The Republican journal., 1921-02-10
When Lincoln Was Young

ADTanam Lincoln was born IN kentucky
| February IL, 1909. Next Saturday there
will be observances of Lincoln's Birthday
by the Lincoln Club of Portland, by scores
of other Lincoln Clubs in different parts
and in many of the schools and churches.
| Ida NJ Tarbell is writing ''Boy Scouts
Life of Lincoln" which is being published
in installments in Boys Life, the official
magazine of the Boy Scouts of America
The writer of this story is recognized
authority on the whole story of Abraham
Lincoln's life. When Lincoln was seven
years old, his father, Thomas Lincoln,
moved with his family from Kentucky
to Indiana. The following word picture
of Lincoln's childhood home in that State
| is thus drawn by Miss Tarbell:
at was what the woodsman knows as
| half-faced camp. Two strong straight
trees about fourteen feet apart, standing
to the east and west, were chosen and
trimmed and hewn to serve as corner
posts. The east, west and north sides
were then enclosed in log cabin fashion,
lighter timber being cut then for per-
manent building. These sides were made
tight with clay. the roof with sod and
branches of trees. There was no chimney
in the haIf-faced camp. but in front on
the open south side a big fire. place was
| made, and here fire was kept burning
night and day, whatever the weather, as
guard against prowling wolves, bears
and wildcats.
"Most of the cooking was done in what
hn ,foh
iron pot, standing on three long legs and
furnished with an iron cover and a handle.
A big bed of Goals was raked in front of
the high pile of logs which were always
burning in the fire. place, and on these
the pot was placed. No better cooking
utensil was ever devised for stew or roast
than the Dutch oven, but you must have
a bed of Goals, such as only fireplace
will give.
"a half faced camp could be made liv-
able, even In winter, except under two
conditions-When a south wind blows the
smoke into the shelter and when a drench-
ing rain soaks everything, inside and out.
Then camp life becomes test of courage
and cheerfulness Before the winter was
over the Lincoln family often had to suf-
fer this test"
al al Iht "Olh F1ul dDdlll tUUh HIS
part. The axe was put into his hands as
soon as they arrived in Indiana, and he
was so strong and so willing that he was
soon able to swing it with skill 1t was
only from hunting that he held back. He
had no taste for killing things. Just be-
fore he was eight years old he shot his
first turkey-and it was his last He
never shot deer or bear, though he al
ways took his part in guarding family
and neighbor when there was danger
from proving wolves. But if he did not
| Kill, he did know how to skin and butcher
ANIMALS. Curing and tanning the hides
/ OF the bear and deer and wolf they took
/ was almost as important to the family as
! the meat, for it was from these skins
/ that large part of their clothing as well
| as bed and floor coverings, were made"
In 1873 the Lincoln family again imi-
| grated, this time to Illinois, where again
the family faced primitive conditions
Abraham was then Fl years old, his stat
ure was six feet and 4 inches and his
| muscular strength was enormous. He
! helped build the cabin, clear the land and
| split the walnut rails with which it was
| fenced. He then struck out for himself
| His work was to help build flatboat and
| with the owner went to New Orleans on
trading trip. Later on he was hired as
chow hand" ON a boat which Mr..
| Gentry was sending down. His pay for
E! the trip was eight dollars month and
his passage back. Concerning this trip,
/ Miss Tarbell says:
| ITO take flatboat down the Ohio and
the Mississippi as large as that the Cen
trys built was task that called for boz h
brains and muscle. The boat was fully
40 feet in length, with double bottom of
stout oak planks. 1t was provided with
two pairs of stout long oars at bow and
stern, check post and coil of rope, and
what was called a setting pole for steer
ing. The current of the river would car
ry such boat as this from four to six
miles an hour. The crews work was
| largely plotting. There were many bends
in the river, the winds were capricious
and the current tricky, and in many
places the traffic crowded 1t called for
skilful steering. They traded as they
Travelled, tying up Wherever they thought
there was a chance for a market, ex-
| changing their boats load of bacon, pota-
| toes and cloth for cotton, tobacco and
sugar"