Arizona republican., 1918-05-31
LINCOLN VISIT
 ACCOUNTED BY
 PHOENIX WOMAN
Mrs. Caroline E. Kibbey in
 Talking to Relatives at
 Decoration Day Affair Relates Her Experience

The Kibbey and Jenckes family ob- served Decoration day last evening by dining together at the Kibbey resi- dence. There were there four genera tions of the family Mrs. Caroline E. Kibbey the great grandmother, MT. and Mrs. Joseph H. Kibbey the grandpar- ents, MT. and Mrs. ]. $. Jenckes the parents and Susan Margaret and Jo- seph $. Jenckes, Jr, the great grand children.
 Naturally the conversation became reminiscent of the events so naturally connected with the day all celebrate Lincoln's name could not be forgotten on such an occasion. As of peculiar interest to the children and great grandchildren Mrs. Carolina E. kibbey told of her visit with Abraham Lincoln. Mrs. Kibbey told them:
 Tn February 1861, my husband (your great grandfather, your grandfather's father) and myself were the house guests of Oliver P. Morton, then gov ernor of Indiana. Governor Morton had just taken his office. Up to that time he and your great grandfather | had been law partners and the families were intimate and fast friends.
 MT. Lincoln was on his way from 1 his home in Springfield, Illinois, to l Washington to be inauSurated presi- i dent of the United States. He stopped 1 in his journey at Indianapolis, to con- i fer with Governor Morton upon mat l ters which were then exciting the peo- | pie of the whole country Those l things which in a few short weeks manifested themselves into the great civil war
 MT Lincoln came to Governor Nor tons house to breakfast. I was pre- sented to MT. Lincoln, sat by him, stood l by him, talked with him. shook him by the hand and breakfasted with him.
 Among others who were there whom I now recall besides Governor and Mrs. l Morton, your great grandfather and and your grandfather's brother, John,
 who was then five years old. were FL mer l.. Ellsworth, afterwards colonel of the New York Zouaves, who was
 soon after shot and killed by Jackson, the proprietor Of a hotel at Alexandria and Sol Meredith, afterwards General Sol Meredith. commander of the fam
 ous 'Irop Brigade" noted for it's bril-
 liant exploits on the field of many a
 bitterly contested battle, notably at
 Gettysburg
 MT. Lincoln was not an ugly man.
 notwithstanding what others may say
 or have said. He was not, it is true
 
 but he certainly was not ugly. His features were rugged. but vigorous and . manly. His whole attitude suggested , strength. virility, and you could see
 that he was kindly man. 1 cannot
 recall much that was said. Those were
 exciting times, and the air was full oi fears and doubts, but of course during i, the time that I saw MT. Lincoln. little f or no refernce was made to the things uppermost in the minds of men. Oul
 conversation was along the usual lines cf a breakfast occasion.
 I remember that while Mir. Lincolr
 was standing by Mir Meredith. who |, was as Mir. Lincoln was. a very tai z man, Mir. Lincoln stopped an instant | his eyes twinkled and he said to MT
 Meredith the saying usually is. tn,
 long and the short of it. but we vii
 have to say the long and the long 0 it." The remark was probably not brilliant one, but I recall it to shov . that however beset by troubles, how | ever heavily the burdens of his position
 weighed upon him. however sorely h
 was tried. his sense of humor came al
 ways to save him.
 Of course l shall not forget the oc
 casion. although nearly 60 years 0 Il time have elapsed. though the indis It tinctness of my memory has somewha d dulled the minuter details. Could $ have foreseen the tragic events of tn q next four years I would have preserve c a record of every detail"
 Mrs. Kibbey talked of many othe = occurrences of those time~ she havin g lived and been Q nart of them wit n more than ordinary opportunities { c observe events-events that are nov r, historic and of supreme significance.