Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1906-09-12
S Youth ana
Early Manhood
WARD
HILL
LAMON,
His Friend, Intimate and
Bodyeuard

must nave gone at nSufeS equdlly
mean.
Lincoln took with him to Illinois
"some stock cattle, one horse, one bu-
reau one table, one clothes chest, one
set of chairs, cooking utensils, cloth
ing" etc. The goods of the three fami-
lies-Hanks, Hall and Lincoln-were
loaded on wagon belonging to Lin
coin. This wagon was ironed, no.
tlceable fact in those primitive days,
and was positively the first one that
he U-incoln ever owned 1t was
drawn by four yoke of oxen, two of
them Lincoln's and two Of them
Hanks. We have no particulars of the
journey, except that Abe held the
gad and drove the team; that the
mud was very deep; that the spring
freshets were abroad and that In cross
ing the swollen and tumultuous Kas-
kaskia the wagon and oxen were near
ly swept away.
Arrives In Illinois.
On the 1st day of March, 1880, after
fifteen days tedious and heavy travel,
they arrived at John Hanks house,
four miles northwest Of Decatur. Lin
coin settled at n point ten miles west
of Decatur. Here John Hanks had cut
some logs In 1920, which he now gave
to Lincoln to build house with. With
the aid of john Dennis, Abe and Hall
a house was erected on a small bluff on
the north bank of tho north fork Of
the Sangamon. Abe and John took the
four yoke of oxen and broke up fif-
teen acres of land and then split rails
enough to fence 1t In.
Abe was now over twenty-One. There
was no Uncle Wood to tell him that
his age was against him. He had done
something more than his duty by his
father, and as that worthy was now
again placed in situation where he
might do we'll If he chose, Abe came to
the conclusion that it was time for
him to begin life on his own account.
1t must have cost him some pain to
leave his good stepmother, but beyond
that all the old ties were probably bro
ken without Il single regret. From the
moment he was a free man, foot loose,
pleased, his success in those things
which lay nearest his heart-that is,
public and social preferment-was as
tonishing to himself. as well as to 9th
ers.
Thomas Lincoln subsequently moved
at least three times In search of n
healthy location. and finally got him
IL Il.,.,t ,t.t.s H..
Coles county. where he died of dis
ease Of the kidneys in 1851 at the ripe
old age of seventy-three. The little
farm forty acres) upon which his days
were ended he had, with his usual i'm
providence. mortgaged to the school
commissioners for 5000, Its full value.
Induced by love for his stepmother,
Abraham paid the debt and took n
deed for the land, with n reservation
of life estate therein, to them, or the
survivor of them" At the same time
QS4D he gave helping hand to John
Johnston, binding himself to convey
the land to him or his heirs after the
death of Thomas Lincoln and his
wife upon payment of the 5000, which
was really advanced to save Johns
mother from utter penury. No matter
how much the land might appreciate in
value, John was to have 1t upon these
terms, and no interest was to be paid
by him except after the death of the
survivor, as aforesaid"
Kindness to His Stepmother.
As soon as Abraham got little up in
the world he began to send his step
mother money and continued to do SO
until his own death. At the close of
the Black Hawk war Mr.. Lincoln went