Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-02-15
Found a Friend
in Lincoln
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to Alexander Hill, ST.: you did not
know that for some months j was once
a member OF Abraham Lincoln's fam
lily, did your"
mo, how did that happen?" asked
MIR. Hill eagerly.
Then in a burst Of patriotic pride
and confidence, Mr.. Bentley told the
story which he has always kept to
himself and family from an undue
sense of modesty, which explains why
Miss Ida Tarbell did not find him In
writing her book, HE Knew Lin
coin"
1T was in 1885," said Mr.. Bentley.
the other day, repeating his story, land
I was boy of Is who had learned the
printing business and was staying in
Decatur, H., then a town of about
5000 inhabitants, and could not find
work. | was boarding at the Ogelsby
house, the only hotel in town, and had
paid my last So for board and was feel
ing about as blue as any one can feel
under those circumstances. stephen
A. Douglas, then the Democratic sena-
tor from Illinois, was a candidate for
reelection and his opponent, young
lawyer named Lincoln from Spring
field, and he were having a series OF
five addresses, which have since be-
come so famous. Both parties were In
the hotel at that time to hold de-
bate that night, and Douglas, the man
of the hour was upstairs in the hotel
parlor with a bottle of whisky. box
of cigars and surrounded by admiring
friends who came to call upon him.
There was great excitement in the
town, and it centered in the hotel, but
| was feeling too blue to care about 1t
and sat in the Office downstairs, not
caring to speak to any one. A tall
raw-boned man sat near me as much
unnoticed as myself, all hunched up in
his chair, whiting little piece of
wood
"Do you belong here?' he asked.
ono replied.
allow long have you been here?'
"'About year
"What are you doing?'
Nothing
young man of your age to do. Can
you find work.
"'No,' I replied, feeling very rebel
lious against fate.
What do you do when you are
working? Have you trader
"'Yes; am printer ] answered,
wishing this man would stop his ques-
tons
"'Well, young man. he said kindly,
I have an interest in newspaper in
Springfield and if you come back with
me tomorrow / will see If the foreman
of the printing room cannot give you
job. Will you Gomez
az do not know, l will see,' I an
swered feeling more kindly toward
this curious gentleman.
Don't you want iob?' he asked
quickly.
eyes, l do l answered, but l did
not tell him the reason for my not &C
cepting his offer. | had no means to
go to Springfield, sixty miles away.
1t was the first time that was broke
and I hated to own it.
HE said nothing more, and that
night after the debate, where there
were as many as a half million people
present in proportion TO the size of
the town. l came face to face with
him again in the hotel Office.
"Wel, young man. he said, are
you going with me?'
"Then | confessed the reason why
could not
IT knew then that my friend was
Abraham Lincoln, the young Repub-
lican candidate for senator who had
debated with Stephen A. Douglas.
at was near midnight and the
steamboat was due to leave in a short
time.
"'You come with me, anyhow said
Mr.. Lincoln, and l will take care Of
you
81 did not require much urging and
went to my room to collect my small
belongings and joined his party
1--WE arrived in Springfield the next
morning and Mr.. Lincoln took me TO
his home, giving me the only vacant
room in his house, and | ate break
fast with the family. After that he
took me to his law Office and had
talk with his partner, Mr.. Herndon;
then we went TO the printing Office Of
the Illinois State Register, the paper
in which he had an interest, and we
had talk with the foreman. The
latter, after asking me to write some
thing, said he was sorry, he saw I
knew the work but there was no po-
sition that he could give me at pres
ent, promising me, however, the first
chance of work. At that my spirits,
which had risen, dropped down again
to a still lower ebb. until my benefac-
tor said:
"'Now, | am going to be away
great deal on this campaign and Mr..
Herndon will be very busy, so how
would you like to stay in the office
and answer the questions of visitors
for 81 week. That was before the
day of stenographers.
Il did not think there was so much
money in the world, so accepted the