davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-02-02

calls this in his book. "Personal R,-coI-
lectiOns Of Abraham Lincoln
Mr.. Rankin was IA schooIboy who
acted as court messenger AT Peters
burg. ILL.,. while his father WINS sheriff.
when he first met Mr.. Lincoln. then "A
rising young lawyer. Later he was a
student Ia the Lincoln and Hern,loIl
law Office In Springfield. admitted Ia
The family circle.
The picture OF Mary Todd which Mr..
Rankin draws IL charming one.
Though not beautiful. she was decided.
y pretty. he says. with clear blu.. eyes
which looked through one. and mo
bile face which was Responsive To her
very thought. She was easily the
belle Of Springfield during her resi-
dence there with "A married sister. her
own home being In Lexington. Nv. Her
family objected TO Lincoln becnuS.. of
his humble parentage and his poverty.
and their engagement was broken on
hut two years later Mary Todd defie,i
The family opposition and welded thu.
nan Of her choice.
Mrs. Lincoln was not only attractive.
M she was cultured. Mr. Rankin SAYS.
nd throughout her married life. at
EAST until the tragedy Of the a~SnSSi-
nation. she kept up her French read
ing and other literary pursuits. Hers
was keen political perception
amounting 10 almost provision. too.
and her advice was that most carefully
weighed by Lincoln In his political AMI
public affairs.
All the world knows that when Lin
coin received the news Of his nomina-
tion he said: There IL n little woman
over on Eighth street who H. deeply In
terested I'm this news will carry IL To-
her. and he left his cheering. con
graduating friends 20 hurry To- his
home. Not 50 well known Is the fact
that the happiest person in Springfield
was Mrs. Lincoln. and that she never
closed her eyes that night. for fear
she would miss some 81 the towns iov
over the honor done its brilliant son.
Mrs. Lincoln's terrible sorrow on
the death Of the martyr drove her
abrOad-"the lOneiiest Of an the wives
widowed by the Civil war~-and she
was allowed TO spend the last year,
Of her life amid chilling neglect and
misrepresentation Mr.. Rankin SAYS.
but no adds that when history shall
reflect the truth. In time 20 come IL
~ Is not already here. "she will be-
awarded the recognition her merits
have always deserved. Till then ~.
can wait: for. like her husband. shs
IhelOngs 10 the ages"
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-02-02
LINCOLN EVER KIND
tenderness of Heart Evinced at
Times When He Was Under
the Greatest Stress.

TT mo present another aspect OF
LincOln's many-sided charac-
ter. During the mOmentOus
week when Grant was hammer
Ing M the gates OF the Confederate
'apital. the president. feeling In every
isl'cr of his being that the end was
near. took passage for City Point. In
order TINT with his own eager eyes.
weary with long watching. ne might
rre the last net I'm the drama OF war
and. doubt not. that ne might check
any overt and unSeemly act. should
occasion require. writes Johnson Brig
ham. state librarian Of Iowa. In the
Youths Companion.
Late one afternoon. while ne was
resting from his writing on the gun
i'"at River Queen. he observed several
little kittens. hardly able TO stand.
llindly crawling about the floor. He
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-02-02


cousin You bet l was tickled To
death Babies wasn't as common a.
blackberries In the woods of Kentucky
Il rolled up and slept In a bearskin
that night by the fireplace. so I could
see the little fellow when he cried. and
Tom had 10 get up and tend To him.
Nancy let me hold him pretty soon.
Folks often ask me IL Abe was a
good-looking baby Well. now. he
looked just like any other baby at first
like red cherry pulp squeezed dry
And he didn't improve ms he grew old
er. Abe never was much for looks. /
recollect how Tom jok.-d about Abe's
long legs when he WAS toddling about
the cabin He grew out Of his clothes
faster than Nancy could make them.
After he could walk Abe never gave
Nancy any trouble. except to keep him
In clothes Most OF the time We went
barefoot. Did you ever wear a wet
buckskin glove? Well. mOccasins
weren't any protection against the wet.
For snow. birch bark with hickory bark
soies. strapped over yarn socks. beat
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-02-02

