The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1912-02-09

NN " A NV
&MNg enth Ohio volunteer infan.
w NJ try, which took place at
the Grant hotel. Louis P
Bentley OF Ludlow, KY, after hearing
eulogies OF the war heroes, and espe-
cially Of Abraham Lincoln, remarked
to Alexander Hill, Sr.: you did not
know that for some months / was once
a member Of Abraham Lincoln's fam
lily, did you?"
mo, how did that happen?" asked
Mr.. 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
m Of modes,y, which explains why
Miss Ida Tarbesl did not find him In
writing her book, HE Knew Lin.
coin"
ut was IN 1885," said Mr.. Bentley,
The other day, repeating his story, land
1 was a boy Of IS who had learned the
printing business and was staying in
Decatur, ILL.,, then a town Of about
5000 inhabitants, and could not find
work. I was boarding at the Ogelsby
house, the only hotel In town, and had
paid my last S. for board and was feel
Ing about as blue as any n al feel
under those circumstances. Stephen
A. Douglas, then the Democratic sena-
tor from Illinois, was a candidate for
reelection and his opponent. a 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 a de-
bate that night, and Douglas, the man
Of the hour, was upstairs in the hotel
parlor with a bottle of whisky, a box
Of cigars and surrounded by admiring
friends who came to call upon him.
There was great excitement In the
[ was feeling too blue to care about It
and sat in the office downstairs, not
caring to speak to any one. A tall
raw-bOned man sat near me as much
unnoticed az myself. all hunched up In
his chair, whiting a little piece Of
wood.
"'Do you belong herer he asked.
"'No,' I replied.
"'How long have you been here?'
"'About a year.
"'Wha are you doing?'
"'Nothing.'
"'That is not a good thing for a
voung man Of your age to do. Can
find work?
emo / replied. feeling very rebel
Nous against fate.
'Wha do you do when you are
working? Have you a trader
eyes; / am a printer l answered,
wishing this man would stop his Ques-
lions.
"'Well young man. he said kindly,
7 have an interest in a newspaper in
Springfield, and If you come back with
me\tomorrow l will see If the foreman
Of the printing room cannot give you
I job. VIII you come?
"T do not know, I will see.' I an
swered feeling more kindly toward
this curious gentleman.
"'Don't you want a job?' he asked
quickly.
eyes, I do I answered, but I did
not tell him the reason for my not &C.
cepting his offer. 1 had no means to
go to Springfield, sixty miles away.
II was the first time that I was broke
and I hated to own 1t.
HE said nothing more, and that
night after the debate, where there
we're as many as a half million people
present in proportion to the size Of
The town, I came face to face with
him again in the hotel Office.
well, young man. he said. are
you going with me?
"Then confessed the reason why /
could not.
81 knew then that my friend was
Abraham Lincoln, the young Repub-
lican candidate for senator, who had
debated with Stephen A. Douglas.
"It was near midnight and the
steamboat was due to leave In a short
time.
"'You come with me, anyhow said
Mr.. Lincoln, and I will take care of
you
IT did not require much urging, and
went to my room to collect my small
belongings and Joined his party.
I'VE arrived in Springfield the next
morning and Mr.. Lincoln took me to
his home, giving me the only vacant
room In his house, and I ate break
fast with the family. After that he
took me to his law office and had a
talk with his partner, Mr.. Herndon;
then we went to the printing Office Of
the Illinois State Register, the paper
In which hs had an interest, and We
had q 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 q still lower ebb, until my benefac-
tor said:
"Now. I am going to De away a
great deal on this campaign and Mr..
Herndon will be very busy, so how
wouId Won liEa IN Stav in the office