The Colorado statesman., 1919-02-08

Oxford a printed copy of IL letter Lincoln wrote
TO mother who had given five sons that the
Union might be preserved A label beneath this
copy of the letter bears the simple comment that
this is 'one of the finest specimens of pure English
eXtant'
And that comment by one of the greatest uni
versties in the world Ia on the work of man
who never had years schooling in his life
1t is small wonder that Lincon's life is upheld
to the poor boy shining example of what de-
termination to learn and succeed will do.
I.ncolnS grandfather, like many Others fol-
lowed the magnetic Daniel Boone into the wilder
ness of Kentucky. The Lincolns at that time
were not poor folks, many have believed for
the grandfather whose name also was Abraham,
sold his property for $4,000 before he set out for
the unclaimed lands where some say the mann
moths still existed.
But when later he died Thomas, the father of
the future president did not inherit much. if any
thing and had to out for himself at an early
age He married Nancy Hanks, the niece of the
man he worked for and she became the mother
of Abraham Lincoln. the president.
Little Chance for Education
Kentucky then QSO9) had been state for seven
teen wears but it wild wilderness of land
There were few books no schools in the modern
sense and little hope for anything but hard work.
If was exactly the kind of country for a great
man to make II start in, for unless he had some
elements of greatness he never would achieve his
goal.
1t was a country of hard knocks. rs well as hard
work and it all made for economy of time and
strdy Lincoln's mother. who bright, deli
care wonan taught her son much as she could.
4 visiting schoolmaster gave him some lessons in
tbc ordinary Three RS" The country
snarselv settled and distant from civilization
thnt mt the little church the services that were
held were conducted by itinerant clergymen.
The boy Lincoln grew up here in II small log
cabin that was without windows, and whose wide
chimney was built the outside of the cabin.
Al night n log in the fireplace gave all the ilum-
i,otjon the place afforded. BY this freight, to
the music. of the cracking burning logs, young
Lincoln extended fiat on the floor studied and
worked out little problems in arithmetic, which
in that section regarded of greater i'm
portunce than deep knowledge of English liter
AZURE.
Iincoln's mother died when he was nine years
of age or about Il year after his father moved to
Indiana and the following year his father married
Mrs Sally Bush Johnston. Contrary to the i'm
nression mainly created by the old fairy tales the
second Mrs Lincoln was II model stepmother.
Studied While Working
AT the same time young Lincoln working
ms fl farm hand. He borrowed books from neigh
bors and greedy devou ed them. The book
,b,t IMPRESSED him most Weems Life of
Washington. He receive d his exalted idea of the
Father of His Country from that book, which
de6ed the first president rather than told his
life But Lincoln believed in it and it influenced
his life
He rend Robinson Crusoe" and Bunyans "Pil-
gritn's Progress" and a history of the United
states and it on these that he founded all his
knowledge of biography, history and literature.
Rut he knew those books by heart, for he had to
memorize them they all were borrowed He
walked miles TO store where st. Louis
puper was taken to borrow it, and thus he
caiyed his news of current events.
And all the while he working, and working
hard Now ferrying. now powing, but always in
this backwoods country, for he quite young
man when his father removed to Illinois.
Lincoln was about twenty-five the time whom