The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-02-11
WE ONCE SAW LINCOLN.

In his boyhood the editor of this
paper attended the college prepara-
tory school of Prof. Geo. r. Bark
er, on Price street, Germantown,
a suburb of Philadelphia. 1t was
dnring the civil war, and at that
time an organization known as the
Sanitary Commission was engaged
in the work of raising funds for the
alleviation Of suffering among the
Union soldiers on the field and in
the hospitals.
For this purpose they held a fair
in Philadelphia, in 1864. Logan
Square was used for the purpose,
and temporary buildings were erect
ed that nearly enclosed the entire
square.
During the tair the President of
the United States was present one
day. and it was our privilege to be
there on the same day. Mr.. Lin
coin was accompanied by body
guard of fine looking young men,
who never left him alone. They
were arrayed in gorgeous uniforms,
and made fine appearance. Our
companion for the day was the son
of the Surveyor of the Port of Phil
adelphia, and knowing that the
President was there, we made every
effort to get where we could see
him. The buildings were not o.
the magnificent kind now seen at
the various expositions, but were
cheaply constructed, but one story
high for the most part, and there
was no large audience room. So
we wandered about as we'll as we
could in the dense crowds that
thronged every passage way, and
wero about to give up hope, when
we saw squad of policemen COM
ing in the corridor where we were,
and opening up a passage way.
They were followed by squad Of
soldiers which proved to be the
presidential body guard, and in the
center of them lowered the tall
form of Abraham Lincoln.
His face was then as familiar as
it is to-day. There was no mis-
taking him. Fortunately, we
found something to stand upon,
and so had good view of him, for
the first and last time.
In April, 1865. after the assassi-
nation, we were still in school in
Germantown. The remains of the
martyred President were lying in
state in Independence Hall for
three days. On Sunday afternoon
with party of young people, we
went into the city to see the re-
mains if possible, taking our places
in line, up Sixth street several
blocks from the State House.
Two lines were passing through the
windows on Chestnut street into
Congress Hall, where the body lay,
and out the back windows into In
! dependence oquare.
But for some reason our line
moved very slowly. In two hours
we had nearly reached Chestnut
street, and the line had begun to
go more rapidly, and we were led to
believe that we should SOON be able
to pass through the Hall, when one
of the young ladies in our party
was overcome by the heat and the
crowd, and tainted away. OF
course, there was nothing to do but
get out of the crowd, which was
done, and she revived in short
time, but by that time the hour for
closing the windows. had arrived,
and we were too late to get in. We
saw the catafalque on which the
casket was borne through the city,
and that was all.
We have always been rather glad
that the one time we saw Abraham
Lincoln was as a living, breathing
man, the President of the United
States, and not as he lay in his
casket, the victim of cowardly as
sassin.