 1859. information
Of an extensive movement Of the Con-
federate Army toward Maryland and Penn
sylvania was received. This proved to he
an attempt to transfer the battle-ground
Of the war from Southern to Northern
soil, and eliminated in the battle of Gettys-
burg From the beginning Of the move
ment until the recrossing OF the Potomac
by Gen. Lee. Mr.. Lincoln spent much OF
his time in the War Department telegraph
office
ION the 18th Of July, upon receiving
telegram from Gen. Meade explaining
somewhat in detail the movements OF his
army and Of the enemy as near as he could
asceI tain them. the President called rne
10 a large map hanging near my desk and
pointed out that the enemy were surely
being driven to cross the river instead OF
being prevented from doing so. Gen.
Meade's message closed with theee words:
1t is my intention to attack the enemy
tomorrow, unless something intervenes
to prevent il, for the reason that delay
will strengthen the enemy and will not in
crease my force
Calling me again to the map. and point
ing out the positions as he understood them,
the President paced the floor wrpging his
hands and said
They will be ready TO fight magniH-
cent battle when there is no enemy there
to fight His apprehensions were justified,
for the next morning the enemy had indeed
escaped across the river.
MR.. IINcoIN's SYMPATHY.
Il wish to make special and grateful
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-26
federate Cabinet. They went to the cipher
OpAratora for fermentation

federate Cabinet. They went TO the cipher
operators for transcription.
IL was a singular cipher or combination
OF ciphers. 10 fact, the writer had employed
ten different codes. 1t would have been
impossible 10 figure it all out if 1t had not
been that the writer had used the same
series all through for the same words.
In Trinity churchyard the tombstone Of
James eeSon the next one to the Martyrs
Monument at the head Of Pine street. bears
Il line OF cabalistio characters. curious
combination of lines and dots. This has
long been recognized as cipher whose
translation is Remember Death just
such Il code was used in some on the words
Of the Confederate cipher
When this letter was handed over to the
three cipher operators to be puzzled out.
Mr.. Bates remembered that such cipher
had been used in a store where he had
worked as boy He made out some Of the
words based on the Trinity tombstone sys-
tenn He, Chandler aud Tinker managed to
Inizzle out the rest The letters referred to
the manufacture Of bonds ia New York and
the shipment Of rebel arms. ammunition
bonds and supplies to Halifax for transfer
to Confederate ports.
HUNTING BLOCKADE RUNNERS.
Charles A. Dana, then Assistant Score
tary of War went to New York on the first
train to assist in running down the gang.
Mr.. Tinker was at that time in poor health.
The work Of the cipher Office was telling on
him and he was sent to Halifax as kind
Of vacation
He found the town packed with blockade
runners. There were millions of dollars in
the business at that time and the runners
were prosperous and incautious. he man
aged to get board at house where thirty Of
them lived. They talked rather freely
Of their plans to him, and one Of the first
results Of his mission was the seizure Of
two ships, with their cargoes, about to
sail from New York.
One Alexander Keith. known as Sandy.
was the leader OF the gang. Although
Mr. Tinker never got quite so close to him
as he did to the others, he watched him
carefully for six weeks. Finally, bya curious
accident, he managed TO kill some Of the
biggest plans OF the blockade runners.
Judge jackson. the United States Consul
at Halifax, wanted to send his wife to the
United States said Mr.. Tinker. 1t
was necessary for her to go by railroad to
the nearest port As he couldn't leave,
he asked mo TO accompany her.
we we're no sooner in the car than
Sandy Keith entered. He took good
look around. walked over to two priests,
and began to talk TO them. By and by
i saw him pass them letter.
Il saw the point at once. keith's mail
was being caught and held when it came
across the line from Halifax, and he was
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-26

must stay here till / become n maniac
Il knew everything / was doing when
pretended TO be crazy. | thought | was
lettering myself then, but how many.
many times since have / wished l had re-
NAMED IN prison and served my sentence.
IL II UGH easier 90 convince people thai
you ave insane than that you are not
j was happy when j came here and on
the day entered laughed TO myself Mt the
way had fooled tho prison authorities
All thought Of then was that in three years
| would be- free, but / have been here five
years now and freedom seems as distant as
ever.
The trap which set for others has sprung
upon me and cannot tell what the end will
be. If could only do something or II there
was some one who would take mo it would
be different, but they keep me here because
l have no place 20 70 If released
Influential persons in southern Indiana
are taking an active interest IN the case.
The hospital authorities say that they will
recommend the woman as a nurse. and rs
soon as employment is secured for heI.Wiil
gladly give her parole.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-26

ing into shreds and making day and night
hideous with Der cries. Eventually the
authorities secured an order for her traps-
fer to the Southern Hospital for the Insane
at Evansville.
From the moment that she entered that
institution she appeared to DO changed
and showed no evidence Of insanity. She
soon became n valued nurse. At the end
Of three years in the asylum she asked for
her release and obtained il and returned
10 her childhood home.
Her father had never reented and within
an hour after her arrival he had sworn
out warrant for her arrest. A lunacy
comm ission was summoned and the girl was
legally declared insane. The day follow
inE her release from the institution at Evans
vile she was returned 20 it.. She began
again her routine Of duties practically where
she had left them on
Last week she was missed from the insti-
tuition, and It was found she had applied