Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1919-02-06

Oxford printed COPY of letter Lincoln wrote
to mother who had given five sons TINT the
Union might be preserved: label beneath this
copy of the letter bears the simple comment that
this is zone of the finest specimens of pure English
extant."
AMI thnt comment by one Of the greatest uni
versities In the world is on the work of man
who never had years schooling in his life.
1t is small wonder that Lincoln's life is upheld
to the poor boy as shining example Of what de-
termination to learn and succeed will do.
Lincoln's grandfather like many others, fol-
lowed the magnetic Daniel Boone into the wilder
ness of Kentucky. The Lincolns ut that time
were not poor folks, as many have believed. for
the grandfather, whose name also was Abraham
sold his property for 600 before he out for
the unclaimed lands where some say the man.
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 start out for himself mt 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 (1SO9) had been a state for seven.
teen years. but 1t was wild wilderness of land.
There were few books no schools in the modern
sense, and little hope for anything but hard work.
1t was exactly the kind Of country for a great
man to make q start in, for unless he had some
elements of greatness he never would achieve his
goal.
1t was country Of hard knocks as we'll rs hard
work. and 1t all made for economy Of time and
study. LincOln's mother, who was bright, deli
cate woman, taught her son as much as she could
visiting schoolmaster gave him some lessons in
the ordinary Three RS" The country was so
sparsely settled and SO distant from civilization
that at the little church the services that were
held were conducted by itinerant clergymen.
The boy Lincoln grew up here in a small log
Shot with wine
chimney was built on the outside of the cabin
At night log In the fireplace gave all the ium.
nation 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
Id that section was regarded as of greater i'm.
pbrtance than deep knowledge Of English liter
ature.
Lincolns mother died when he was nine years
OF age, or about year after his father moved to
Indiana and the following year his father married
Mrs. Sally Bush Johnston. Contrary to the Inn.
PRESTON mainly created by the old fairy tales the
second Mrs Lincoln was model stepmother
studied While Working.
At the same time young Lincoln was working
as a farm hand. he borrowed books from neigh.
bors and greedily devoured Them The one hook
that impressed him most was Weems' life OF
Washington" He received his exalted idea Of tine
Father Of His Country from that book, which
deifed the first president rather than told hia
life. But Lincoln believed In 1t and 1t Influenced
his life.
He read Robinson Crusoe" and Bunyan's ..pil.
i grim's Progress" and history Of the United
States and 1t was on these that he founded all his
knowledge OF biography, history and literature
But he knew those books by heart, for he had to
memorize them, as they NIL were borrowed He
walked miles TO store where St Louis news
paper WIS taken to borrow It, and thus he re-
ceived his news OF current events
And all the while he was working, and working
hard. Now ferrying, now blowing but always II
this backwoods country, for he was quite 4 youns
man when his father removed to niinois
Lincoln was about TWENTY-FIVE at the time when