came face TO face with John wilkes
Booth- His face was ashen. his eyes
hulged. and his hair seemed to stand
on end
The memory Of that face will re-
main with me until I die. II was the
face 81 a maniac.
Before could move he was upon
me with his dagger which he tried to
plunge into my heart. I caught his
arm. and the blade went into my left
shoulder. That wound left me with
Six-inch scar. which carry 20 this day.
j call II the Booth barometer because
every time the weather begins TO az
Itself for a northeast storm that old
wound starts to ache. was taken be-
Tore the police asthOrities immediately
after the assassination. and gave the
hrst evidence that led 10 the positive
Identification Of Booth as the murder
err"
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-02-02
knew LINCOLN
FROM HIS BIRTH
Dennis Hanks, Cousin of the
Emancipation, Has Left Record
Of IL. SssTT:.y Days in the Hum
bic Little Kentucky Log Cabin.

w EDDINGS and births al
W. ways attract attention. SO il
Is interesting To note that
the marriage Of Thomas
Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. the parents
Of Abraham Lincoln. and the advent
into the world Of the Great Emanci-
pator were not without exception
Ii was always the proud boast Of
Rev. Edward Head, Methodist
minister. and likewise O carpenter. that
he performed the ceremony that united
Abraham Lincoln's parents In mar
rage In telling Of the bridal couple
and the feast. he said:
Nancy Hanks was q fresh-iooking
girl. should say past twenty. Tom
was q respectable mechanic. who could
take his choice: and she was to be
treated with respect. I was at the in
fare given by John III. PARROT. her
guardian-and IL was only girls with
money who had had guardians appoint
ed by the court. Our table was of
puncheons cut from the solid logs, and
they were the cabins floor next day.
We had bear meat. venison. wild tur-
key. ducks eggs. Wild and tame-so
common that you could buy them at
two bits a Dushei-maple sugar, swung
on a string. TO bite on for coffee or
whisky; strip In big gourds. peach and
honey: a sheep that the two families
barbecued whole over Goals Of wood
burned In a pit. and covered with
green boughs TO keep In the juices
and q race for the whisky bottle"
Another guest at the wedding was
Christopher Columbus Graham, who
lived 10 be more than one hundred
years old In explaining his presence
at the festivities. Graham said:
You see. I was out hunting roots
for medicines. and ! just went TO the
wedding to get q good supper-and I
got IL. Tom Lincoln was q carpenter.
and a good one for those days. when a
cabin was built mostly with an az.
IL didn't have a nail or q bolt or a
hinge In it-only feathers and pins 10
the door. There wasn't any glass.
either. except what you might ind I'm
bottles OF watches and spectacies. II
they owned them. But Tom Lincoln
had the best set Of tools In the whole
county"
Dennis Hanks. Lincoin's cousin and
playmate. takes MP the story:
when Nancy married Tom he was
working Ia a carpenter shop. IL wasn't
Toms fault he couldn't make a living
by his trade; there was scarcely any
money In the country. So Tom took
NJ some isnd-nighty poor land. but
the best he could Eet when he hadn't
much TO trade for IL.
Tom and Nancy lived on a farm
about two miles from rs when Abe
was born" Dennis Hanks recalled. II
recollect Tom coming over to our
house one cold morning In February
and saying. kind Of slow:
Nsncy's got O boy baby
Mother got hustered and hurried
NJ her work TO 70 over and look after
the little fellow: but I didn't have
nothing 20 wait for. 30 I cut and run
the whole two miles to see my new
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-02-02

buckskin all hollow. Abe and me got
pretty handy cOntriving things that
way. And Abe. about as soon as he
was weaned. was right OUT in the
woods. fishing in the creek. settling
traps for rabbits and muSkrnts. going
on cOOn-hunts with Tom and me and
the dogs. following up bees to find the
bee trees and dropping corn for his
pappy. IL was a mighty interesting
life for a boy. but there was n good
many chances that he wouldn't live
TO grow up
So. taken all I'm all. even admitting
the dignity conferred on Tom Lin
coins bride by the possession ~ n
guardian. IL was lowly chronicle
this Of the backwOods wedding and the
children's lOg-cabin birth. But II has
been the story Of the origins II hun
dreds ~ other Americans. who. like
their most famous exemplar. have ris-
en- by the sheer force Of their energy
and brains To positions commanding
the respect 81 those born 10 the earth'S
richest comforts and most lavish lux
uries.
And there II this 90 DO said 81 a.:
That Lincoin's emancipation II the
poor blacks was not the only freedom
he gained for humanity through his en-
reer. He had the cabin Of his birth
hung In his teeth many n time before
his home was the nations most covef-
ed place Of residence. After that. no
son Of poverty need take shame for
the humble roof that sheltered him In
Infancy.
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-02-02

