Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-07-07
SOME OF LINcoLN's STORIES.
Anecdotes Told by War President-His
Love For Jokes.


but Abraham Lincoln was different.
He loved to hear stories that would
make him laugh, says an exchange,
and he loved to tell them and laugh at
at them, which shows that he was not
professional humorist. He used sto-
ries as a tonic. On one occasion a
member Of congress, who took life Sc
riously, came to the White House to
see the president on business Of ma
tional Importance. It was when the
clouds hung heaviest over the Union
cause and the member was not feeling
hilarious. Neither was Mr.. Lincoln, for
that matter, but he began to tell fun
ny story. The member resented 1t,
and told the president he was there on
serious business and not to listen to
funny stories. Mr.. Lincoln looked
hurt and his sad face grew sadder.
"Sit down." he said, waving his call
er to a chair, sit down and let me ex-
plain. l have the very highest respect
for you and a regard not much less
than your own, guess, for the nation
at large; but If l didn't get a chance
to laugh sometimes I'd die in my
tracks. / can be as serious as you are,
but not all the time. Which reminds
me"-and he finished his story with
the approval of the serious member,
who felt better for it. ABE" had the
story telling bug in his system and 1t
was a benignant bug.
Some of the stories Mr.. Lincoln
laughed at were not altogether fit for
publication in a family journal. One
of this sort had been told to him and he
had laughed. A very proper friend Of
his spoke to him about 1t and he
promptly condemned the story.
Then why did you laugh at it?" in
quired the friend.
Il didn't" smiled Mr.. Lincoln grave
ly. Il laugh because I was so glad
hadn't told It,"
Although Abraham Lincoln was born
in Kentucky he was never a man who
took liquor as a beverage. This Is a
pretty sure sign that he was really and
truly great, because only the greatest
men are able to rise above the infiu-
ence Of their early environment-in
Kentucky. Once he was asked to take
a drink by a politician who was meet
ing him for the first time and he de-
clined on the ground that he never
drank.
How does that happen?" inquired
the politician in surprise. Weren't you
born in Kentucky?"
Yes" replied Mr.. Lincoln, with the
well-known twinkle in his sad, gray
eyes, "but you see, my friend, never
Kentuckians always got to the jug be-
fore did. You know left Kentucky
when I was quite young"
This little anecdote shows what Mr..
Lincoln missed by moving north of the
Mason and Dixon line.
Nearly all the papers and letters
bearing the signature of Mr.. Lincoln
show that he signed his name "A.
Lincoln" A facetious college profess
sor called his attention to this and
added: You are not a Lincoln, Mr..
President; you are The Lincoln"
Mr.. Lincoln chuckled deep down
with modest enjoyment.
That may be-" he admitted, but
don't you think it would be rather
cheeky for me to sign 1t that way?"
This one Is a sign that Mr.. Lincoln
was as modest as he was great.
Every great man has some personal
weakness or other. II he didn't have
he wouldn't be human. Mr.. Lincoln
was very human and he was bit sem
sitive on the usual pronunciation Of
his name. To q visitor who had the
custom, not unusual, Of frequently
mentioning the name Of the person to
whom he was talking, he said. Don't
pronounce it as though I was a sau-
sage Call 1t Linkun"
Mr.. Lincoln's language in ordinary
conversation was characterized by the
same simplicity which adorned his
speeches.
You never swear, Mr.. President, do
you?" asked a prominent Boston man
who had talked with him on several oc-
casions.
"Oh, 1 don't have to-" he laughed not
loud but deep. You know I have STAN
ton in my cabinet"
on the virile and vitriolic secretary Of
war, but it was no less a delicate COM
pliment. One morning Mr.. Lincoln
met a well preserved tramp near the
White House grounds. The tramp
didn't know the president and struck
him for the loan Of dime to save
him from immediate starvation.
You look like an able-bodied man,"
said the president; why don't you
join the army?"
They won't let me-" whined the
tramp. 'Tll be glad enough to die for
my country, sir, If they would give me
the chance"
well, maybe 1 can be Of service"
said Mr.. Lincoln, kindly. Taking an
envelope and pencil from his pocket he
wrote a note and addressed 1t to the
officer in charge of the recruiting sta
ton near by, in 18th street. Take
that" he said, passing it over, land
give it to the officer at No. TIA 18th
street. If he can't do anything for you
come back here to me, I'm just walking
around"
The tramp took 1t and shuffled away,
but he never came back; neither did he
go to the recruiting office. The. note
was to this effect:
Col. Fielding. The bearer Is anxious
to go to the front and die for his coun-
try. Can't you give him a chance?
A. L."
This story proves that, while some
of the people may be fooled some Of
the time, and some of the people may
be fooled all Of the time, all of the
people can't be fooled all of the time.
In his youth Lincoln ran a ferry on
Ohio Y.i,y OF no of ndar-