Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-12
TRAGEDY OF LlNCOLN'S DEATH
HALTED FEAST OF REJOICING
Midnight Dinner at White House in Cele-
bration of Downfall of Confederacy
Hastily Aband oned.

| Mr.. Kincheloe to let our family go. say
ing, They will probably go to Washing
ton like many of the colorcd people who
look on that place now as their heaven
| waen they get tired of 1t up there Voi
can take them back. and then they WIZ
, be In the notion to stay So they lei
us 60 and helped us off. ?.
mir. Turner had been supporter oil
MIR. Buchanan IN his race for the
presidency. and was In position uo
drive a bargain or two. lie KEEP! q
string tied to my father by having Mr.
Buchanan appoint him butler NJ tne
White House, and, everything arranged
Mr.. Buchanan agreed that my lainef
nav In cash should go to my rather
former master in Virginia l don't
know the details, but they made the
arrangement, and left 1t SO my father
would have upkeep for himself aho
family. The butler was expected To ea'
at the White House. and now ana tncfl
some other member OF the family dic
too. l will say that those VINO WORKED
around the White House received more
nav then than they do now, but why
That Is I am unable to explain.
Made Home In Alexandria.
"My parents lived first at Alexandria
where | saw coming down the road one
day In a fine carriage Gen. Robert f.
Ice of Arlington. He never knew
used to ride with him. because. ! was
behind, but other people did. II l
didn't ride the Lee coach 1t was because
the driver happened 10 whip up the
horses. ,.,>
IA, Hua in
on twelfth street between q and II
streets in Washington While my father
was butlering at the White House
started shining shoes around the
Treasury Building, and now and then
ranged elsewhere. l met lots of big
men in this way congressman. men,
beers of the Supreme Court, cabinet
ministers, heads of Government depart
ments and natives OF Washington.
used 20 shine around the White House.
hoping Mr.. Lincoln would call me. but
somebody was shining his shoes and
! boots inside SO not long after the
inauguration IN March. 1861. my father
took me To the White House to see
/ Abraham Lincoln We found him In
his Office.
MY father said, MIR Lincoln. want
you to see my boy
Mr.. Lincoln pulled himself to his
feet, and said Hes handsome boy
all right Then he put his big right
hand on my bare head and rubbed 1t
over my scalp. Lord. but he made me
mad. wanted 10 hit him. 50 I ducked
away. | suppose | was surprised be-
cause the way my mistress did when
vke wanted to punish me was to lay q
hickory across my back
Took Up odd Jobs"
i made myself at home around the
Kitchen and the butlers pantry. and
found II convenient to do odd Jobs. rum
ming errands and carrying things oack
and forth At this time | was II wears
o'd. rine years younger than Robert r
Lincoln end two or three years older
| IMAM Tad the youngest son. and
gus about the same agr as Willie.
Pob7rt went aVav 10 college. s6 !
didn't see much Of him except when
! ne returned home in Summer. but Tad
WIS tn1re all the time and kept every
DodV on the move. including his father
Willie was great favor!te with his
parents. he was uu.etcr than the other
TWO, end died about the middle OF the
war Robert was what YOU would call
h-and-ready for ANYTHING, but Tad
could follow his pace. The boys had a
/ regular menagerie In the rear Of the
White House grounds Among the ami
mails were donkeps. horses and goats
| ana OF course bird pets came 10 them
| from everywhere Some kind of riding
| tournament was always going on and
| there were sufficient animals 10 play
circus whenever We took the notion
The animals were supposed To be
kept up by the hostler, but thev man
aged To get OH. and roam at will about
| III" Enclosure, and they 'nSt ruined the
flowers. and kept the gardener distract
| co. They also rode the d0nkeVs and
| ponies IN vet weather and Just tracked
/ uD everything Tad often drove his team
Of goats through the White House. and
| didn't care what else he did There was
no color lin" there; the boothlacks and
other coiored boys, who came and peep
| I'd through the fence were invited In
| Nov and then when We got too noisy
| for the cook the hostler and the gard
| cncr. Mr.. and Mrs. Lincoln came out 70
zee what We were up tn, and gave us
nice presents Tad was a liberal-hrarted
| h1v. and would have given away every
| thing II he had not been stopped.
President Evaded Crowds.
"Mrs. Lincoln enloyed fixing up" fol
company. but the President did not Ike
| crowds so muah when he had time
| from official business he used 70 pace
| up and down the halls In deep thought
or he would SIT for hours reading q
! book"
",Iow did Mr.. Lincoln impress you
per4naiiy?" he was asked. Ike was
| kintay, tolerant man wasn't he?'
| Yes sir. he was Kind TO everybody
never heard him speak unkindly oi
any one or get out of patience lie lls'
moved along about the same each day
Certain persons have circulated tht
report that he was careless In his per-
aonai habits. Did you ever see hin
walk around In his socks or put his
| feet up on the mantelpiecep"
No. sir. never did When ne
reached the front door he took of hi
hat and cape aud quietly handed then
to my father just ike any other gentle
man He was never noisy In his con
scgsation. but he enjoyed telling lnkea
and now and then he would break int
Il laugh. lie had Il lot on him In thoss
days"
Absurd Stories" Cited.
"You heard many absurd stories out
side about things that never happened
over there, didn't you?"
yes, mir, people have to have some
thing 10 talk about.
Did hc nppear sad and downcaa
| over the war;
Mot fttaI .,.,t,tt hnt tna thatIBh