Twas not bic head that made him frest
II ~s he heart,
That sentIer pert.
Which, IN its kindIine,,, vent straight
To ell the people, torn snd sore.
Asd like balm ley softly DER
The Nstioo's wounds. snd florihed
The life beGissinl when he died.
WI. LAMPTO~
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-02-02
LINCOLN HAPPY
WITH mary TODD
Reports That the Great President
and His Wife Were Incompati-
BILE Are Without Truth, Accord
ing to One Who Knew Them
Well.

"NIiERE are stories. some 81 them
written into the Biographies Of
the martyred president. that
the married life Of Abraham
and Mary Todd Lincoln was unhappy
These stories 20 - far as 10 say that
when the wedding day came around
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-02-02
l8O9-Abraham Lincoln-l865
/ ourseore and seven yess EGO
our fathers brought fosth upoa

ous~1c ono sSscu yc90 ~
~ our fathers brought forth upoa
tins continent q new nanoa,
conceived IN liberty and dedicated
to the proposition that al men are
created equal. Now we are en-
gagged IN . great civil war. testing
whether that nation. OF any nation
90 conceived and so dedicated. can
long endure. We are met on . great
battlefield Of that war. We have
come to dedicate a portion Of that
field as final resting place for those
who here gave Their lives that that
nation might 1--we.
Gil IS altogether fitting and proper
that We should do this. But. IN .
larger sense. We cannot dedicate. we
cannot consccrate. We cannot hal
low. this ground. The brave men.
living and dead who struggled here
have consccrated IL far above our
power TO add or denact. The world
vii little note. nor long remember
what we say here. bet il can never
forget what they did here. Ii 10 for
us. the living. rather to be dedicated
here to the unfinished work which
they whoscusht here have thus far
90 nobly advanced. II is rather for
Us to be here dedicated to the great
task remaining before US. that from
these honored dead we take M
creased devotion to that cause for
which they gave the last full mes-
sure Of devotion: that we here highly
resolve that these dead shall NOT
have died in VAIN: that this nation.
under God. shall have new birth Of
freedom. and that government Of the
people. by the people. and for the
people shall notpenshfromthe earth.
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-02-02

they fix the date In 1S3O-the guests
arrived and the bride appeared In her
hnery. bu; the groom remained away !:
Mat finally. when they did marry.
Mary Told accepted Lincoln and mar
RED him IN a spirit II Iique and petty
spite 20 wreak vengeance on him
through their married life - while with
Lincoln II was a case II willing sac
rifce.~
"A cruel fiction" Henry b. Rankin
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-02-02

Two years ago we took an order for
400 fourteeninch armOr- piercing shells
at contract price Of S76>.~O. To lie
delivered within "A certain time or We
had to pay a large penalty.
The only SPECIFICATIONS for making
these shells are that they shall Ice
OF certain size and must pierce
armor plate NJ n certain Velocity on i'm
pact IL H. impossible to foretell the
exact conditions OF the tests
We had made large quantities Of shells
I'm the past which had been accepted
But I'm placing this particular order the
Department altered the angle az which
the tested shells must pierre arnor
plate The result. however. has been
absolute inability on our part To pro-
duce In any quantity. shells which Will
meet these novel tests In fact We
know Of no process 81 projcciil, max
Ing through which II is possible 10 pro-
duce In quantities smells which will
conform 10 the requirements
The result is that up 10 now on that
contract ~ s7GSpo We have put into
actual operating expense $4is SSi. and
have been penalized for nnn-delivery
&495. IA. a total 81 S943 60. with no
receipts whatever
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-02-02

Such was the experience In the Hight
OF which we were called upon recent
ly 10 bid for sixtecn-inch shells
We bid on these shells M apnroxi-
mately the same rate per pound as
that Of a fourteen ineh shell contract
OF one year ago upon whirh the Gov
eminent awarded contracts
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-02-02

