Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-02-20
ANECDOTES BY AND
ABOUT LINCOLN
RY Holm 7. BOEEUILLET

r INCIDENT to February IL being the ami
versary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln,
sixteenth President of the United States,
am devoting this article to number OF strlk-
ing anecdotes and interesting occurrences IN
connection with him. They have been gath
cred from various sources, and out of mass
of similar recitals.
In illustration of the mother-wit in South
ern soldiers, President Lincoln told OF this
conversation between two opposing plckets:
What is the reason you tommy Reps never
have any decent clothes?" hallooed the Union
, soldier one frosty morning. I'VE don't put
on our best to kill hogs in, was the Confed-
crates retort. lI}
It was the habit, and it seemed to be the
pleasure. of President Lincoln to sit in
rickety chair in the White House. One of
his visitors said: "Mr. Lincoln, that is a
| bad chair You should have better one.
He replied: eyes, this is bad chair, but.
| bad as it is, l am inclined to believe that
| know several statesmen who are perfectly
willing to occupy it,
A gentleman once complimented the Pres
| ident on having no vices, neither drinking
nor smoking. ''That is a doubtful compli-
ment," responded Lincoln. 81 recollect once
being outside stage coach, in Illinois, and
| man sitting by me offered me cigar l
told him I had no vices He said nothing.
/ but smoked for some time, and then growled
out: It's my experience that folks who have
mo vices have generally very few virtues
! A visitor once asked President Lincoln how
| many men the South had in the field. The
President replied, very seriously, Twelve
hundred thousand, according to the best au-
| thority.' The interrogation blanched in the
| face, and calculated, Good heavens! "Y es,
sir answered Lincoln, twelve hundred
thousand-no doubt of it. You see, all of
our generals when they get whipped, say the
enemy outnumbered them from three or five
| to one, and I must believe them. We have
four hundred thousand men in the field, and
| three times four make twelve. Don't you see
lit?"
! A lieutenant, whom debts compelled to
leave his father-Iand and service by reason of
his commendable and winning department and
intelligent appearance promised a lieu
tenants commission in Federal cavalry regi-
ment in the Civil War. He was so enrap-
tured with his success that he deemed it a
duty to inform the President that he belonged
to one of the Oldest and noblest houses in
Germany. ooh, never mind that" said Mr..
Lincoln, "you will not find that to be an OBJ
stace to your advancement
Lincoln was several times a representative
in the Illinois legislature During the ses-
sion of 1910 he did only one memorable
thing, and in the words of a friendly biogra-
pher that unfortunately discreditable. "
In close and exciting contest, Lincoln, with
other Wings, jumped out of window in or
der to break a quorum. Later, he expressed
deep regre. OYER his conduct.
! In one of his campaigns as a Wing for the
legislature, Lincoln encountered on the stump
George ForQuer, an old citizen a OF
prominence and lawyer of ability. For
quer had just completed new residence in
lSpringfield and over it had erected a light
ming rod, the only one in the place and the
first one Lincoln had ever SEEN Forquer was
rather sneering in his speech of Lincoln, and
said that "the young man would have to be
taken down" In the course of his rejoinder
Lincoln said 1.-THE gentleman has seen fit
to allude to my being a young man, but he
forgets that am older in years than am in
the tricks and trades of politicians. l desire
to live, and I desire place and distinction, but
l would rather die now, than, like the gentle
man, live to see the day that I would change
my politics for office worth three thousand
I dollars a year, and then feel compelled to