The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-11-10

besn developed. HIS c6alEctsrwas ~
vet shifty and shapsless. Some Of
the leading citissns openly d~istrusted
him. Lincoln mover liked tins little
man. IN opposing whom he WA to
come to the fulness Of his power on
the platform. Il 40 evident that Lin
coin regarded him ID an able advocate
II small sincerity looking chiefly for
personal advancement.
There is a passage in the diary
which illustrates the character OF Dou-
glas and Lincoln's knowledge OF 1t.
The passage relates to a day In the
famous debates Of 1853. Lincoln had
not reached Havana in time to hear
the speech OF his opponent. A great
crowd had come by train and In
wagons. Taking advantage Of his abb
sence, Douglas had called Lincoln "a
l'ar, a coward and q sneak and de-
ctarea that he was going to fight him.
Lincoln heard of this and said In
his speech
II shall not fight with Judge Doug
las. A. fight could prove nothing at
issue In this campaign. IT might prove
that he is q more muscular man than
I, Or that I am a more muscular man
than he, but this subject is no men
toned In either platform. Again, he
and l are really very good friends and
when we are together he would no
more think Of fighting me than OF
fighting his wife. Therefore, when the
Judge talked about fighting, he was
not giving vent to any i'll feeling, but
was trying to excite-well, let us say,
enthusiasm against me on the part Of
his audience"
Justice accomplished her ends now
and then with comic displays Of VIC,
lence In the prairie capital. One night
Abe Lincoln and certain Of his friends
captured a shoemaker who had beaten
his wife and held him at the village
pump while the aggrieved woman gave
him q sound thrashing. So this phase
Of Imperialism was cured In Spring
field by "hair OF the same dog" as
Lincoln put 1t.
One evening, while n. d. Baker was
speaking in the crowded village court
room above Lincoln's ONCE and was
rudely interrupted and IN danger Of
assault, the long legs Of Honest Abe
suddenly appeared through a scuttle
hole in the ceiling above the platform.
He leaped upon it and selling a stone
water pitcher def1ed any one to inter
fere with the right Of free speech In
. worthy cause.
So 1t will be seen that there were
zestful moments in these sundry vindi-
cations Of the principles Of Democracy
in the prairie capital.
About this time Miss Mary Todd, the
daughter of a Kentucky banker, ar
rived In Springfield to visit her sister,
Mrs. Ninian w. Edwards. She was a
fashionably dressed, good-looking girl
Of blue-gray eyes and dark hair. ID
"Well, Mary, haven't you found the
fortunate young man yet?' Mr.. Ed
wards playfully asked the day Of her
coming. IT,
"You know, my husband is going
to be President Of the United States
and I hoped that I would find him in
Springfield" Mary answered in q like
vein.
There's great fishing here" said
Mr.. Edwards. II know the very man
you are locking for. He has come up
from the ranks and is now the most
popular member Of the legislature. He
a make a stirring speech and they
say he is going to be the President OF
the United States. He's wise and
witty and straight as a string, but q
rough diamond-big, awkward and
homely. You're just the girl to take
him In hand and give him a little pol
ish and push him along. His name is
Abraham Lincoln" g.%
Speed knew the Todds. When he
called upon Mary she asked about Mr..
Lincoln and said she would like to
meet him.
"she's just the girl for you, Abe"
Speed said to him that evening. "She
is bright and well educated and her
family has influence. She could be a
great help to you
This interested the member from
Sangamon county, who was indeed
eager to get along. The companionship
Of a refined young lady was the very
thing he needed.
Lets go over and pay our respects
to her." Speed suggested. They went,
Lincoln being carefully dressed in hib
first suit Of black clothes. Miss Todd
was a bright, yiyacious girl of middle
stature, twenty-five years old. She
was ~fashionably dressed and carried
her head proudly smart-lookfng,
witty, well spoken girl, but not espe-
cially handsome. Honest Abe was
s 1870 #ra E,As -.".- .----".. d. ..a-.. .--|E@-.h|