Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1930-11-21
Little Journeys in
Americana
From printers Devil" to
the Cabinet
By LESTER B. COLBY

XXThen e. n. Garbutt, editor of the
w Pike County Free Press, Dor
rowed Rev. Josiah Carriers roam mare
one day back in 1S4S and rode out
, into the country to round up new
subscriber or two he set into motion
a train of events that led to the court
of st. James, to the freeing of the
slaves and to the PRONUNCIATION of the
Omen Door of China. Listen.
Pittsfield. ILL.,, wasn't much Of a
town then and Garbutt's paper wasn't
much of a paper. But fate was wait
ing that summers day in little hill
cabin.
AS Editor Garbutt rode past the
cabin an angry woman, with broom
stick appraised, chased a small. fright
ened boy from the cabin. The boy ran
toward the road The woman halted
at sight of the stranger. Garbutt
beckoned to the boy and questioned
him.
"She's my stepmother," replied the
boy. "And she seems to like to beat
me. Butt don't like it."
The boy was pleasing sort of boy
and the naive answer touched Gar
butt. After few moments talk he
lifted the boy up and placed him on
the roam mare behind him. They rode
into Pittsield that night and the boy
became a printers devil.
We turn the reel up few years.
The boy, John G. Nicolay, is grown
now. He is writing editorials, news
items, sticking" type and getting out
the newspaper. He has found another
boy for devil" That boy, literary,
clever, is named John Hay and he. is
writing some verse. He calls it "Pike
County Ballads"
Nicolay becomes a great admirer Of
a young Illinois lawyer, a tall, sallOw,
slender fellow who appears to have
political promise.
One day Nicolay, perhaps more than
ordinarily inspired, writes an editorial
appealing to the nation to make Abra-
ham Lincoln President. He pulls
proof, laboriously, on his hand press,
and mails them to editors he knows.
The idea takes. There is big talk
about 1t. Political thunders are heard
afar. Finally Lincoln is elected
Now one of Lincoln's strongest
traits was his ability not to forget
friends. When he went to Washing
ton he took John G. Nicolay with him
as his aide, first-friend and advisor.
Nicolay was, perhaps, sort of Col
onel House to Lincoln.
Nor did Nieolay forget his friend.
So John Hay, too, moved to Washing
ton. OF the twain, Nicolay and Hay,
perhaps opportunity smiled the larger
for Hay.
John Hay became secretary to
President Lincoln when twenty-four
years old, became ambassador to the
court of st. James, became secretary
Of state under President Mckinley
and Roosevelt, became the greatest
diplomat that the United States has
ever known, took time from his
political duties to be, for time, edi-
tor of the New York Tribune when
Horace Greeley published it. And John
Hay promulgated the Open iloor to
China. A treaty he negotiated with
Great Britain healed sore Of fifty
years standing.
John G. NicoIay became one of the
greatest historians of Lincoln, be-
came consul to Paris and then mar
shall of the Supreme Court of the
United States. Pittsfield, H., is today
only a village; maybe 5000 people.
Few see it because no railroad passes
through; a stub line its only trans
port. But on the courthouse square
stands a noble boulder. On 1t are en-
grayed four names:
Abraham Lincoln
Stephen A. Douglas
John G. Nicolay
John Hay
Douglas, who once defeated Lincoln
for the senate. was added to the list
because he, like the others, was a
familiar sight in Pittsfield in those
prewar days when the four were
carving their careers out of the rough.
So I say to you. viewing the above
apart, If you ever see woman chas-
ing a frightened little boy with a
broomstick, lift him up and put him
on your roam mare behind you. 1t
may lead him to the court of st.
James or to the opening, perhaps, of
some door to China. Or even to a
share in the making of some future