Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1907-02-07
Ward Hill Lamon,
CHAPTER |.
Friend and RodysvArd
Abraham Encoh's First and Fondest

Love.
" AN1ES RUTLEDGE was the
founder of New Salem, the little
4 town in Illinois to which Abra-
ham Lincoln removed at the age
Of twenty-three, and the owner in part
Of the famous mill on the Sangamon.
He was born in South Carolina and
was Of the illustrious Rutledge family
Of that state. From South Carolina he
emigrated to Kentucky and thence to
Illinois. In 1928 he settled at New Sa-
lem, built the mill and laid out the vii
age in conjunction with Mr. Cameron,
a retired minister Of the Cumberland
Presbyterians. Mr.. Rutledge's charac-
ter seems to have been pure and high,
for wherever his name occurs in the
voluminous records before us-in the
long talks and the numerous epistles
Of his neighbors-it is almost invaria-
bly, coupled with some expression Of
genuine esteem and respect,
At one time and along with his other
business, which appears to have been
extensive and various, Mr.. Rutledge
kept the tavern, the small house with
four rooms on the main street of New
Salem, just opposite Lincoln's grocery.
There Mr.. Lincoln came to board late
in 1882 or early in 1888. The family
consisted of the father, mother and
nine children, three of them born in
Kentucky and six in Illinois, three
grown up and the rest quite young.
Ann, the principal subject Of this chap
ter, was the third child. She was born
on the 9TH Of January, 1918, and was
about nineteen years of age when Mr..
Lincoln came to live in the house.
When Ann was little maiden just
rurned Of seventeen and still attending
the school Of that redoubtable peda-
gogue Minter Graham, there came to
New Salem young gentleman of sim
gular enterprise tact and capacity for
business. He was the pioneer Of New
Salem as a business point and built
the first storehouse there at the extrav-
agant cost of SIS. He took boarding
with Mr.. Rutledge's friend and part
ner, James Cameron, and gave out his
name as John Mcneil. He came to
New Salem with no other capital than
good sense and an active and plucky
spirit. but somehow fortune smiled in
discriminatory on all his endeavors,
and very soon-as early as the latter
part Of 1932-he found himself we'll
to do and prosperous man, owning
snug farm seven miles north Of New
Salem and half interest in the largest
store of the place. This latter property
his partner, Samuel Hill. bought from
him at good round sum, for Mcneil
now announced his intention Of being
absent for a brief period and his pur-
pose was such that he might need ali
his available capital.
In the meantime the partners, Hill
and Mcneil, had both fallen in love
with Ann Rutledge. and both courted
her with devoted assiduity. But the
contest had long since been decided in
favor Of Mcneil, and Ann loved him
with all her susceptible and sensitive
heart. When the time drew near for
Mcneil to depart, he confded to Ann
strange story and, in the eyes Of per-
son less fond, very startling story.
His name was not John Mcneil at all,
but John McNamar. His family was q
highly respectable one in the state Of
New York, but few years before his
father had failed in business and there
was great distress at home. John then
conceived the romantic plan of running
away and at some underlined place in
the far west making sudden fortune
with which to retrieve the family dis
aster. He fed accordingly, changed
his name to avoid the pursuit Of his
father, found his way to New Salem
and-she knew the rest. He was now
able to perform that great act Of filial
piety which he set out to- accomplish,
would return at once to the relief Of
his parents and in all human PROBABLE
ity bring them back with him to his
new home in Illinois. AT all events,
she might look for his return as speed
lily as the journey could be made with
ordinary diligence, and thenceforward
there should be no more partings be-
tween him and his fair Ann. She be-
lieved this tale because she loved the
man that told it, and she would have
Believed it all the same if it had been
ten. times as incredible. A wise man
would have rejected it with scorn, but
the girls instinct was better guide,
and McNamar proved to be all that he
said he was, although poor Ann never
saw the proof which others got Of it.
a Her Lover Rides Away.
McNamar rode away on old Charley,
an ANTICIPATED steed that had seen hard
usage in the Black Hawk war. Char
ley was slow, stumbled dreadfully and
caused his rider much annoyance and
Eome hard swearing. On this provok-
Ing animal McNamar logged through
the long journey from New Salem to
New York and arrived there after
many delays only to find that his bro
ken and dispirited father was fast
sinking into the grave. After all his
efforts he was too late. The father
could never enjoy the prosperity which
the long absent and long silent son
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