The Washington herald., 1909-01-17
Some Personal "reminiscences
of the Boyhood Days of Lincoln

ers store IN the evenings. and on Safur-
days. many times waited on him and
Mrs. Lincoln Lincoln and He-ndon used
to come into the store and talk politics
with my brother and other men about
town, who used 10 eongregate there IN
the evenings. particularly in the winter
time
~Of course I was not old enough at
that time to take any interest in politics
/ or 10 care much 20 listen 10 political ar
guments or discussions. but I always
I liked TO near Lincoln talk. for there was
an air Of sincerity and earnestness about
! him that commanded even the attention
I of a youth IKE me. and when I grew
{ Older and began to take a personal inter
est in politics I naturally became an ar
4 dent partisan cf Lincoln, and was mem
/ Der Of the Lincoln Wide Awakes.' ar or
4 ganization Of Lincoln adherents that held
/ their meetings in the Wigwam, a build
I ing which the club erected. and which,
I 70 the best Of my recollection. stood near
/ the site OF the present Chicago and
Alton depot.
Present at Joint Debate.
7 was present at the joint debate in
! Springfield between Lincoln and Douglas,
/ IN the courthouse square, and I believe
I that the crowd that assembled there on
+ that occasion was the largest that I ever
saw in my life II was estimated that
more than 100.cOc people heard the two
men that day. They came bY special
! trains from sli over Illinois, OHIO, and
Iowa, and there were several hundred
1 from Wisconsin. / remember that the
F Wide Awakes' paraded the streets OF
I Springfield that night until almost morn
/ ing, and I do not remember ever being
+ as tired IN my life as 7 was the next day
( 4 cast my first vote for Lincoln. and
have voted for every Republican caEdi-
I date for President since that time
Ar. Chapman heard Of the riches Of the
I Powder River gold fields in Eastern Oregon
! and left Springfield. in April. 1852. starting
I for the West by way Of New York from
which place, in company with several
other adventurous spirits. including z F.
I Moody. once surveyor general and after
ward governor OF Oregon, and John and
William Smith. also OF Springfield. he
sailed for AspinWall. thence across the
. Isthmus Of Panama and from there by
steamer TO san Francisco, where they took
I passage for Portland on The old steam
I ship Brother Jonathan. From Port
I river boat, but that was as near the gold
fields as they ever got, for upon arriving
{ there they met men returning who had
F gone II with the first rush and who PRO
nounced the new fields to be a dismal
Z failure and advised them 20 return 10
( Portland.
TenderfOOt as Prey.
Moody was elected captain and pur-
chasing agent for the party, and We re-
tured 10 Portland" Mr.. Chapman said.
our choice proved a wise one. for We
found that at a number OF places On the
/ trip the tenderfoot was considered Iegiu-
mate prey. and had II not been for Moody
we would have undoubtedly been bunkoed
I at almost every turn. Our trip 10 Port
land was made without anything out OF
s the ordinary occurring. and Il was not
until we had reached The Dalles that we
began 90 realize what life IN q new
and practically undeveloPed country
meant.
when we got OF the boat at The
Dalies we met a number Of roughly
dressed men taking passage. and as they
passed Us they evidently decided from
our appearance that We were Fasteners
headed for the mines. and one OF them
all damned fools aren't dead vet
We stayed al night that night al the
Umatilla House. and there we net q
number Of practical miners returning from
Powder River. and they told Us The dig
gins Nere no good
The next morning. May ., 1852. We
awOse and found that the Columbia River
mad risen during the night and the water
had completely surrounded the hotel, ris-
ing almost TO the second-story Of the
building where We had slept We were
taken out IN rowboats and put abosrd
the boat for Portland and that experience
effecJually cured ne Of my desire to be-
come a miner.
Heard OF ASsasSinafion.
Shortly after returning TO Portland I
entered the employ OF Il ". Corbett &
Co, snd worked for them six months.
when I moved to Oregon City and went
20 work Tor Chairman d Warner. general
merchandise. was working for them
when tbe-news that Lincoln had been as
sassinated reached us. The old military
telegraph line at that time ran through