Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-15
bovABLE TRAITS OF LINCOLN.


JovABLE TRAITS or LINCOLN.
Biny Browns Reconections OF Hls
Friend, Townsman and President.
In the various exercises throughout the
country commenorating the birthday an
niversary Of President LINCOLN, men
eminent In public life and private station
paid tributes of a grateful people 10 tie
life work OF the martyr president, yet none
Of them IL comparable in simplicity snG
neghborly admiration with the picturesque
"reminiscences Of Billy Brown, Lincoln's
friend and townsmsn. Billy Brown was
discovered by Ida Tarbell and she lets him
tell his story in his own way Of Lincolns
departure from home and Lincoln In Wash
ington. in the current number Of the Ameri-
can Magazine;
"Of course he seemed pretty cheerful
always" says Billy Brown. HE want
no man to show out all he felt. Lots Of
them little stuck-up chaps that came out
here 70 talk to him said soiemnly as
owls: He don't realize the gravity OF the
situation
"Thems their words, gravity Of the
situation Think Of that, Mr.. Lincoln
not realizing. They ought to heard him
talk to US the night he went away. I'll
never forgit that speech-nor any man who
heard 1t.
Il can see him now Just how he looked,
standin' there on the end OF his car. He'd
been shakin' hands with the crowd in
the depot, laughin' and talkin', just like
himself but when ne got onto that car he
seemed suddnt to be all changed. You
never seen face 20 sad in all the world.
II tell you he had woe In his heart that
minute--woe He knew he was leavin' us
for good; nuthin else could explain the
way he looked and what he said He knew
he never was comm back alive.
II was rainin' hard but when We saw
him standin' there In bare head, his great
big eyes lookin' at us so lovin' and mourn
full, every man OF us took Off his hat, Just
as II he'd been in church.
You never heard him make a speech. OF
course? You missed lot. Curious voice.
You could hear 1t away off-kind Of shrill.
but went right to your heart-and that
night It sounded sadder than anything l
ever heard.
"He stood a minute IookIn' at US and
then he began to talk. There ain't man
in this town that heard him that ever for
got what he said, but L don't believe
there's a man that ever said II over out
pud-he couldn't without cryin'. He just
talked TO us that time out OF his heart.
Somehow we felt all OF a suddint how
we loved him and how he loved us. We
hadn't taken any stock in all that talk
about his bein' killed. but when he said
he was goin' away and not KNOWN when
| or whether ever he would return just got
cold all over,
) II began to see that minute. and every
body did. The women all fell to sobbin
and a kind Of groan went up. and when
he asked us to pray for him l don't be-
1ieve there was man in that crowd
whether he ever went to church in his
life, that didn't want to drop right down
on his marrow bones and ask the Lord to
take care OF Abraham Lincoln and bring
! him back to us, where he belonged
Ever see him again. Yes. once,
down in Washington, summer Of Ga 1
had a brother in Washington, clerk in
department-awful set up cause he had
| an ,office-and when I got down there
told him I'd come to visit Mr.. Lincoln.
HE says: william, be you fool?
Folks don't visit the president Of the
United States without an invitation, and
he's too busy to see anybody but the very
| biggest people In this administration. Why,
he don't even see me, he says. Well. 1t
made me huffy to hear him talk.
Isaac says, I don't wonder Mr.
Lincoln don't see you. But it's different
with me. Him and me is friends
"'well he says, you've got to have
cards, anyway
Cards. says. what for? What knd?'
why he says. vlsitin' cards-with
your name on
Well, 1 says, its come to a pretty
pass IL an old friend hike me can't see
/ Mr.. Lincoln without sendin' him a piece
| of pasteboard. ia be ashamed to do such
thing. Isaac Brown. Do you suppose
he's forgotten me? Needs to see my name
printed out to know who l am? You can't
make me believe any such thing and l
walked right out OF the room, and that
night footed It UP to the Soldiers home,
where MT Lincoln was Twin then. right
among the sick soldiers in their tents.
There's a lot OF people settin'- around
in little room, waitin' fer him. but there
wasn't anybody there I knowed, and was
feelin' a little funny when a door opened
and out come little John Nicolay. He
came down this way. SO Just went up and
says
How'd you do. John; where's Mr. Lin
coln7' Well, John didn't seem over glad
to see me.
"'Have you an appointment with Mr..
Lincoln? he says
"'No. sir l says; I amt and II amt
necessary. Mebbe it's all right and fttin'
for them as wants postoffices to have
appointments. but / reckon Mr. Lincoln's
old friends don't need EN-, so you fist trot
along, Johnnie. and tell him Billy Browns
here and see what he says
"well, he kind o. flushed up and set his
lips together but he knowed me, and so
| he went of. In about two minutes the
door popped open and out came Mr.. Lin
coin, HIS face all lit up He sew me first
thing, and he laid holt of me and just
| shook my hands At to KILL
"'Billy.' he says now am glad to see
you. Come right in. You're goin' to stay
to supper with Mary and me-
Didn't know it2 Think bein' president
would change him?-not a mite.
We'll. we had supper and then talked
some more. and about 10 o'clock l started
downtown. Wanted me to stay all night,
but I says to myself Billy, don't you
overdo It. You've cheered him up. and
you better light out and let him remember
Il when he's tired So l said: