The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-07-20
SOME OF LINCOLN'S STORIES.
Anecdotes Told by War President
His Love for Jokes.

All great men do not love to
laugh but Abraham Lincoln was diff
ferent. He loved to hear stories that
would make him laugh, says an ex-
change, and he loved to tell them and
laugh at them, which shows that he
was not a professional humorist. He
used stories as tonic. On one oc-
casion a member of congress, who
took life seriously, came to the White
House to see the president on busi-
ness of national 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 a funny story. The
member resented it, 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
caller to a chair, ''sit down and let
me explain. I have the very highest
respect for you and a regard not
much less than your own, guess,
for the nation at large; but if 1
didn't get a chance to laugh some
times I'd die in my tracks. I 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 bet
ter for it. "Abe" had the story tell
ing bug in his system and it was
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 it and he
promptly condemned the story.
"Then why did you laugh at it,"
inquired the friend.
""I didn't" smiled Mr.. Lincoln
gravely. 81 laughed because I was
so glad hadn't told it."
Although Abraham Lincoln was
born in Kentucky he was never
man who took liquor as a beverage.
This is a pretty SIRE sign that he
was really and truly great, because
only the greatest are able to raise
above the influence of their early en-
vironment-in Kentucky. Once he
was asked to take a drink by poll
tician who was meeting him for the
first time and he declined on the
ground that he never drank.
Chow does that happen?" inquired
the politicians in surprise. "Wern't
you born in Kentucky?"
eyes," replied Mr.. Lincoln, with
the well-known twinkle in his sad,
gray eyes, "but you see, my friend, I
never acquired the habit because
those other Kentuckians got to the
jug before I did. You know I 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 it that way?"
This one is sign that Mr.. Lincoln
was as modest as he was great.
Every great man has some personal
weakness or other. If he didn't have
he wouldn't be human. Mr.. Lincoln
was very human and he was a bit
sensitive on the usual pronunciation
of his name. To visitor who had
the custom, not unusual, of frequent
ly mentioning the name of the per-
son to whom he was talking, he said.
Don't pronounce it as though was
a sausage. Call it 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 sew
eral occasions.
@Oh, I don't have to-" he laughed
not loud but deep. "You know I
have Stanton in my cabinet
This may have been a reflection