Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-06

what was then the Hudson River rail-
road. now the New York Central AZ
way on his journey TO be inaugurated
at Washington. special car was pro-
vided for the conveyance OF the party
between Albany and New York, and
special time table was printed showing
the train route and the hours OF pass
ing the stations by the way. This was
that time, but you will observe that 1t
took 1--WE hours to cover a distance now
easily made in three.
Il was then a girl In my teens. ana
eager to see the man of the hour. MY
father and /. together with my uncle
and aunt, were In the car when the
presidential party arrived. Besides the
Presidents own party were his secre-
taries. John Hay and Mr.. Nicolay. with
Col Ellsworth. the first oficer to be
killed in the war. Mr.. Lincoln ex-
father. of whom he knew. and he In
vited us to accompany him as far as
New York city: but my father was
holding court in Albany at the time
we could not accept.
Never shall cease to remember the
impression Mr.. Lincoln made upon me.
That wonderful face and eyes could
never be forgotten. AS I rose to say
goodbye the President elect looked
down at me and said. You are not too
old to be kissed and. STOPPING down.
he kissed my forehead in q manner
which has always seemed to me like a
benediction"
Mrs. Lincoln came later to live in
Washington. where her husband. the
late DIR. Nathan Smith Lincoln. was in
charge Of FIVE of the war hospitals es-
tablished at the capital during the war.
1t was a friend Of Mrs. Lincoln. Mrs
George II. Butler. whose late husband
was a nephew of Gen. Benjamin r.
Butler. who related another Lincoln
anecdote. Mrs. Butler. in her youth
belle. Miss Josephine Chesney of Ala
bama and Washington. went to Presi-
dent Lincoln one day to ask his tns
dorsement for position in the gov.
erment service for a man in whom
Miss Chesney was interested. The girl.
with the assurance of youth and beau
ty. took the liberty OF looking over
the shoulder of Mr.. Lincoln as he sign
ed the paper.
You are not dotting your t. Mr..
President" said she. He laughed heart
lily, and. taking up his pen. made a
series Of dots above his signature. II
think that will do" he said, as he hand
ed the girl the document.
The pleasing memories OF these two
women bring to mind that OF another.
who has told before of the charming
manner in which she met Mr.. Lincoln
1T was before Mr.. Lincoln's election
in 1850" wrote Miss Grace Bedell. II.
then a child of eleven years. was pre-
scented with a Autograph. Admirtng
him with my whole heart, / thought
still his appearance would be much
improved should he cultivate his
whiskers. Childish thoughts must have
utterance. so 1 proposed the idea to
him, expressing as we'll as ! was able
the e-teem in which he was held among
honest men. A few days after I re-
coived this kindly and friendly letter:
Springfield H.. October IL. 1860.
&" Miss Grace Bedctl:
MY Dear Little Miss:
Your very agreeable letter Of the 18th is
received the s,,e 5e. ., . sSs
enteen. nine and one seven They. with
their mother my wnSls s. 20 "a.
not think that people would call 1t a piece Of
silly affection were begin to wea. Them them noy ,
wisher. a. LINCOLN.
ut appears that I was not forgotten.
for after his election to the presidency.
while on his journey to washington.
tauoua county. at which place / then
resided Mr.. Lincoln said. have
correspondent in this place, little
girl, whose name Is Grace beoeli' ana
I would like to see her i was con-
viewed to him. he stepped from the car.
extending his hand and saying. You
see I have let those whiskers grow for
you. Grace kissed , me- e. sn ~as nene cor
was frequently afterward assured OF
his remembrance.
II was an old employe of the United
States patent office. Mr.. r. c. Gil. who
told of Lincoln as an inventor.
.Few people know it," he said. but
Abraham Lincoln made a very practi-
cal invention It was never put on the
market. probably for lack OF funds.
The model, which Is a device attached
70 hoats for lifting them over shoals.
is ON exhibition at the United States
National Museum. Doubtless his early
experiences on the Sangamon river.
and the expedients to which he was
mt on many occasions when the boats
he was directing grounded on shoals.
set him to thinking. The device would
have been somewhat expensive, but II
is practicable, and shows skill and
mechanical knowledge.
No / never saw the President. When
he was elected l was employed as fore
man of a railroad shop at Louisville.
KY remember at about that time
being sent down the Mississippi with
three steam engines to the state fair
at Port Gibson, Miss. One of the en-
gines had the name Union painted on
its side. the other two were named
.Southerner' That Union engine made
lots of trouble for me until an old
gentleman explained that it meant
union of the south.
Sorrow was great in Louisville when
the news came of the death of Lincoln.
recall that I could not restrain my
own tears, and 1 believe that 1 ex-
pressed the sentiment of the entire
nation"