Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1906-09-05
fCoNTINUED.] ]
FIGHT With the Criqsby.


Abe dropped "The Chronicles at q
point on the road where he was sure
one of the Grigsbys would find them.
The stratagem succeeded and that
delicate satire produced the desired
effect The Grigsbys were infuriated-
wild with n rage which would be salts
fed only when Abe's face should be
pounded into n jelly and a couple of his
ribs cracked by some member of the
injured family. Honor, according to
the Pigeon Creek code, demanded that
somebody should be ''licked' in eXpia-
tion of an outrage so grieyous; if not
Abe. then some friend of Abe's whom
he would depute to stand the brunt in
his stead Billy, the eldest of the broth.
ers. was selected to challenge him. Abe
accepted generally-that is, agreed that
there should be fight about the mat.
ter In question.
1t was accordingly so ordered. The
ground was selected mile and half
from Gentryville, ring was marked
out. and the bullies for twenty miles
around attended. The friends of both
parties were present in force, and eX.
citement ran high. When the time ar
rived for the champions to step into
the ring Abe displayed his chivalry in
a manner that must have struck the
bystanders with admiration. He an
nounced that, whereas Billy was con-
fessedly his inferior In size. shape and
talents. unable to hit with pen or fist
with anything like his power, therefore
he would forego the advantage which
the challenge gave him and turn over
his stepbrotEer, John Johnston to do
battle in his behalf. If this near rela-
tive should be sacrificed. he would
abide the issue; he was merely anxious
to see a fair and honorable fight.
This proposition was considered high
ly meritorious, and the battle com
menced on those general terms. John
started out with fine pluck and spirit,
but in little while Billy got in some
clever hits, and Abe began to exhibit
symptoms of great uneasiness. Anoth-
er pass or two, and John tagged quite
decidedly, and it became evident that
Abe was anXiously casting about for
some preteXt to break the ring. At
length. when John was fairly down
nnd Billy on top and all the spectators
cheering, swearing and pressing up to
the very edge of the ring, Abe cried
out that "Bill Boland showed foul
play" and, bursting out of the crowd,
seized Grigsby by the heels and flung
him off.
Having righted John and cleared the
battle-ground of all opponents, "he
swung whisky bottle over his head
and swore that he was the big buck of
the lick" 1t seems that nobody of the
Grigsby faction, not one in that large
assembly of bullies, cared to encounter
the sweep OF Abe's tremendously long
and muscular arms, and so he remained
master of the "lck." He was not con-
tent however with a naked triumph.
but vaunted himself in the most Of
fensive manner. He singled out the
victorious but cheated Billy and. max
ing sundry hostile demonstrations, de-
clared that he could whip him then and
there.
Billy meekly said he did not doubt
that, but that II Abe would make
things even between them by fighting
with pistols he would not be slow to
grant him a meeting. But Abe replied
that he was not going to fool away
his life on single shot, and so Billy
was fain to put up with the poor sat
isfaction he had already received.
Abe as a Debater.
At Gentryville they had exhibitions
or speaking meetings." Some of the
questions they spoke on were: The Bee
and the Ant Water and Fire. another
was, Which had the most right to COM
plain, the negro or the IndianY An
other, Which was the strongest, wind
or water?" The views which Abe
then entertained on the Indian and the
negro question would be intensely in
teresting now. But just fancy him dis
coursing on wind and water! What
treasures of natural science, what sal
lies of humor, he must have wasted
upon that audience.
Dennis Hanks insists that Abe and
he became learned men and expert dis
putants, not by a course of Judicious
reading, but by attending "speechmak-
ings, gatherings" etc.
"How did Lincoln and yourself learn
so much in Indiana under such disad-
vantages?" 2" said Mr.. Herndon to Den
MS on one or his two oral eXa4hlha-
tions. The question was artfully put,
for it touched the jaunty Dennis on the
side of his vanity and ELECTED char
acteristic reply.
eve learned" said he, "by sight,
scent and hearing We heard all that
was said and talked over and over the
questions heard; wore them slick
greasy and threadbare. Went to polit-
ical and other speeches and gatherings,
as you do now We would hear all
sides and opinions, talk them over, dis
cuss them, agreeing or disagreelng.
Abe, as l said before, was originally a
Democrat after the order Of Jackson,
so was his father, so we all were. He
preached, made speeches, read for us,