Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-17
Military Telegraph
Under Lincoln
By ALBERT CHANDLER

be fraught with difficulties such as had not fallen on
any previous President of the United States, al
though believe that neither he any other citizen
of the Republic had then any expectation that so
terrible and destructive war was pending. He
was received there with great enthusiasm by the
multitude that had gathered to see him, and
knowledged their demonstrations with the homely
dignity that was peculiar to him, and without
making any speech. AS both telegraph operator
and railway agent, was among the few who were
privileged to enter the private in which he and
his family were making their journey, and shall
never forget the deep impression which his towering
form and his already sad and always kindly face
made on me as he took my hand. l had then
expectation of seeing him again during his presi
dency.
Got Up Before Daylight
THE next time l remember of his speaking to me
was early one morning, perhaps six o'clock soon
after went to Washington. l had been duty
all night. He left the Office late ten eleven
o'clock the night before; but SO anxious was he
for news from the armies that he often came over
from the White House soon after daylight to see the
dispatches which had come in during the night
He seemed amused at finding in exactly the
same position, writing at my desk in which he had
the night before, and as he came in he said:
Have you been sitting there all night" Then
he read over the messages addressed to the
various officers of the Government, both civil and
military, carbon copies of which made on letter
size tissue-pa per and placed without folding in a
little drawer in what called the cipher desk
The contents of this drawer for his special
information. The messages placed in it in the
order of their reception and he careful to keep
them so.
1t was his habit to read from the top down. and
when he to those which he had already read
with smile he said: We'll, :, ess 1 have got
down to the raisins" AS seemed in doubt as to
what that might mean, he explained that little
girl, having eaten improperly both in quantity and
quality, beginning with lot of raisins, was made
quite i'll, and could find relief only in the process
which sick stomach is likely to compel After an
exhaustng siege she gave exclamation of salts
faction that the end of her trouble near for she
had got down to the raisins l suppose that
have heard Mr.. Lincoln the expression dozen
times at least when he had finished reading the
messages in his drawer and had reached those which
he had read before.
One day soon after this hearing a newsboy
Pennsylvaniaave., in front of the War Department,
calling out in singsong way, Here's yer Phila-
delphia Inquiry" he mimicked him, and then said:
did ever tell you the joke the Chicago newsboys
had on me?" Receiving negative reply, he said:
"a short time before my nomination was at Chicago
attending lawsuit photographer of that city
asked me to sit for picture and did so. This
coarse rough hair of mine in particularly bad
tousle and the picture presented in all its fright
After my nomination, this being about the only