The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1920-02-12
INTERESTING LINCOLN
"REMINISCENCES GIVEN

Hon. Smith Stimmel. Of Farg1. y.
D. appeared before Hood River people
Su liay night al Riverside church in .
lei tlre on personal "reminiscences OF
Al raham Lincoln. For two years be
70 the Great Emancipator 5 assassin
at On. Mr.. Stimmel was a member Of a
N, united bodyguard of the president
TIE lecture was chiefly recital Of in
clC ents Of his experience IN illustration
Of the human qualities of Lincoln.
dr. Stimmel. who is now Il wears Of
az and resident Of Fargo. was re
criited for the cavalry bOdyguard by
tn governor of Ohio. The troop dails
stoCd guard at one Of the doors of the
Wute House and accompanied the
president on his journeys by horseback
or in his carriage over the city.
"My first glimpse of Lincoln.
sal Mr.. Stimmel, in the beginning of
his talk, was IN 1851. at Columbus,
Ohio. He was on his way TO Washing
tol for the first inauguration. Boy
like. | was in the front of the parade
from the station to the court house
where he delivered an address. But
he made an impression on me that Will
last forever. when in his talk. he said
i hope if my friend, Judge Douglas,
instead Of myself, were here today.
en- route TO Washington. he would have
had your same warm greeting,
/ This nation owes the memory of
Lincoln debt of gratitude that it can
never repay. For it was through his
greatness that We were steered:through
those dark days that beset and almost
rent our nation.
/ Mr.. Stimmel cited that the popular
impression was that Lincoln was a
homely man. but he declared no one in
close contact with him ever SO cOnsid-
cred him. OF clothes the president
gave no great thought, and his every
day suit was ill fitting, but, as Mr.
st mmel pointed out, when he was
slicked up for state occasions, no man
in an assemblage presented a more
striking appearance.
I As a nOn-commissioned officer, Mr..
Stimmel was posted, unmounted, at
one Of the doors of the White House.
He said that Mr. Lincoln frequently
passed in and out, going and returning
from the war department office near
by.
by his moods, as he returned from
his visits there" said Mr.. Stimmel,
I'VE soon were able to gauge the con-
dtl0n Of the front as one knows the
temperature by reading thermOme.
ter. lf all was well, he returned with
his head up, as the saying goes, but
when we saw him walking with his
eyes downcast in deep study. scarcely
seeing the soldiers. and almost forget
ting to return their salutes. we knew
that we would read in the afternoon
papers of reverses.
President Lincoln's S every day coach,
according to MIR. Stimmel, was an or
dinary hack. He had better for state
occasions. but he never had personal
saddle horse. and whenever he wished
to take a horseback trip he asked that
the troop furnish him with mount.
They selected long legged, high step
ping animal that suited the president S
stature, but )they We're never able to
lengthen the stlrrup straps sufficiently
Mr. Stimmel declared that Lincoln
riding this great horse and topped by
his huge stovepipe hat, presented a
striking appearance.
And about that hat" said Mr..
Stimmel. 81 often wondered why the
fur was always rubbed the wrong way.
discovered the reason one day. We
were out on trip, President Lincoln
in his carriage. An army officer ap-
preached on horseback. He had all the
insignia of his rank. and on approach
ing recognized Mr.. Lincoln. He gave
n cal,ta NTH t,raatgipt, NJ
Lincoln, suddenly realizing who the
man was, reached up with his long
arms and swept his hat off into his lap,
. returning it to his head as suddenly.
But he could, on occasion. give a salute
with as much grace as any one.
Mr.. Stmmel recited a number of
stories to illustrate the great human
sympathy of Lincoln. How he hark-
ened to the appealing stories of sister
and mother who came to plead for
the lives of soldiers sentenced to death
for some dereliction of duty.
in matters of sympathy" said Mr..
Stimmel, "he had the heart of loving
mother, but in critical matters Of state
: he was as immovable and firm as the
ages.
Mr.. Stimmel cited the incident Of
Capt. Wilkes arrest of Slidell and Ma
son, who were taken from the British
. vessel. How congress and even mem.
bers of the cabinet praised:the act, but
how the president alone stood out
against a justification, and thus pre-
vented war with England at a time
when it would have been disastrous.
Lincoln during all of his official life
was never able to get vacation but
as Mr.. Stimmel pointed out. he was
able to lose himself in ordinary human
affairs and thus keep himself in balance
for consideration of critical events He
cited an instance when the mounted
bodyguard was accompanying the pres
ident one day from the summer homt
to the White House Mr.. Lincoln and
the lieutenant in command of the guar(
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