Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-17

In a remote corner of the Ozark Noun
taius in Arkansas lives a mountain doctor,
''pr;Acticing physic,' whose mother, so
phic Hanks. WAS Abraham Lincoln
cousin and lived in the family of Thomas
Lincoln his father, IN Indiana until she
was married. And from this practicer of
physic and two other children of Sophie
Hanks, who also live in parts OF the Ozark
Mountains has come story OF the boy
hood of Abe" Lincoln more complete
and intimate than any previous one.
Arthur +. Morgan. who discovered the
p,ountainer doctor while travelling through
the Ozarks during the winter of 1908 and
1909 and who persevercd until all the
Abe lore which Sophie Hanks had
handed down TO her children WAS his own
tells the story IN the current Atlantic
Monthly
In this Lincoln family were two chill
dren only, Sarah end Abraham, but or
phaned or half-orphaned children from at
least four other families lived there, too,
and among them Sophie Hanks, whose
mother was the sister of Nancy Hanks
Lincoln, Abraham's mother. This sister
was unmarried, and her SIX children all
used the name Hanks As their own.
Mr.. Morgan, Is a civil engineer, and 1t
was while he WAS working on a plan for the
reclamation OF tfE NUilk LINUS VI
northeast Arkansas that he made n little
vacation trip of exploration into the hills
and came upon his treasure, buried deep.
In train and then in saddle he made his
WAY through q section of northwest Ar
kansas mot crossed by any railroad, where
one finds canons with lichen-covered
walls steep mountainsIdes where cedar,
oak and beech grow with luXuriance not
seen in more northern ATTITUDES and where
the mountain scenery will compare IN
beauty with anything the eastern States
ran offer until nc came to the little town
of Jasper the seat of Newton county, and
II was IN the village hotel, residence re-
modelled 10 care for guests. that he found
the doctor, husband to the landlady.
The people We're So abomnably
healthy. however hc says, that III
tributary population of perhaps 5000,
there Was at that time but one patient, q
case Of chronic stomach trouble; so the
doctors wife helped ont the family reve-
nue- bv keeping hotel.
1t wAs February H. 1909 and on the
hotel table lay recent copy OF she ~.
LOUIS Globe-Democrat. with description
pf the dinner gwen the week before at
Springfield Ill, concentrating the cen
tennial OF Lincolns birth. The doctor
apparently noticed my interest IN this
account. and when conversation had be-
come established. he made a remark which
seemed 10 indicate that he knew some
thing of Lincoln. To my direct question he
replied. Why. YES, my mother grew up
With .tbe Llnkhorn. When ! was baby
ihc held me IN his arms and nursed me
Further questions convinced me that here
surely was a man OF good intentions
After this brief visit, a longer one IN
Nav, and another in July, 1910, after
supplementary talks with the other two
children of Sophie Hanks, John Lynch
and Mrs. Nancy Davidson. and Informs
ton got from another foster brother OF
Abc's, John Hanks, In Douglas county,
Ore, the story WAS so far IS could be, COM
plete. And story handed down by word
of mouth from mother TO son IN the OZarss
l. apt 20 he complete. Word Of mouth Is
far more important there than word OF
type, and "reminiscences are gone over and
over again by way Of conversation. The
children come 10 know the things their
parents know, as well as il they had been
there themselves.
Much nj the information pertalned 10
Thomas Lincoln himself and the general /.
conditions of life in the Lincoln family. but +
stall II was about Abe that the doctor and /
his kin best liked 20 talk, and It must have I
been that even IN bis childhood Abe WAS I
compelling and unusual boy, so clesrly /
had Sophie Hanks remembered each de- :
tsil. So proud were SophIe's children OF
1 heir nearncss To that strong and honest
man. Abe Linkhorn
ABE a STRONG CHILD.
The usual opinions To the effect that /.
Ahraham Lincoln was = slckly child. 1
says MIR Morgan. do not find support IN +
the stores handed down by the doctors
mother. who grew UP with him. He was
very firm and straight both physically !.
and morally. He grew up very early, and /
was large for his years. Sophie Hanks was I
ev IDENTIFY much impressed with Abes
Th, rical ability. If they was any one I
that was an expert at any kind Of ath- I
letis, related the doctor, Abe could do 1t +
better we heerd mother say many time .
that Abe would stand fiat on his feet and +
leal back till his head would touch the /
for | got so / could stand on trundle /
led and lean back till my head touched T
the bed. but | was always afraid 10 try 1t I
on the floor for fear | would fall and hurt |
myself 1t was mother telling me about |
Abe Linkhorn that started me at IT. One
Of my playDates got so he could stand on
the fat Of his feet and reach backwards
and touch the ground
80 much for the noble example. He
would stand on corncob and turn en-
under it. 1 thought TO take the Oppor-
tunity TO correct statements which have
been written to the effect that Abe Lincoln
was fond of cock-hghting; but the reply
got to my inquiry was, 'Cock-hghting was
very prevalent in those days, and Abe
took considerable interest IN it
He hunted a great deal. j remember
mother telling about the first time he
killed . turkey related the doctor He
brought it home and told the people all
evening about killing that turkey. and
when he went to sleep, he talked in his
.leep most Of the night about that turkey.
The folks devilled him IN the morning for
talking about the turkey III bis sleep.
He did not use tobacco as boy, was
bot profane, and did not drink whisky,
except as Uncle Tom would have all the
children to drink dram before breakfast