The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-02-12
MEMORIES ' OF
LINC0LN'S DAY
Told by One Who Was Ac.
quainted With the Great
Emancipation and His
Opponent, Douglas.

heard Lincoln ana DOuSlaS
debate, has store of interesting in
cidents connected with her father-in-
law, an ardent Abolitionist, as we'll as
tales of her father, who served as ad-
1utant-general of Illinois.
Mrs. Child's maiden name was Mary
Ellen Anderson. She was born and
reared near Springfield, lived in that
locality for eighty years, and now re-
sides in Chicago.
Eyes. remember when Springfield
was nothing but mud-hole, when
the horses were driven to the court
house, unhitched, tied to the back OF
the wagon and fed there. l lived on
q farm not far from town; we knew
the people In town and went in to the
political meetings. In those days,
won know, two would talk together,
each trying to get voters for his side.
, i heard Lincoln and Douglas stump.
Folks said that Douglas was the
,smartest man but that Lincoln was the
shrewdest Once heard Douglas say
to Lincoln: You, sir, used to sell
whisky!'
"When Lincoln got up, this was his
answer to that: Yes, did. And
while I officiated in one way. you.
Douglas, did in another; you did the
drinking
douglas was drinker. They said
he made the best speeches when he
was under the influence. The day my
father introduced him to little boy
who was for Douglas, though the boys
father was strong on the other side,
I know he had been drinking.
"This boys father, Stephen Child
the boy had the same name-was
known all around as an abolitionist
The boy, only ten years old, for some
reason was not on that side. Once
the father while at work in the field
saw his team being driven by little
Stephen out to the road as fast as
they could 60. He hollered for the
boy to bring the horses back but he
paid no attention. After awhile Mr..
Child saw gang of boys drive back
to the house. They had pole in
their wagon. They took this out and
pretty soon began trying to raise 1t.
for fag-pole, in front Of the house.
Mr.. Child (by the way, he later be-
came my father-in-law) went over
and offered to help, although it was
a hickory pole. But little Stephen
said, NO. this Is a Democrat pole
and no Abolltionist shall touch It!
Little Stephen had two cats that
he called Douglas and Lincoln. He
took fine care Of Douglas but he used
to beat Lincoln numerically. That
was long time ago, but he is still
living and still remembers his CATS
my father was Democrat. We
lived neighbor to the Chlds. and one
day father took little Stephen to a
meeting where Douglas spoke. After
the meeting father had the boy shake
hands with Douglas, and he intro
duced him as a 'ten-year-old Democrat
son of an AbOIitiOnist.'
my fathpr-in-law was an awful
strong Abolitionist. He sheltered col
ored people and helped show them
the way north. He had horse named
Pomp. They said he would put COL
ored runaway on the horse, send 1t
off and be pretty sure it would do
what was expected Of it; would run
along steadily, then kick up it's heels
and throw off its load right at the door
of another Abolitionist.
! MY fnthcr-in-law> used to hide the
runaways in his cellar. which had no
outside door. just trap-door in the
house. Once he had lot Of them
there and searchers came along, sus-
pecting him. Mr.. Child told them
they were welcome to search. They
looked all around, but not in the right
place. That night he loaded the COL
wagon, piled on top bags of hay and
started out for Salt Greek. On the
trip at the side of the road he met n
man who asked for ride. Mr.. Child
raised his whip and told him to get
out of the way, that he didn't want
any one to ride and hurt his load.
He got the people safely to Salt Creek.
there in Logan county, then showed
them the way north.
Eyes, knew Lincoln. knew Mary
Todd, too, slightly. She was naughty.
After their marriage it hurt her that
Lincoln was 50 plain and dressed so
plain; she wanted him to dress up.
When I first knew him he liked to
wear the linsey woolsey. He was a
homely man but drew people to him.
He was a great friend to the poor,
made more over ragged boy or girl
than any other kind.
Everyone around Springfield sor-
rowed when Lincoln was killed. l
remember as though 1t was yesterday
his body lying in state there in the
state house. And remember the day
my husband and I went to pay our
respects that there was the biggest
fight on the streets of Springfield that
had ever seen. COlored people
had flocked there from all sides, they
were present in such numbers they