El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-02-08

M Henry Willard, the famous
finalcier and railroad mag
nate, was a newspaper reporter in days
before the war He told the following
story:
Z drove with Mr.. Lincoln in a buggy
from a political meeting to flag sta
ton 20 miles west OF Springfield,
there to await a train. 1t was late.
and a violent thunder storm came up.
We got into an empty freight car and
squatted on the floor. In the course OF
conversation he told me that when he
was Olerking in a country store. his
highest ambition had been TO be a mem
Der of the legislature He said AS
for getting to be senator Of the United
States, 1 am saying to myself every
day that il is too big a thing for me;
I'll never get 1t But my wife Insists
that I am going to be president Of the
United States, too And in making this
remark he rOared with laughter, shaK-
ing all over. Just think of such a
sucker rs me as president he said
When Lincoln was chosen by the
T-bios a second time for the leeisIa-
ture, friends gave him 5000 Tor cX-
penses. Later on he handed back to
them $199.25 saying i didn need the
money. 1 made the canvass on my
own horse; my board, at She home Of
friends, cost nothing, and my only
outlay was IS cents for barrel Of
cider which some farm laborers in
sisted 1 should treat them to
LincOIn's Two Log Cabins.
Two log cabins are interestingly as
ISOLATED with Lincoln. In one of tncIn,
in Eardin county, Ky, he vas born
There is not even an authentic picture
of il, inasmuch as il fell down, or was
blown down. % years before the
breaking out of the Civil war. SOIne of
the logs of which it was built were
utilized as material for neighbour
The other cabin was built in 1851,
near Pennington. Ill. by Abraham 5
father, Thomas Lincoln. lie died 20
years later, but his second wife con-
tiuued TO live in the cabin until some
time after the martyred president was
shot
After his election to the presidency,
IN 1861. and before going TO Washing
ton. AIr. Lincoln went to see his step
mother She told him then that she
had a presentiment that something
was going to happen TO him, and that
she would never see him alive again
He laughed at her, but her fOrebOdiuS
was fulfilled
Lincoln, as youth. was quite famous
for mis- strength. 1t is said that he
could carry 500 pounds on his back
On one occasion he walked away with
two logs which three sturdy men
were unable 20 handle A nelghbor,
who knew him we'll has written tie
could strike with a maui heavier
blow, could sink an ak deeper INTO
wood, than any other man / ever saw.
Lincoln as n Dueiist.
James Shields a political adversary, Is
q historic incident Shields. an lrlsn-
man. was greatly enraged oy LIN
coins Wit, numerically used at his
expense. and demanded satisfaction on
the field of honor He was famous
swordsman, while the future enamel
pator knew almost nothing about
fencing.
Mississippi river, and Lincoln was the
first to arrive on the scene When
Shields and his seconds came, they
saw LincOln-WhO. four inches over six
feet in height had arms as long and
strong as a gOrilla'S-reachlng up
higher than any other man IN the STATE
could have done, and looping off sap
lings as thick as a mans forearm with
single slashes OF his weapon
A very formidable weapon II was, Tor
Lincoln, as the challenged party, had
chosen the longest and largest cavalry
sa bers available, with which to settle
the contention. It is evident that his
performance with the sapplings had
the effect he intended for SheldSs
friends. after gazing aWestruck at the
spectacle for a few moments. fastened
TO patch up peace
The woman Mr. Lincoln married had
q rather vigorous temper, ana occas-
iOnally was driven to evaporation Dy
some of her husbands little ways he
owned a cheap little desk. which he
took to the white house with him be
cause it was a Cherished possession,
having been long in use, and being
provided with convenient pigeon
holes. One day he split some ink on II
by accident, and his wife, who enter
tanned a special dislike for the desk,
had it thrown out as rubbish.
It was wholly against the policy OF
Mr. Lincoln to oppose his wife in any
way, if possible to avoid doing so. So
he gave the desk to an old friend
telling her that heIhad used il when he
first began to 10 business for himself
At the present time il is on exhibition
among the relics of Lincoln, which form
the famous Oldroyd collection, in the
house on 10th street. where the presi-
dent died. after being carried thither
from Ford's theater, opposite.
Among other articles in this cOllec-
ton (the house containing it being
now sort Of Lincoln museum) is the
furniture from the old Lincoln home
stead at Springfield. including the cook
stove. the above mentioned desk, Mr..
Lincoln's favOrite horsehair rocker. and
the walnut cradle in which the eman-
cipator himself often rocked his chill
dren to sleep.
Mr.. Lincoln's wife. it will be re-
membered. was Mary Todd. He had for
a rival no less a man than Stephen
A Douglas, who, already rising in the
world was destined to become so IA q
nous. It was a choice between the
little man and the big man. and the
girl, who was plump pretty vivaciOus,
and very attractive, picked out the
latter.
It is said. whether truly or not. that
Abraham (he sometimes wrote his name
Abram in those days. by the Way) mad
a presentiment that the marriage was
not destined 10 turn out happily. At all
events, on the day first set for the GER