The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-02-17

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It is very much
HE WOULDN'T BE as IL a man had
LOOSE, WOULD HEf" been hoped up
tight in q hogshead
and should contrive in some way to knock
the bung out and then issue a proclama-
ton through the bunghole that he was
free. He wouldn't be loose. would he?
When Mr.. Lincoln became prominent
in Republican politics in Illinois one
OF his old Wing friends upbraided him
for having gone in with them aboli-
tionists." This friend said he had
come all the way to Springfield to find
why he had done it. MI. Lincoln
evaded an argument and satisfied the
old Wing by an inevitable and charac-
teristic story:
You and I are like the boy and the
tanner. A country boy ran off to the city.
He walked all day and came to the out
skirts of a small town. The first build
Ing he encountered was q tannery, and
through the hole Of the door protruded
the tail of a cat which was used as a
latchstring. The boy stopped to eye it with
great curiosity, and just then the tanner
came out Of another door. "What is it,
boy? What do you want?" he asked.
"Nuthin'," said the boy, "only I was won
derin' how that goldarned cat got through
that hole and what 1t went in for"
The president often joked about the
number of brigadier generals he was
making. To a gentleman who was one
day urging the appointment Of another
Lincoln objected that there were al
ready more generals than they knew
what to do with. The visitor still in
sisted, whereat Lincoln said:
Now. look here. you are a farmer, l
believe. Suppose you had a large cattle
yard full of all sorts of c~attle-cows, oxen.
bulls-and you kept killing and disposing
of your COWS and oxen, but took good
care of your bulls. By and by you would
find that you had nothing but a yard full
of old bulls, good for nothing under heav-
en-. Now, it will be just so with the
army If I don't stop making %brigadier
generals.
Another time it was reported that
a detachment Of cavalry and a youth
full b%rigadier from New York had been
captured. Mr.. Lincoln said he was
sorry to lose the horses.
"What do you mean?" he was asked.
"Why," he rejoined, II can make a
brigadier any day, but those horses
cost money"
Despite the brilliancy Of Senator
Charles Sumner, he was cordially dis
liked by President Lincoln. In the
early part Of the war Sumner, Wade
and Thad Stevens pestered the pa
tient Lincoln much on the subject of
emancipation, for which he was not
ready at that time. One day, glancing
out of the window, he saw the trio ap-
nrOoohinr oo1 rJyoI IN n 1,;oSAo.
that it reminded him Of an incident Of
his school days. His class had been
trying to pronounce the names of
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and
had finally succeeded. The teacher
was not satisfied, but insisted on a
repetition, beginning with Lincoln,
who was at the head Of the class.
Thereupon the small boy at the foot
began to cry. When asked what was
the matter he blubbered, Don't you
see them three cusses are coming this
way again?"
In the darkest and most troublesome
days Of the war a sympathetic friend
remarked to MI. Lincoln:
"This being president isn't all it is
cracked up to be, is itT
NO." said Lincoln. II feel some
times like the Irishman who after be.
ing ridden on a rail said, 'Begorry, If it
wasn't for the honor av tn thing I'd
rather walk"
This recalls another story of the
dark days when M generous soul
came to the president with sincere
and heartfelt words Of praise. Lin
coin thanked him cordially and re-
marked that he did not receive too
many such compliments. Then he
told n Of the best and most popular
Of all the characteristic Lincoln anec-
dotes:
One day In Indiana a long legged
Hoosier appeared with a great chunk Of
gingerbread which he was industriously
stuffing into his mouth with both hands.
The boys came around and laughed loud
ly, but he of the gingerbread paid not the
slightest heed. A crowd gathered, but he
continued his feast until it was all gone.
Then he brushed away the crumbs from
his mouth and remarked with a satisfied
sigh:
Il reckon I like gingerbread better than
any man in Indiana and get less Of it,"
If Abraham Lincoln loved praise.
or, rather, appreciation-as what
healthy, candid man does not?-he
died too soon to get his fill of it. Yet
If he could live now, when the whole
world is ringing with his plaudits, GER
tainly some of the pain would leave