Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-02-12
JOHN WElLElN WORKED FOR
MARTYRED PRESIDENT AS
FARM HAND.
RECEIVED $40 PER MONTH,
BOARD AND WASHING
WeiIein Stopped at Lincoln Home IN
Illinois For Something to Eat and
Is Given EmpIoyment-Ate at Table
With Others Of Household-lnei-
dents Related.

Waterloo, Feb, l2.--Whiie the nation
he preserved is paying tribute TO the
memory of Abraham Lincoln. there IS
one man in Waterloo to whom the da!
is especially significant. For john
Weilein. 1925 Commercial street, can
turn back the hands of the clock OF
time and recall the summer Of 1909
when he worked for Lincoln, then a
practicing lawyer at Spring feld, I'LL.
Aside from Robert Lincoln, Mr.. Well
Elm is probably the only surviving
member of the Lincoln household of
the year mentioned.
Not only does Mr.. Weilein enjoy the
distinction of having worked for the
martyred president of the United
States but he also has TO his credit
several weeks of employment under
jefferson (Jeff) Davis. He worked for
the man who later was presidency OF
the confederacy in the winter of 1859.
The Call Of Adventure.
1t was the lure of adventure and ro-
nance that caused Mr.. Wellein to take
the step which later took him to the
home Of Davis, then Lincoln.
In the fall OF 1858 Mr.. Weilein, then
a resident. OF aurora, Ill. together with
three young men of the neighborhood-
Felix Strouse, Fritz Kitchil and Mich
ael Eblain-conceived the idea OF
working aomn the Mississippi river,
cutting timber and digging bitches. Big
steamers plying on the river used wood
for fuel and consequently there was a
great demand for it. Wages were
higher in the south than they were in
the north. The quartet secured tools,
said goodbye to their relatives and
started ON the trip. Their first stop
was at Island No. 10 near Helena, Ark.
Here they found plenty Of work cutting
timber at 60 and IS cents cord. They
worked here for several months and
then continued their trip down the
river They made their next stop at
Lake Providence. La.
One day while the four were at the
town tavern a raw-boned man rode up
on handsome black mare. Accusing
them he said:
You fellows look strong and active.
would you like to work for me? i've
got 800 rods OF ditch to dig and Ill pay
you we'll" The four thought the mat
ter over and decided to accept the
proposition. A short time later they
went to work for jeff Davis on his
plantation near Berrys Landing.
The Party Disbands.
When the ditching Job was complet-
ed Strouse and Kitchil decided to pur-
sue their fortunes up the Red river.
This did not appeal to Weilein and Eb-
lain, who believed that home and
friends would look mighty good after
their absence of several months. So
the party disbanded Strouse and
Ktch;l going up the Red river while
Weilein and Eblain headed for Aurora.
En- route home Eblain remembered
that he had relatives who lived nine
miles east of Springfield and decided to
visit them. He persuaded Weilein to
accompany him. They remained there
until the 9TH of May. Eblain then de-
cided to go home, but weilein had
changed his mind. He wanted to earn
more money.
On the morning Of May 5, 1859. they
started for Springfield. They heard
that work was plentiful there. It was
an ideal spring day SO they chose to
walk. taking their time and enjoying
the treat that nature spread before
them along the way. Late in the aft
ernoon the two men, tired and hungry,
stopped in front OF big white house in
the suburbs Of Springfield. They saw
cows grazing in nearby pasture and
sur-nlsed that il would not be difficult
10 secure a glass Of milk. As they
walked up the path leading from the
gate 70 the house they saw man sit-
ting IN chair OF the porch. He was
aat,exs, coatiess and IN his stocking
feet
Good evening; we're hungry and
thought we might get bite to eat
here said weiIein. The man on the
I,5Et4i smiled
Well. I'm not running boarding
house but perhaps we can fix you up, .
| answered the man as ne turned and
/ called 70 some one in the house.
A girl appeared who was evidently
the cook
Caroline said the man, here are
two hungry gentlemen Give them
| something TO eat.
The girl led the way into the house
soon milk. cookies and bread were sci
before Weilein and Eblain When they
had appeased their hunger they wen,
gut again 70 the man on the porch
| Weiiein wanted 10 know how much
| they owed
| Il told you / was not running d
| boarding house. therefore 7 can't ac-
| cept any money said the man.
just then Caroline, the cook. agar
appeared.
Please, sir, Mr.. Lincoln she said
t.Mrs. Lincoln has called for YOU"
| Ask her TO come down please" hel
husband answered.
Then for the first time Weilein ant
EDlaIn heard the name OF their host
And it was familiar name, too, fol
Lincoln's debates with Stephen A
Douglas had fired the country and hi,
name was on every tongue.
4 Would Not Accept Money.
\ Seeing that Lincoln would not &C.