Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-02-14

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q - + special interest at this mo-
2M ment is the brief sketch OF
WN Abraham Lincoln's life
49, which he furnished for pub
4 9CSI lication when he was pitted
NSNX against Stephen A. Douglas
for senator of Illinois In
runs as follows:
~ was born February II, 1909, in
Hardin county, Ky. My parents were
both born in Virginia Of undistin-
gulshed families second families per
lhiSSn Or should SAYS Marks. some Of
whom now reside in Adams, and 9TH
ers in Macon county, III. Ny paternal
grandfather, Abraham Lincoln, emf
grated from Rockingham county, Va,
to Kentucky about 1881 or 1882,
where. year or two later. he was
killed by Indians, not in battle, but
by stealth, when he was laboring to
open a farm in the forest His an
cestors. who were Quakers, went to
Virginia from Berks county, Pa An
effort to identify them with the New
England family of the same name end
ed in nothing more definite than a
similarity CT Christian names in both
families. such as Enoch, Levi, Morde-
cal, Solomon, Abraham and the like.
MY father at the death of his faith
er was but years of age. and he
grew up literally without education.
He removed from Kentucky to what
is now Spencer county. Ind, in my
eighth year. We reached our new
home about the time the state carae
into the Union. II was a wild region.
with many bears and other game ami
mails still in the woods. There grew
up. There were some schools. so
called. but no qualification was ever
required for a teacher beyond readin',
writin' and cipherin' to the rule of
three. II straggler supposed to I'M
derstand Latin happened to sojourn
IN the neighborhood he was looked
upon as wizard There was abso-
lutely nothing to excite ambition for
education.
''Of course when | came of age | did
not know much. Still. somehow.
could read. write and cipher to the
rule of three: but that was all have
not been to school since. The little
advance | now have upon this store
of education | have picked up from
time to time under the pressure of
necessity.
Il was raised to farm work. which
! continued till was 22. At 81 |
came to Illinois and passed the first
wear IN Macon county Then | got
to New Salem. at that time In San
canon. now Menard county. where
remained year as sort of clerk In
a store Then same the Black Hawk
war. and | was elected a captain of
volunteers a success which gave me
more pleasure than any I have had
since wen, through the campaign,
was elected, ran fer the Legislature
the same year (1Ss2) and was beaten
the only time / have ever been beat
en- by the people. The next and three
succeeding biennial elections | was
elected to the legislature. ] was not
a candidate afterward During this
legislative period had studied law,
and removed to Springfield to prac
tice it,
IN 1886 was once elected to the
lower house Of congress. Was not a
candidate for reelection. From iS49
TO 1854, both inclusive, practiced law
more assiduously than ever before.
Always a Wing in politics and gen.
orally or the Wing electoral ticket,
making active Canvasses. was los
ing interest In politics when the re
peal of the Missouri compromise
aroused me again. What have done
since then is Pretty rwelR kn oNrsli,r /
III any PERSONAL esscSiRtfoR -9t 1Rsa
is thought desirablssjS1mayu fs1 sa2i So
am in height sixaHee2 fuuf tsipthss !
70 councils Oh 5yo10 s1sl
~+tNc aSs .affrar0 hTels,fG