Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-02-15
MEMORIES OF "Aeer LINCOLN.

those whose hearts throb in love and
| reverence at the mention of Abraham
| Lincoln. gathered at Red Men hall
| TO listen to the rendition of program
which had been arranged by Sedg-
wick post, Grand Army OF the Repub-
| lie. Post Commander w. II. La
Count delivetSd the opening address.
| which was followed by that song OF
songs that makes the American blood
tinge--"The Star spangled Banner"
| by a quartet. Joined by the audience.
Superintendent w. NJ. Peterson OF
the Fort Lewis Indian schools. who
| has facial lines Of some of the orig
inal stock, addressed his auditors
with his recollections and ideas of the
value Of LincoIn's life at its oppor'
tune time in the history OF the ma
tion, followed by "Tenting on tne Old
Camp Ground" song which Will live
ns long as the American tongue and
the English language live. After an
interspersion of instrumental music
| Mrs Rosepha G. Pulford addressed
| the meeting and was followed by a
quartet in Kellar's American Hymn.
The following address by Rev. w. II.
Ferguson was received with much in
| terest and applause. and the meeting
closed with the song. America" by
n quartet and the audience:
| Members of the G.. A. r., Fellow Cit
izens. and Pupils of the School:
We are now celebrating the birth
| ps.t NJ bl
figures of the past are better fitted
to impress us with the greatness OF
an heroic life. We find In his person
the sterling qualities of character.
and in his works the spirit of true
manhood. and. when we hold him M
before the eyes of the public as an
example, we do we'll.
Good deeds ought not die.
| They with the sun and moon,
| should renew their light
Forever. blessing those that look
on them"
| Now an effort to make this true is
| common custom. Greece required her
boys and girls to learn and recite the
| names of her chief men. Thermopy-
ae's 500 martyrs were at the tongues
end of every child, and tnat which
| was so there was true everywhere,
| All of the principle nations have com
PEELED the oncoming generation to ac
| quaint themselves with their heroes
during their school days.
And the present occasion indicates
| a similar spirit among us. We have
at least begun to call up sucn things
before the minds of our children, and
we should continue our effort. Our
ambition should he to make our
,rownng excellence an education in
patriotism.
Nor can we begin with man bet
ter than Lincoln. His form is gone
from our view, None of MS are TO see
him again until we are summoned on
ihe morning of the last reveile to
answer TO our names at the final roll
call: but. though absent from us in
person. he is present with MS In
works. We nave received from him
the richest inheritance man can
leaye men-the memory of good
name. the throb of tender heart
the aspiration of a gentle spirit, and
the career of a noble life, and the
wish is TO remind ourselves of him
Nhis evening.
Perhaps the hest place TO begin
with Is his home. One should remem
Der that he was of humble extraction
His father was Ignorant his father
| l,A
lie from his earliest childhood to earn
I living. When his mother died, leav
ng him at the age of s years, she
eft him in a forlorn condition, and
Though stepmother took her place
md tried TO mitigate his ills, fortune
vas against him. His surroundings
ave little promise of a future presi
lent of the United States.
But the hoy was superior to his cir
,umstances. His love of knowledge
vas evidenced in childhood. Enough
ime was stolen from his work on the
arm to teach him to read and write
At a log school house in the back
woods Literature was borrowed from
his neighbors. and, when his father
kept him at home from school, the
evenings were spent with book His
arithmetic was studied by the light OF
IN old-fashioned fireplace. and, there
being no slate and pencil at his com
mand, the problems were solved on
me back OF an old wooden shovel
which, when full of figures, he scraped
pff with piece of glass and resumed
mis- task.
| So the urchln-poneer rose to the
rank of scholar. His information
so gotten was used diligently. Every
advantage was taken of his opportuni,
ties, and when there were occasions
| public speeches were made on the po
| litical questions of the day. His wis
lon and eloquence soon became the
| talk of his fellow men. So well
known did he become and so well re-
| spected, that the Republican party
nominated him in 1860 for the highest
office in the land, in opposition to
| Mr.. Douglas. The contest was bitter
an extreme. but his bearing mad
won for him the favor of men. Pop
ular sentiment was on his side, and,
when the ballots We're counted, he