One OF the special needs Of the new
navy Is sixteen-inch guns guns sixty
feet long ami capable of hErtling "A
2oco pound she'll with such power and
accuracy as To hit a 30 foot square tar
get fifteen miles away
We have undertaken voluntarily to
construct. at cost OF $iJuoOUO. a
plant fitted 10 build sixteen inch guns.
Under no conceivable circumstances
can orders which We may receive for
this plant pay even fair return on
the Investment.
Considerable comment has been made
upon the fact that "A British manufac
turer recently bid less than American
manufacturers for sixteen and four
teen-inch shells for the navy.
l am unable TO state the basis upon
which the English bid was made IL
should be remembered. however. that
this bid was for specific she'll sam
piles OF which are being sent over for
tesla test not yet made.
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-02-02

We have not the slightest Idea what
profit there will be i'm the making ~
these shells We 10 not know that
there will be- any There j. uo ertia.n-
~ that II would be- f'oS~ille for III to
deliver n shell % meet the test
For officers I'm the Navy o. assume
that any bid made under such condi-
lions Is ''exorbitant' j. utterly unfair
We bid on the new battle cruisers
sums which Navy department EXPERTS.
after examination ~ our i,nok~ found
would yield a profit - i,~S than ten
per cent We agreed fo assume risks
for Increased co~f~ - materials and IA.
Dor. that made N f.o~~ii,le that tlr.~.,
contracts might yield no profit WHAT
ever
The costs run beyond the amount an
propriated by Congress Oh the basis -
the cost estimates made - wear ago
And bccausc sii,,l,uii'cr- could not
alter the inexoral,.e cost fats and r..
duce bids to early estimates - the
Navy Department. the fri' - are caIIed
exOridfaut
II would To- real advunfa-s. 10 10
relieved ~ this naval construction The
prOnt from n 'anro o., Stills amounf
10 much. and the responsibility b.. enor
nous
We have determined o. make this
Oner 20 tho An.cricau f.oVcrn.lt-nf.
IF yOu will build two - the lnffle-
cruisers IN Government navy Yards
we will iuih fhc offrr i've af fh, ~
certained cost Of building the shi,,. ~
the Government yards. without ALL
tiOnal EXPENSE or commissions ~ any
kind We will 50 ,s.ntfarf g. f,..
our ships ready FOR scribe ahead OF
the Government shifs
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-02-02
jUID SHIPS
At COST PRICE
Bethlehem Steel viii Make o.
for to Uncle Sam.
BIDS ON is INCH NAVY SHELLS

Ne Chance For Profit In Them Under
Explanation OF the Prices Mace by an
English Firm Which Bids Under All
American Manufacturers.
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-02-02

American Manufsetursrs-
Speaking recently before the Terra
pin Club OF Philadelphia. H. enc e.
Grace. President of the IL. hlehem
Steel Company. said In part
In a peculiar scu~e Bethlehem Steel
serves the American people
For example. though We have been
able 10 obtain i'm Euroi- almost any
price. We have adhered. i'm our charges
To the United States Government. To
the basis 81 prices established before
the war began.
We agreed if the Government would
abandon its plans for = Federal plant
TO make armor for our Navy at ann
price the Government itself might con-
rider fair
Our ordnance plants are at the dis
posal OF the nation at fair operating
cost. plus a small margin. thus saving
the Government investment aud de-
probation.
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-02-02
-BAYARD TAYLOR.

We consecTate Ourselves to them. the consecrated"
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-07
BACK FROM MOUNT KATMAI
National Geographic Society's Expedi-
ton Announce Safe Return to
Civilization.

WASHINGTON. September 6.-Safe
return to civilization. after success
full tour Of the Valley of Ten Thou
sand Smokes" of the National Geo
graphic Society's Mount Katmai ex-
petition was announced tonight In a
telegram TO the society's headquarters
here from Robert +. Griggs. head of
the expedition, now at Kodiak, Alaska
DR.. GriGgs's message declares that.
ir the light of the expeditions discov-
cries. the valley will stand as the first
wonder Of the world. Instead of Ten
canic area in Alaska Is now known,
the valley is said TO have literally mil
lions of active vents in a space of 100
square miles.
The survey OF the exploration party
proves, according to the message, that
katmai is the greatest crater on the
face Of the globe, being more than
nine miles in circumference and 5000
feet deep. The party also discovered
| q mud river seventeen miles long and
mapped 1900 miles OF territory hitherto
| uncharted.
This expedition, which is expected
back in Washington about October s,
set sail for the Mount Katmai region
from Seattle on May IS. fully equipped
in every particular to complete the
work begun by the society's earlier
| expeditions of 1913. 1915 and 1916.
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-07
Germany Desires
No Gain. From War

