The Washington herald., 1914-07-31
HISTORY BUILDERS.
The Minister Who Rode with Lincoln.
rvrtten expressly for me Heraldl
BY DR. e. j. EDWARDS.

By DIR. e. J. EDWARDS.
Walter cIapp was one Of the first to bt
appointed as conductor on the Amerl.
can railroads. He began service with ths
railroad company which built and oper'
ated line running southerly from Wor'
eester. Mass, TO Allyns Point on the
Thames River. which has In recent years
been brought into prominence by reason
Of its association with the Yale-Harvarc
boat races.
All his life Mr.. clapp went through his
train taking up tickets and money while
wearing citizens dress, and. unless the
weather was very stormy, q beaver hat
For many years he took out train which
left Norwich at 9 o'clock In the morning
and was scheduled to arrive at Worces-
carried distinguished men and made
pleasant acquaintances OF them. He often
carried Daniel Webster.
But perhaps the most interesting and
vividly remembered of all his experiences
occurred on an early March morning of
1850. when Abraham Lincoln was q pas
senger upon his train.
II went to the hall where Lincoln
spoke and heard him." said Mr.. Clapp to
me. II saw almost all Of the leading
men Of our town who were on the plat
form or in the body Of the hall. was
greatly impressed by LIncoln's speech.
II was different from any political speech
which had ever heard.
The following morning was damp.
foggy, and disagreeable. As stood on
the platform OF the station with my
watch IN hand I saw Lincoln coming
through the fog carrying an old-fash-
ioned handbag. Then I knew he was to
be a passenger. He bought a ticket for
Providence and had scarcely taken his
seat In the car when the Dew. DR.. Gull
liver came in. walked down the aisle of
the car. looking at every passenger until
at last he spied Lincoln. He leaned over
and shook hands with him. Lincoln
moved along a little so that DR.: GuIliver
could take q seat beside him.
Lincoln and DR.. Gulliver soon en-
gagged In q most earnest conversation.
OF course. did not hear what they said.
but was certain that DR.. Gulliver was
speaking Of the great issues Of the day
as Lincoln had presented them at the
meeting on the night before.
They rode together for about an hour.
Then Mr. Lincoln got up as we drew into
the station where connection was made
with the railroad which ran to Provi-
dence. and after cordially shaking hands
with DR.. Gulliver. got out. DR.. GuIliver
Called me ana asked me What time the
down train from Worcester to Norwich
would arrive at that station. I told him.
and then he got OF. and as our train
started on I saw him still talking earn
estly with Mr.. Lincoln. Then I knew
that DR.. Gulliver had got up probably
as early as o'clock in the morning so
that he might meet Mr.. Lincoln and ride
with him for some distance, and then
get OF and return to his home. said
TO myself that II this man Lincoln had
made such a profound impression upon
a man OF the intellectual power OF Dr.
Gulliver he would be sure to make a sim
liar impression upon all men OF intellect
When. a few weeks later. read upon a
bulletin board a dispatch from Chicago
stating that Abraham Lincoln had been
nominated for President 1 recalled the
day when he was a passenger upon my
train with DR.. Gulliver as a feIlow-pas-
senger who had ventured to ride some
twenty-five miles solely for the purpose
Of talking with Lincoln
Copyright. IslI, BY 2. J. Edwards. All rEh.s -
ssrred.l
Tomorrow DR.. Edwards will tell OF
AN Unrevealed Political Secret"