New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-07
By F. stuart CRAWFORD.

" IFTY-FC JP years ago on lH-rSuay-
"a the dag lcf1-c his birthday-Abraham
Lincoln left his home in Springfield
ILL.,. on his way to Washington to be
i-.ygurated Fre5iden; OF the United States
With him were mis- family number OF trends
and an organization of zouaves intended to act
as an escort Of honor.
On his way to the national capital nc passed
through the states OF Indiana, ono we"
York. New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In &C
co-dancc with a we'll thought out plan ne
stoned at tie capitals OF these large states
ard at r,1any O: the chief cities, where he sd-
dressed tic people He was received every
where with demonstrations Of enthusiasm
Judge Andrew Jackson Provost, member
of tic legislative committee which greeted MI
Lincoln on behalf of New York State, told
some interesting incidents of that occasion
recently. Nearly c;ghty-one years OF age MI
Provost. sitting in the Office in the Temple
Court which he hes occupied for more thsn
thirty-Rve years. brought back the happenings
of that day IS if it had been yesterday.
Ore thing he recalled with chuckle was
the way in which he outwitted the friends OF
Governor Morgan, who wanted to kee? Horace
Greeley. with whom they were at odds, from
getting a talk with the Presidenteect.
HE sMUGGLED HORACE GREELEY
ABOARD THE TRAIN.
Ben Camp. who was an officer OF The Irio-
une Association in those days, believe, SAID
Judge Provost, came to ne one day ana SAID
Won can do me great favor.
What is III? said l.
Morgan and those fellows want TO prevent
the boss from having an interview with Lin
coin. You are member Of the reception
committee. and | want you to see that Mr.
Greeley gets aboard that train
I'm Democrat, said I. Why don't you
get a Republican?
He replied that was just the reason he had
asked me. ana that he relied on me to do 1t.
All right Camp I'll do it, / said. You
have Greeley at the station at Utca'-that
was where the legislative committee was to
hoard the Lincoln train-'and I'll that he
gets to the President
The first person / saw at the station at
Utica was Horace, in his white pants and
boots. never saw him before, but recog-
nized him Immediately. | introduced myself
and he thanked me for what had undertaken
to do.
"'You hang around here said I, and well
get on that train
I'VE waited until just as the train was pull
ing out and then started to climb on.
You can't go in said General WEIGH, who
was in charge. The train is already crowded
1.xI L. Ey,,a untr
We are members of the committee and are
going this train
IF WEIGH had made any attempt to stop US,
Mr.. Provost said with smile, we would have
thrown him off the station quick as wink as
l had several good, husky FRIENDS with me on
the platform.
THE PRESIDENTS PARTY WAS IN
SORRY STATE!
when we walked into the car where the
President was was shocked. Everything was
in confusion, and the party looked dishevelled,
But, as | thought afterward, they had been
travelling for many days, and there was some
excuse.
ABE Lincoln had on an old hat-the oldest
one you could imagine His pants were half
way up to his knees, and his boots were I'M
BACKED The linen Of some of the members
OF the party was none too immaculate. And,
my, Lincoln seemed to be the ugest man |
ever sawi
"Is it possible that this is the President of
the United States? I said to myself. But /
went up and made myself known.
I'm less than three minutes after he started
to speak l experienced the most wonderful
revulsion of feeling ever had in my life. He