BERLIN (via Amsterdnin), Sep
TENDER Gin what is said to DO an
authoritative forecast OF Gern,any,s
answer to Pope Dcncdic:s pcnce
messnge, the Germany majority So
ciuiist organ, Vorwaerts. snys the
PontIn Will be Informed Germany
desarcs no gain from the war. "a
durable peace guaranteed by inter-
national treaties" the paper says,
Ia Germany's sole aini.
Then follows u threat that II the
entente Miles do not shnre the wish
for such n peace, "tha fall OF RiEa
will not be the las: success Of Ger
mnn nrms.o
HorWaerts asserts the capture OF
the Russian port should be sufficient
TO demonstrate thEt Germany's de-
sire for pence Ii not prompted by
military weakness.
The vossische ZeItunE says Poue
Benedict Will not send a second note
on peace. The paper bases the
statement on Information from N
clerical source.
The prediction that the end of
this yenr will see the Termination
of the war was made to-day by Herr
won Heydebrnnd, Prussian conservn-
tive leader.
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-07

Brand Whitlock, former Minister to
Belgium. Ills name" he said. will
go down in history" adding: 81 know
that in no other country of the world
SO much as in America, in this coui-
try of freedom and justice, do the sur
feripgs of The Belgians arouse SYM
pathy. You have saved Belgium from
starvation. and till the end of all time
there will be in each village of Bel
GUM memorial put up to remind
future generations that IL the Belgian
race has not died out, honor for its
preservation is due to the citizens Of
free and generous America.
Mr.. dc Lcvai paid a tribute also to
Cardinal Mercier, who. he said. stood
in the country like living flag Of
Belgium, like religious king. and
from all the world he received the
homage due 60 this courage and gem
ius." The speaker said that one place
which remained sacred from invasion
was the church, to which "thc arm
OF the German law did not dare extend
the iron fist"
Abiding to the Hague Convention.
Mr.. de Leval quoted article 43. which
states that the military authority when
occupying an enemy country will re-
spect the laws OF that country and
make no changes unless there is an
absolute necessity"
What is an absolute necessity? %
Mr.. de Leval continued. "Unfortunate-
~. the Hague Convention gives no
definition and the speeches of ts rr"n'
bcrs throw little light on the subject.
The Germans have given to 'abso-
lutte necessity wonderful extcn-
sion. " law is required by which
a machine can be taken out of Bel
GUM TO he used by German manu-
facturer for no matter what kind OF
work useful to the German empire, II
is soon found an absolute necessity
TO empty Il Belgium to replenish n Cor
man factory. II a German politician
thinks that a certain rule imposed on
Belgium will have some political i'm
portRnce in Germany I'm n quarter OF
century. that rule will be establish
ed in Belgium by absolute necessity.
II Belgian courts seem too fair to the
Germans to BIO relied upon when q
German interest is involved. 1t will he
an absolute necessity to modify the
rules OF those courts and to bring
before special court. made in Ger
many all questions In which such In
terest is concerned
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-07
SPECIAL DUTCH MISSION
ARRIVES IN WASHINGTON
Believed That II VIII Cooperate In
Movement NJ Wheat and Sugar
to United States.

z WASHINGTON. September G.-The
United States Is prepared TO resort
to extreme measures even commander
eng. unless the special Dutch mission
which arrived here late to-day Will
= accept the proposal Of the exports ad-
administrative board to place Dutch ships
no" in American harbors in trade with
{ Australia and Java.
1t was learned at the Shipping Board
to-day that the government feels /,
has all the power necessary TO COM
smandeer the Dutch vessels, about Ion
gin number. This step has not been
a taken because of belief that \. G.
Z a. Won l:alde, head of the Dutch mis-
sion. will agree 10 cooperate in the
movement of wheat and sugar to the
sEnited States
{ Dir. Won Ealde refused TO discuss the
embargo situation. but said privatiuns
we're being suffered by people in Hol.
lind