Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-06-22

Wnen MI. Lincoln nrSt came to New
Salem he employed woman to make
him pair Of pantaloons, which, proba.
bly, from the scarcity of material, were
cut entirely too short, as his garments
usually were. Soon afterward the wo-
mans brother came to town, and she
pointed Abe out to him as he walked
along the street The brothers name
was James Short
without the necessity Of a formal
Introduction" says Short, 1--WE fell in
together and struck up a conversation,
the purport Of which have now for.
gotten. He made favorable impress,
sion upon me by his conversation OF
first acquaintance through his intelli.
gence and sprightliness, which impress.
sion was deepened from time to time
as I became better acquainted with
him.
A Great Com Husker.
This was lucky impression for Abe.
Short was a fast friend, and in the day
of trouble a sure and able one. At the
time the judgment was obtained Short
lived on the sand ridge, four miles
from New Salem, and Lincoln was in
the habit Of walking out there almost
daily. Short was then unconscious OF
the main reason of Mr.. LincoIn's re.
markable devotion to him. There was
a lady in the house whom Lincoln Sc
cretly but earnestly loved. If the host
mad known, however, poor Abe would
have been equally welcome, for he
hi inns CT. m CrAI VI q
guest here, as he did everywhere else.
In busy times he pulled off his round
nbout and helped Short in the field with
more energy than any hired man would
have displayed. "He was" said Short,
1.-THE best hand at husking corn on the
stalk ever saw used to consider
myself very good, but he would gather
two loads to my one"
These visits increased Shorts dispo-
sition to help him, and it touched him
sorely when he heard Lincoln moaning
about the catastrophe that hung over
him in the form of Van Bergen's jude-
ment. can execution was issued" says
he, "and levied on Lincoln's horse, sad.
die, bride, compass, chain and other
surveyors instruments. He was then
very much discouraged and said .4he
would let the whole thing go by the
board. He was at my house very much
half the time. I did all could to put
him In better spirits. I went on the de-
livery bond with him, and when the
sale came off, which Mr.. Lincoln did
not attend, I bid in the above property
at $120 and Immediately gave it up
again to him. Mr.. Lincoln afterward
repaid me when he had moved to
Springfield Greene also turned in ON
this judgment his horse, saddle and
bride at $125, and Lincoln afterward
repaid him."
But, after all, Mr.. Lincoln had no
friend more intimate than Jack Arm
strong and none that valued him more
highly. Until he finally left New Sa-
lem for Springfield he "rusticated" oc-
casionally at Jacks hospitable cabin,
situated flour miles in the country" as
the polished meropolitans Of New Sa-
lem would say. Jacks wife Hannah.
before alluded to, liked Abe and en-
joyed his visits not less than Jack did.
"Abe would come out to our house."
she says, ''drink milk, eat mush, corn
bread and butter, bring the children
candy and rock the cradle while got
him something to eat l foxed his
pants and made his shirts. Fa has gore
with us to fathers. He would tell sto-
ries. joke people, girls and boys, at par
ties. He would nurse babies-do any
thing to accommodate anybody. had
no books about my house; loaned him
none. We didn't think about books and
papers. We worked; had to live. Lincoln
has stayed at our house two or three
weeks at time" Yet Jack frequently
came to town, 7,here his sportive incli.
nations ran riot, except as they were
checked and regulated by the amicable
interposition of Abe, the prince Of his
affections and the only man who was
competent to restrain him.
Lincoln's Kind Heart.
The children at school had made q
wide sliding walk from the top of Sa-
lem hill to the river bank, q distance
of 2o0 or 800 yards. Now, it was one
Of the suggestions Of Jacks passion for
innocent diversion to nail up in hogs
heads such Of the population as In
Cured his displeasure and send them
adrift along this frightful descent.
Sol Spears and one Scanlon were treat
ed to an adventure of this kind, but the
hogshead in which the two We're Gagged
leaped over an embankment and came
near killing Scanlon. After that the
sport was considered less amusing and
was very much discouraged by that
portion of the community who feared
that, in the absence of more convenient
victims, the boys might light on them.
Under, these circumstances Jack, for
once In his life, thought 1t best to aban-
don coercion and negotiate for subjects.
He selected an elderly person Of