Franked For Them

"Let this go. A. Lincoln. " Unless it has boen destroyed there ia in a home in Fond dn Laccounty, Wis., a soldier letter in an envelope bearing the above words, signed by the great war president. Krank King was a Lamartine boy, fresh from the farm, and a oharaoter onr whole ocmpany took to kindly from the first. When the army was camped in Virginia, near Washington, the winter of 1861-2, it was a common practico with the soldiers, when they got a pass, to visit the city to buy a paokage of envelopes and cali at the capítol, send in for their senator or representativa and get him to frank them. One of our boyB came back to camp in high feather. He had two packages of envelopes - one franked by Senator James R. Doolittle, now a Chicago lawyer, the other by the late Senator T. O. Howe, who succeeded Captain James as postmaster general in President Arthur's cabinet. For 20 years senators and members have been giving a good deal of their time to helping the aoldiers with their pension claims. If they have done it as willingly and pleasantly as they used to frank envelopes for the boys, they must be pretty nearly angels. "You fellow8, there, are inaking a big blast over getting a couple of senators to frank your envelopes," said Frank King. "Jnstyou wait till you sea me come back from Washington with the president's name on some letter covers. ' ' Withiu a few days Frank King and Harry Dunn, who for years af ter the war was a Chicago bnsiness man, went to the city. They called at the White House. It was easier to see the president then than it is now. At certain hours of the day a soldier conld reach the cbief executive with fully as rnuch ease as a senator can in these later years. King was the ringleader. Approaching the gnard, he said: "We want to see Mr. Lincoln. Please stand aside and let us pass. " "Who are you, and what is your business?" "You teil oíd Abe we havtt charge of a regiment over on Arlington Heights and want to see him on an important matter. Ho'll let us in." "Where are your shoulder straps?" "We came over in our everyday clothes. Come, we are in a hurry. Let us go in and see Mr. Lincoln." The parley had attraoted the attention of the president. The door swuug open and the good naturedchief of thenation smiled upon the cheeky young fellows and bade them step right in. "What can I do for you, my men?" "Mr. Lincoln, I want you to frank these envelopes, " said King. "Better get yonr oougressman to do that. !' "I'd much rather have you do it, Mr. LincoJn. The folks at home would like to see your name on my letters. " 'Til fix one of them. Take the rest to your congressman. Who is he?" "I don't kuow. " "Where is your home?" "Lamartine, Fond du Lao county, Wis." "That is my friend Scott Sloan's district. You go to Mr. Sloan. He will fix the rest of them." The president sbook hands with the two privates, asked them to be brave soldiers and wished them a safe return to their western homes. Frank couldn't make his tentmates believe that the president had written : "Let this go. A. Lincoln." But the next day he wrote a letter to his father. The name of Lincoln was personally exaniined by all of the neighbors. In January, 1864, our regiment was in Washington on the way home, having re-enlisted - "veteranized," as they called it. In conipany with two others I went to the White House. The president shook hands with us, thanked us for swearing in for three years more and expressed the hope that we would have a nice visit on our veteran furlough. "Mr. President," said Jones - Ed Jones - "you franked a letter for oue of the boys in our company, Frank King. I wish you would frank one for me." "Odd us it rnay seem, yon are the second soldier to make such a request. So both are of the same company? Very well." On Jones' envelope he wrote "A. Lincoln, President," and as he handed it back he asked what had become of that other man who had asked him to pass a letter. "He was killed at Gettysburg. " I shall never forget tha look of sadness in the president's faoe when the answer was given, and it had not disappeared when we left the room. "Jones, what did you teil him about King for? Did you see how it pained him?" "What did he ask about him for? Do you suppose I was going to lie to a man I would die for?" was Jones' iudignant