Evening star., 1939-02-12
Reminders of Lincoln Give Force Observance of Birthday Here
WhiteHOuse
FilledWith
Memories
Much Grief Beset
Emancipator
During Term
By John Clagen Proctor.

~ ~ VIM NS~6cb =
Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth
President of the United States and
one of the best known and surely
one of our most greatly beloved
Chief Executives, was born on Feb
ruary IL, 1909, just 100 years ago
today. Not in this city, of course,
but in Hardin (now Larue) County,
KY, in the State in which his
father, Thomas Lincoln, and his
mother Nancy (Hanks) Lincoln,
were married on June IL, 1906
Naturally, Kentucky observes Lin
coins Birthday, but it is not alone
in doing so, for it is also legal
holiday in 26 other States of the
Union and the Territory of Alaska.
In Massachusetts it is observed by
the Governors proclamation. Of
course. this observance should be
universal, but its omission any
where is Of no particular conse-
quence and means no disrespect to
the martyr President. who, after
all, is not only mourned and re-
vered by our Nation, but highly es-
teemed for his intellect and purity
of purpose in all civilized countries,
and always will be, or, as Secretary
Stanton expressed it, when he saw
the President breathe his last: He
belongs to the ages now
Important Period.
1t is probable that Lincoln spent
less than years of the nearly 56
years of his entire existence in
Washington, but this time, brief
as it may seen, embraced the most
important period of his life, and
for this reason 1t is but natural that
the Capital City should have more
reminders of the great President
than any other place in the country.
And if we do not have the place
of his birth, we do have the bullc-
ings where his tragic shooting oc-
Cured and where his death took
place the following morning. Here,
of course, is also the White House,
where he spent so many anxious
hours. and where there was much
grief for him and Mrs. Lincoln, and
so little real pleasure for either.
During the two years from l047 to
lo49, that Mr.. Lincoln served in
Congress. conditions were quite diff
ferent. He was not under the same
restraint he necessarily was from
1861 to 1865. when the city was
virtually military camp and great
caution had to be exercised to pro-
tect his life.
However. when he registered at
Browns Indian Queen Hotel, later
the Metropolitan, December 2, l847,
practically no one knew him, and
during the following two years of
his stay here, he could have visited
all parts of the city with perfect
freedom-and no doubt he did So
Those were the days of boarding
houses and private messes, and SO we
find Lincoln soon leaving Browns
for Mrs. Spriggs' boarding house in
Carroll row. six 3-story-and attic
dwellings which occupied the site
now covered by the handsome build
ing of the Library of Congress, the
Spriggs house being the fourth of
the row from A street.
Fond of Bowling.
DR.. Samuel Clagett Busey, a we'll
known Washington physician of his
day, also boarded at Mrs. Spriggs,
and according to the doctor Con-
gresham Lincoln was very fond Of
bowling, and would frequently join
others of the mess. or meet other
members in a match game, at the
alley Of James Casparis, which was
near the boarding house. He was
very awkward bowler, but played
the game with great zest and spirit,
solely for exercise and amusement,
and added greatly to the enjoyment
and entertainment of the other play
ers and bystanders by his criticisms
and funny illustrations.
HE accepted success and defeat
with like good nature and humor,
and left the alleys at the conclusion
of the game without a sorrow or dis
appointment. When it was known
that he was in the alley there would
assemble numbers of people to wit
ness the fun which was anticipated
by those who knew of his fund of
anecdotes and jokes. When in the
alley, surrounded by crowd of
eager listeners, he INDUCED with
great freedom in the sport of narra-
tive. His witticisms seemed for the
most part to be impromptu. He
always told the anecdotes and jokes
as If he wished to convey the i'm
preston that he had heard them
from some one, but they appeared
very many times AS if they had been
made for the immediate occasion.
congressman Lincoln was always
neatly but very plainly dressed, very
simple and approachable in manner,
and unpretentious. He attended to
his business, going promptly to the
House and remaining till the session
adjourned, and appeared to be IA
miliar with the progress of legis-
lation.
During that session Mrs. Lin
coin. with the eldest son, was at
the house for a time, but was so
retiring that she was rarely seen
except at the meals. Robert was
a bright boy. about years old. and
seemed to have his own way. If
there were any other children, I do
not recall the fact. During the short
session of the Congress Mr. Lincoln
lived downtown, where, I do not re-
member"
Famous Speech.
1t was during this session of Con-
gress that Mr.. Lincoln delivered his
famous speech about Gen. Cass, in
which he humorously compared the
generals military service with his
own service in the Black Hawk War
1t was also just at the close of his