The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1921-11-04

/ he did. A detached minute was L
him a thing to be filed with value
Yet there we're few men so deeply IN
love with fun. He loved to laugh at
storytelling and to match his bu-
NOR with Thompson Campbell--a IA
nous raconteur-and to play with
children. Fun was as necessary TO
him as sleep. He searched for 1t In
people and in books.
He came often to Samson's house
to play with "Mr. Nimble" and to talk
with Joe. Some of his best thoughts
came when he was talking with Joe
and some of his merriest moments
when he was playing with "Mr. MIN
ble." He confessed that II was tbs
latter that reminded him that he had
| better be looking for wife,
But Lincoln was only one Of many
remarkable personalities in Springfield
who had discovered themselves and
were seeking to be discovered. Sun
dry individuals we're lifting their heads
above the crowd, but not with the
modesty and self-dstrust OF Honest
Abe. "Steve" Douglas, whom Samson
had referred to as that little rooster
of a man." put on the stills OF brave
and pOnderous vigor. His five-foot
stature and his hundred pounds OF
weight did NOT fit the part Of Achilles.
But he would have no other. He blus-
tered much with a spear too heavy for
his hands. Lincoln used to call him
kind of popgun.
This free-for-all joust of individual
ism-one of the first fruits OF freedom
in the West-gave to the life of the lit
tie village rich flavor of comedy.
The great talents of Douglas had not
been developed His character was as
yet shifty and shapeless. Some OF
the leading citizens openly distrusted
him. Lincoln never liked this little
man, in opposing whom he was TO
come to the fulness OF his power on
the platform. Il is evident that Lin
coin regarded him as an able advocate
of small sincerity looking chiefly for
personal advancement
There is passage In the diary |
which illustrates the character of Dou-
glas and Lincoln's knowledge of It.
The passage relates to day in the
famous debates of 1853. Lincoln had
the speech of his opponent. A great
crowd had come by train and In
wagons. Taking advantage of his alb
;ence, Douglas had ,Rlled Lincoln "a
lar, coward and sneak" and de-
Jared that he was going 10 fight him.
Lincoln heard OF this and said 10
lis speech:
81 shall not fight with JuSSe Doug
as. A fight could prove no1Aing at
ssue in this campaign. 1t mlghS provo
hat he is a more muscular man than
or that l am a more muscular nan
han he, but this subject Is not n-pn-
Toned In either platform. Again, ne
nd are really very good friends and
,hen we are together he would no
more think of fighting me than of
ghting his wife. Therefore, when the
ldge talked about fighting, he was
OF giving vent to any Ill feeling, but
,as trying to excite-well, let us say
against me on the part of
Is audience"
Justice accomplished her ends now
nd then with comic displays Of VIC
nee In the prairie capital. One night
be Lincoln and certain OF his friends
,ptured q shoemaker who had beaten !
Is wife and held him at the village
imp while the aggrieved woman gave
IN sound thrashing. So this phase
Imperialism was cured In Spring
ED by chair off the same dog" as
lincoln put It,
One evening". while e. ID. Baker was q
In the crowded village court L
,om above Lincoln's office and was
Idely interrupted and in danger of "
;sault, the long legs of Honest Abe q
ddenly appeared through scuttle
lie in the ceiling above the platform.
e leaped upon IL and Selling a stone q
ater pitcher deied any one to inter- II
re with the right of free speech In
worthy cause.
So 1t will be seen that there were
stful moments in these sundry vindi-
tions of the principles of Democracy
the prairie capital.
(rn RI rnNTTNTTED