The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-09-13

While was at Stone River the
surgeon of Pennsylvania regiment
invited me to 60 into Nashville and
have dinner with lady whose hus-
band and sons were in the South
ern army. We were entertained very
Hospitality, but when my companion
told our hostess that | was the young
man { / was then Twenty-Five years
old who invented the Spencer rifle
she said that while she did not wish
me any harm she did wish | had new.
er been born.
In 1868 the managers of the COM
pany In Boston decided that they
were not getting as many orders from
the War Department as they could
fill, so they made an Appointment for
me to show the rife to President Lin
coin. arrived at Washington on the
morning of August II and went direct
to the White House. Presenting my
credentials, the man on the floor
showed me into the Presidents office
He was alone when | entered and ap-
peared to be expecting me, as with
out a moments delay he took the gun
out of my hands as soon as l re-
moved it from the case, examined it
thoroughly and asked me to take it
apart and show him how it worked.
He then invited me to return at two
F. M and, as he stated, We would go
out and see it shoot When | re-
turned at the time designated I found
the President standing with his son
and an officer from the navy named
Middleton, on the steps of the White
House. AS we walked toward the
War Department the President re-
quested his son to go in and invite
Secretary Station to join us and see
the shooting. While we were waiting
for him to return and during lull in
the conversation between Middleton
and the President mustered up
enough courage to ask President Lin
coin if it was not great responsible
ity to govern such a vast country dur
ing the war. Turning toward me
he said with smile, 1T is a big chore
with the kind of help have Also at
the same time he noticed that one of
the patch pockets on the black alpaca
coat that he was wearing was torn,
and, taking a pin, he fastened it up,
as he did, 1T seems to me
that it does not look quite right for
the Chief Magistrate Of this mighty
republic to be wearing a torn coat /,
"By this time Robert Lincoln re,
turned and told his father that Sec
rotary Stanton said he was too busy
to go with him. Well said the Pres
ident, they do pretty much as they
have mind to over there The four
of us walked over to what is now Pc
tomac Park, near where the Wash
ington Monument stands.
"The naval officer had brought
along, for target, and after making
a small smudge at one end of 1t for
a bulls eye it was set up against a
tree. I also slipped seven cartridges
into the rifle and handed it to- the
President. Pacing off forty yards he
took his position, but after sighting
the rifle couple of times he told us
to move the target, as he saw col
ored gentleman over near the river
bank and he did not feel disposed TO
disturb him by sending bullet that
way. AS soon as he selected a new
pUoltiOH TTGSlucHI LluCUlu uT6u Ills
first shot 1t was about six inches
low. A second one struck the bulls
eye and the other five were close to
it.
"'Now we will see the inventor try
his luck remarked the President, as
he handed me the rifle. When the
naval officer reversed the board |
fired beating him by slight margin
Well said President Lincoln, you
are much younger than I am, have a
better eye and steadier nerve After
l returned to the White House the
naval officer sawed off the end of the
board, which the President used as q
target, and handed it to me with the
remark that ! might feel disposed 70
keep it as a souvenir. presented
the rifle to President Lincoln, and
as he marched into the White House
with it on his shoulder l walked out
of the gate with the target under my
arm. / also retained the board until
"a few years ago, when l presented 1t