Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-02-12
FORMER JURIST REC0UNTS
INTERESTING STORIES
OF EMANClpATOR
WE NEED GREAT MEN,
NATION NOW APPROACHES a
NEW CRISIS AND DEMAND FOR
LEADERS is EViDENT-TELLS
OF LiNCOLN'S CIRCUIT RIDING
AND DEBATE WITH DOUGLAS.

To day is Iincoln's birthday
Ottawa did It's bit in a nationwide
movement toward revering the mem
ory of Illinois greatest son. Stories
OF Lincoln's life were told in public
schools. No special exercises We're
conducted as ii Is the custom OF the
graded institutions 10 unite the birth
days Of Lincoln and Washington into
one observance.
A new incident in Lincoln's several
visits to Ottawa, when he vas riding
circuit was told TO Henry NJ, Hyde,
by Judge Shopc and printed in this
mornings Chicago Tribune. Judge
Shope is former Ottawan and his
entire narrative is centcrcd about this
city In it nc says
my father and mother were keep
ing hotel in Ottawa Abraham Lin
coin stopped with us when Judge Da'
vid Davis came TO town to hold court
And Stephen A Douglas, the Little
Giant, and the other great lawyer3
WIZ ltdNCiNNi WV 'llIhiti iihiiN iApA3N
back across country, from one c1rn-
ty town 10 another
The old man leaned back in mis-
rocking chair and took fresh pun OF
his cigar. His tall, heavy figure Is
atill almost unbent But for his snowy
hair and thin beard one might judge
him so, rather than past 50 years old
tao Of the few living links with
Lincoln, s
MY father was born in the south
Of Germany and came 10 the United
States in tho '3l> So I'm what they
call German-Amcrican. | was
brought up On German legends and
fairy tales
my mother her name was lucln-
da Richmond was a Scotch-lrish
woman-so I'm an lriahAmerican and
Scotch-American too.
Drops Al Hyphens.
The old judge smiled quizzical'y.
I'm SO many kinds Of an American
that may as well drop all the hy-
phcns and let il 80 straight Tnen
he Strengthened up in his chair and
smiled again, this time half apolossj
ically
But don't mean TO talk Of my
self. Court week was always a great
time for us boys in Ottawa. Why, the
great Mr.. Douglas used to play mar
blcs with us. He'd knuCklc down on
his knees and get as excited as any
of the rest Lincoln never did thar.
Lincoln never did that. He was not
aus,ere, in the least but he never un-
bent as Douglas did. And all u3 boys
fairly worshippcd the Little Giant
We used to loaf around the court
house lot, too, and listen to the
stories and take part in The pra stical
Jokes the great lawyers were Away
playing on each other.
Never Missed Bet.
In log cabin just outside Of town
lived q queer, rough sort of mar
named Welcome p. Brown. He was
half lawyer and hall farmer. and alto
gethcr careless and shiftloss. Ono day
be came into Judge David Davis
courtroom wearing pair of rageec
trousers with a big hole in the seat
AS he leaned over to speak with The
Judge on the bench the hole was very
conspicuous.
1T happend that Abraham Lincoln
was al the moment sitting writing a
table inside the bar Of the court. II
hin, came waggish young law stu
dent.
"'Mr Lincoln, said the young fol
low. we are getting up a subscription
to buy Squire Brown new pair o
pents. Look and sec if you don
think nc needs thent'
Mr. Lincoln raised his eyes unit
they fell on the hole Then, withou
smile, he picked W sheet OF pape
and wrote on it, ! ehcerIully contrib
ute TO the end in view The sum OF z
cents. u. l1nco'n'
judge Shope the Narrator.
Judge Shope-he served nine year
on the Supreme bench of the stat
and has been more than sixty year
In the active practice Of law-joine
iu the laugh. But it did not last lont
He, sat up straight in his char an
his strong, almost unwrinkled FAC
grew grave.
But |, who always loved Dougla
and who voted for him for presider
In 1860, want to render my homae
to the ever increasing wisdom of Abri
ham Lincoln.
'As a barefoot boy living in Bloom