The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1909-02-04
MORE OF FATHER ABRAHAM
Another From the Collection Of
"He Knew Lincoln" Stories.

Ida NJ. Tarbell in the February American
Magazine.
1t used to rifle old Judge Davis a
lot when they was trsvelin' the cir
cult, the way Mr. Lincoln never made
no difference between lawyers and
common folks. heard Judge Logan
tellin' In here one day about their all
bein' in the tavern up to Blooming.
ton one day. In those times there
was just one big table for everybody.
The lawyers and big bugs always set
at one end and the teamsters and
farmers at the other. MIR, Lincoln
used to like to get down among the
workin folks and get the news. Reck.
on he got kinda tired hearin' discus
sin goin' on all the time. Liked to
hear about the crops and politics
and folks he knew.
This time he was down among 'em,
and Judge Davis, who always want.
ed Lincoln right under his nose, calls
out; "Come up here, MIR. Lincoln;
here's where you belong" And MIR.
Lincoln, he looked kinda funny at
the Judge and he says:
SCOT anything better to eat up
there, iudge?" And everybody tee
heed.
Feelin' as he did about folks
could see how 1t would 90 ag'in the
grain Tor the boys in the army 10
have a harder time than was neces.
sary. He'd argue that they was
dom the fghtin' and ought to have
the care. He'd feel a good deal worse
about their bein' neglected than he
would about the things he knew be-
iorehand he had TO stand, like
woundin' and KILN. And twas just
that way so found out the time
was down to Washington visitin
him.
l told you, didn't l, how l went W
to the Soldiers home and how w
walked out that night and sat AND
talked till almost mornin'? Twas
a clear night with lots OF stars and
Washington looked mighty pretty
lynn there still and white. Mr.. Lin
coin pointed out the capitol and the
White house and Arlington and the
Long bridge, shown me the lay o
the land.
"And it's nuthin' but one big hos
pital, Billy" he said after while
"You wouldn't think, would you
lookin' down on 1t 30 peaceful anC
quiet, that there's $4,000 sick anC
wounded soldiers there? Only AL
mighty God knows how many Of 'en
are dyin' this minute; only Almight,
| God knows how many are sufferin
so they're prayin' to die. They ar,
comm to US every day now-hsv'
been ever since the Wilderness, so,
900 here and 100000 scattered owe
the country. There's crswlin' lin,
OF sick and wounded all the way
from here to Petersburg tonight
There's line from Georgia to Chat
tanooga-Sherman's men. Youcan't
put your finger on a spot In th,
whole North that ain'tgot a crlpple(
or fever struck soldier in It. Their,
were days in May, just after tn
Wilderness, when Mary and l uset
to drive the carriage along lines o
smbulances which stretched from
docks to the hospitals, one, two
miles. II was q thing to tear you
heart out to see 'em. They brough,
them from the field just as they pick
ed them up, with horrible, gaping
undressed wounds, blood and dust
and powder caked over them-eater
by files and mosquitoes. They't
been piled like cordwood on fat cart
and transports. Sometimes they
didn't get a drink until they wer'
distributed here. Often when II wal
cold they had no blanket, when /,
was hot they had no shade. Thai
was nearly four months ago, snd
still they come. Night after night a.
l drive up here from the White hous,
l pass twenty, thirty, forty ambu
lances In q row distributin' the
wounded and sick from Grants
army.
"Think what II meansl Il meanl
that boys like you and me were, moi
so long ago, have stood up and shot
each other down-hsve trampled
over each other and have left each
othoP vOundad and Heading IN TN