Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-05-04

lying dead or insensible by the side of
a mud puddle. They rolled the sleeper
over and found in him an old and quite
respectable acquaintance hopelessly
drunk All efforts failed tc roSse him
to any exertion on his own behalf.
Abe's companions were disposed to
let him lie in the bed he had made for
himself; but, as the night was cold and
dreary, he must have frozen to death
had this inhuman proposition been
equally agreeable to everybody pres
ent. To Abe it seemed utterly mon
strous, and, seeing he was to have no
help, he bent his mighty frame and,
taking the big man in his long arms,
carried him great distance to Dennis
Hanks cabin. There he built a fire,
warmed, rubbed and nursed him
through the entire night, his compan-
ions Of the road having left him alone
in his merciful task. The man often
told John Hanks that it was mighty
'clever in Abe to tote him to warm
fire that cold night and was very sure
that Abe's strength and benevolence
had saved his life.
Abe was fond of music, but was
himself wholly unable to produce three
harmonious notes together. He made
various vain attempts to sing few
lines of "Poor Old Ned" but they were
all equally ludicrous and Intellectual.
Religious songs did not appear to suit
him at ALL" says Dennis Hanks, but Of
profane ballads and amorous ditties
he knew the words of a vast number.
When Dennis got happy at the grocery
or passed the bounds Of propriety at
a frolic he was in the habit of raising
charming carol in praise Of the joys
which enter into the Mussulman's es-
tate on earth, of which he has vouch-
safed us only three lines
The turbaned Turk that scorns the world
And struts about with his whskers curled
For no other man but himself to see.
It was a prime favorite of Abe's, and
Dennis sang it with such appropriate
zest and feeling that Abe never forgot
single word Of it while he lived.
Another was:
Hail Columbia, happy land!
If you amt drunk, I'll be d-d-
song which Dennis thinks should be
warbled only in the fields and tells
us that they knew and enjoyed all
such songs as this. Mrs. Crawford
says that Abe did not attempt to sing
much about the house. He was proba-
bly, afraid to indulge in such offensive
gayeties in the very habitation Of the
morose Crawford. According to Den
mis- Hanks, his melody was not Of the
sort that hath power to charm the saw
age, and he was naturally timid about
trying it upon Crawford. But when he
straints he put forth his best endeavors
to render zone that was called Will
liam Riley and one that was calleu
John Anderson's Lamentations and
one that was made about General
Jackson and John Quincy Adams at
the time they were nominated for the
presidency
The Jackson song indicated clearly
enough Abe's steadiness in the political
views inculcated by Jones. Mrs. Craw-
ford could recollect but single stanza
of it:
Let auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind,
And jackson be our president
And Adams left behind.
In the text of "John Anderson'S Lam
entations," a most distressful lyric to
begin with, Abe was popularly sup
posed to have interpolated some lines
of his own, which conclusively attested
his genius for poetic composition.
Ito be ConIinued.)