The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-24
"RaiI Splitter" Was Poor.
White Trash While Napier'a
"Folks" Were Slave an4
Property Owners. :
REFUSED TO VOTE FOR HIM
DIDN'T APPROVE OF LlNcolN'S
PRINCIPLES AND DIDN'T HAVE
MUCH OF OPINION OF HIM
TELLS OF "kAlNrUck."
A cousin of Lincoln !

A cousin of Lincoln!
Such is the claim of Pearle Napier
superintendent of the Wayne County
Poor Farm, just west of Centerville.
Mr.. Napier is tall. well built mau.
of slightly more than middle age. H0
is gaunt and thin with some OF the
characteristics of the idea called uD
when one mentions the Rail Split.
ter" In short he is a typical back
woodsman of the Kentucky hills with
many of the quaint phrases and en-
dearing qualities which are typical oe
that life.
Mr.. Napier. when asked OF his re-
lationship drawled out In true Ken
lucky fashion:
We'll. 1 reckon am. my folks came
from Hardin county in Kaintucky.
NV fathers mother war the sister OF
Abe's mammy"
THAT is she was a sister Of Nancy
Hanks?"
That's the way of II, I reckon: her
name was Hanks. To tell the truth OK
it we-all never had much to do with
Lincoln's folks. They all were no
count people poor as dirt Our peo-
pie had propt'y."
Throws Flood Life.
The story of Mr.. Napier throws =
flood of light on the early life and
training of Abraham Lincoln. II shows
what has been somewhat passed over.
the hardships and the privations Of
the frontier life and corroborates the
statements which have been criticised
in his biographies about the character
of Lincoln's father. II bears out the
statement. recently issued by Robert
r. Lincoln. the surviving son Of tim
martyred president that There 10
nothing to the early life Of Lincoln,
save the sad and simple story OF tho
poor"
II has been said Of Abraham Lin
coin that he was "a man without .
friend" during his entire life. This
story. coming as IL does from the i'm.
mediate family of Lincoln bears out
the statement. 1t Is a tale which diae
closes the loneliness Of the man when
he spoke from the heart those words
of the second Inaugural address brim-
full Of sadness. with malice towar4
none-with charity for all"
Can Read Between Lines.
Any one who reads the unconscious
testimony of Mr.. Napier will also read
between the lines OF many of the Mt
terances of Lincoln throughout HE
life
In speaking Of his family having
property and his relatives. the Linz
coins. having none, Mr.. Napier coz
tinued:
When I say our people. I mean the
and my father"
Down in Hardin county In tho1
days there was Cyrus Curtis and hjo
two brothers-Matt and BILL"
And your fathers family!" aske0
the reporter.
There was three of them, Henry
William and DICK. You can put hle
name down. Richard. for I reckon tha4.
is what 1t is. though nobody ever cali
ed him that"
"All Of them were young fellows.
the same age as Abe lincoln. But
none of 'em ever had much to do with
him. He was too ugly-he was IN Az.
ful homely boy and man."
Were No Schools Then.
did they go to school tOgether
NO indeed. there weren't any
schools In Kaintucky. Least there
wasn't when / left and there wasn't
any before. Deed I KANT tell you
nothing about Lincoln. ! never saw
him In my life IN was most too small
when my father died to hear tell Of
what went on before Abe moved AWAY
I was the youngest OF fourteen chN
dren and most Of them are dead"
Mr.. Napier was then asked II Lin
coin ever afterward had any commune
ication or made any visits TO hh
home In Kentucky.
NO" said Mr.. Napier" he never
came back and he never sent any
letters. You see my folks didn't havD
- 1CootiDued - Fan 11geo1e1>