Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-07-18
Abraham Lincoln - BY
Vida Inez Chapman

a spring Of cool water that came out
from under q large rock.
On February ~, 1909 there came to
cheer this home a baby boy whom
they called Abe.
They lived in log cabin OF one
room with no doors or windows IN II.
In one end of the room was an open
fire place BY the fire place was a
shelf on whicE were the dishes.
plate. a dish or two and a tin cup or
two. These people ate venison, WIG
turkey, rabbits and other game. They
raised potatoes and lots Of times they
had only potatoes for meal. But they
were strong and hearty.
When Abe was five years ola ne
could help out of doors or IN the mouse
with his mother.
One morning the mother called Abe
to her bedside and said: ABE l am go
ing away and you will never see me
again. Take care of sister and live as
I have taught you and love God al
ways"
Little did that weary mother think
that her little ragged boy standing
there weeping would be honored by
whole nation. A little while after that
the weary heart was laid to rest. The
little cabin was left lonely after that.
When Abe was eighteen years of age
he worked for a ferry boy on Pigeon
Creek and when winter came the water
was frozen and they could not work.
Abe made flat boat during the win
ter which he thought he would take the
things raised on his fathers farm and
sell them.
When spring came he was trying it
on Pigeon creek, but when they went
on the Orio river it did not seem safe,
so he anchored and began to make 1t
stronger. While he was doing this two
men came along. Each had trunk
"Can you tell us who owns this boat?"
they asked. Il do" said Abe. Can you
take us to the Steamship Certainly"
on board Soon they were beside the
steamship. When they were loadin-
Abe called out You forgot to pay me,
sir" So each of the men took from
their pockets a silver half dollar and
threw it into the boat. They left d
happy youth. It was the first whole
dollar he mad earned.
One time he borrowed a book Of Mr.
Crawford. He would sit up at nights
long after the rest had gone to bed. He
put it on a Ledge and went to bed. That
night there came hard storm The
wind blew the rain in through the
cracks and spoiled the borrowed book.
Abe dried the book carefully, but the
pages were stuck together
The next day he took the book back
to Mr.. Crawford. He said:
"Mr Crawford, this book is badly
damaged and I am willing to do any,
thing to pay for it,
The book is worth seventy-five cents.
You may work three days to pay for
it,"
do you mean to say that the three
days will pay for the damage done to
the book?"
mo, the book is yours after you
work the three days. 1t is of no use to
me now"
So Abe husked corn for three days.
At the end of the three days he carried
the book home. He read it through
many times.
About a year after Mrs. Lincoln's
death Mr.. Lincoln said to the children:
II am going away and won't be back
for few days" But day after day
went by and still he did not come
home 1t was drawing near winter and
the childrens clothing were getting
ragged and too small D/nnis Hanks
was their cousin. He was with them at
that time lie was older than Abe. He
brought in game. There was plenty of
corn that year. So Sarah baked corn
bread in the Dutch oven.
On morning they saw team drive
up to the door. 1t was their father. He
helped lady and three children out
of the wagon.
Nov, children" said Mr.. Lincoln,
Il have brought you a new mother and
a brother and two sisters" The new
mother had L bureau, cooking utensils,
set of chairs and good bedding. Mr.
Lincoln put III door in the doorway
and windows in the walls. He put a
floor in the cabin which had been hard
earth before. The new mother saw the
children neeCed clothing which she
took from her own children's supply.
When Abe was 81 years of age they
moved to Illinois. They went in cover
ed wagons. Abe drove team of oxen.
When they got there Abe, helped build
the hose. His next work was to build
rail fence around the ten acre farm
Then he went to work for himself But
he found that he did not have clothes
fit to wear. He heard of lady who
made cloth. She wanted some rails
split. He vent to this lady and said:
would YOU make a pair Of trousers for
splitting rails?" He was to split AGO
He was six feet in height. Perhaps he
wished he were not quite so tall, so it
would not take SO many yards to make
the suit
Abraham Lincoln took boat to New
Orleans where he saw the slaves tied
up to the posts and whipped and sold
like cattle. He said to the other boys:
Let's get away from this scene. If
ever get a chance to hit slavery I'll hit
it hard
On his way home the men stopped to
water the horses by the stream. The
men missed Abe and the man that he
had been riding with said that he had
stopped to pick up some birdlings that
had fallen from the nest. While they
were there Abe came along. They ask
ed If he got what he went after. Abe
said yes. I would not have rested that
night if I had left them poor little
things there in the cold"
There was an Indian war in Illinois,
1t was started by an Indian named
Black Hawk, SO it was called the Black
Hawk war. When this war broke out
Lincoln was one Of the soldiers. Then
he was captain Of company It hap
pened that this company was not a
real battle. Fe used to laugh about it
and say that he fought, bled and came
away. Some of the men in the war
never came out but gave their lives for
their country. One day while Lncoln't
company was In camp A poor half
starved Indian came along. He was
old and feeble. The soldiers ran to-
wards him crying can Indian, A spy!
Kill him!" The Indian with trembling