At Lincoln's Home

"I want tu fiad Mr. Spears. " M, , -. ¦ "Yes, Mr. Spears." "What Spears?" "I don't remember the first naine, but 1 was told he lived a lillle way west of the depot." "IsitJ. Q. Spears?" '"I believe tbat'a it- J. Q." "John Quincy?" "I presume John Quincy." "I don't know whether its John Quincy Adauisor not, "said the boy, "but it's John Quincy, sure, and he's up at the store. 111 show you." Thus saying, he kindly piloted uie acros.s the street and into a corner store, where I fuund the object of my search. This, be it known, was Thursday morning, in the town of Talulu, in Menard county, about 200 miles south of Chicago. A. pleasant place it is, with a rich country surrounding it, and a population of excellent people, numberiog about 700 or 800. 'J'hi.H was Lincoln's old stamping ground, and a few miles away is Salem, where the great President began Hfe and first ghowed soine of those quaiitics whieh afterward made him famous. There used to be a mili, a store or two, and a hotel or two at Salem, but nothing now remains save the cellar of the first, and a dilapidated old building where Lincoln used to board, but which is now used as a stable. THE INTER OCEAN had heard that there were many old settlers around Talulu who knew Lincoln as boy and man, and Mr. Spears had been mentioned as a gentleman who could give many facts about him himself and could put one on the track of securing much intörraation from others. So I introduced myself to Mr. Spears and explained my errand. I found him a most intelligent man, a wealthy farmer, whose land adjoins tbe village, and one who entered heart and soul into the spirit of my enterprise. "les, I can help you," said he, "butalthough I knew Mr. Lincoln very well, there are others who can give you more interest ing incidents connected with his career than I atn ablc to. I, of course, was much his júnior, but he was a great admirer of my grandmother, Mrs. Mary Spears, who was quite celebrated as a doctress here about the time Lincoln made his appearance, and he used to visit her regularly overy week and talk to her by the hour. While there I saw a great deal of him. But come with me a door or two away," continued Mr. Spears, "and I think I can show you sotneiuetnentoes of him. " We went into the store of Messrs. Bell Bros., and those gentlemen kindly brought forth an old-looking case containine many of the instrumenta with which Lincoln used to work wlien acting as DEl'UTV SURVEYOR in that part of the country, and which had come into their possession. They are very primitive-looking tools now, but Lincoln did good work with thetn, and Iiissurveys were always oonsidered reliable. There are some maps and town plats also in the possession of the Bell Bros, that originated with Lincoln, and all these souvenirs of the great man are preserved with much care. "There are a number of treesdown here a little ways," said one of the gc-ntlemen, "that I have been telling our people ought to be preserved. When the surveying party was out the boys frequently took an ax ana tnea which could mark higliem with it upon the trees. Lincoln most always won, his great height giving him the advantage, and there are several trees in the woods near by which bear his mark high above all the others Öome of or old citisens were with the party here and remember the incident well enough to identify the trees. "Lincoln was aningeniouskind of man," pursued Mr. Bell. "When he was at my father's house one day my mother complained that she had difiiculty in keeping the clock right, and never knew when it was correct Til fix you,' said Lincoln and he went and made a meridian mark on the floor so that the sun coming in by the door-post would always teil when it was noon. That mark is on the floor yet, and it's as good a regulator now as it was nearly half a century ago." Nearly every one here who has come to middle age remembers something of Lincoln. I went over to the elegant farm house of Mr. Spears and there met, beside his estimable wife, a couple of Iadies, neighbors of Mr. Spears, who were quite ready to TALK OF MR. LINCOI-N and give their rccollections of him. "l reujember said Mrs. Rule, one of the Iadies mentiooed, "that Lincoln carne to my father's once and did some surveying for which father gave him a deer-skin to 'fox' his pantd with. Lincolu was uiuch pleased with the trade." "Aud afterward I remember," said Mr. Spears, "he concluded to have a pair of brevches made eutlrely of buckskin, and got them. They unswered lir:-t rate until they got wet one day, when they climbed half-way to bis waist, and never got down again." "Are there any of Lincoln's old sweethearts around here?" I queried. "I don't know of any now," said Mi. Rule. "Lincoln was not much of a beau, aml j-eemed to prefer the company of the elderly Iadies to the young ones." "But he went to parties and social gatherines, did he not?" said I. "Well, sometimos, but not often." "You want to write a love story about him, I suppose," said tho other lady, Mrs. Worth, smilingly. "Yes, I'd like to." "Well, Lincoln was a poor subject for romance. I aui afraid you won't aucceed in getting anvthini; in that line." "Well, I ought to find something here in Ii'ih old home,' said I. "He was very bashful," said Mr. Spears, "and about the gawkiest young man you ever saw. But the man to teil you if there was any love affair in Lincoln's experience while here is Mr. Green, who lives a few miles from town, and was his eatliest friend and companion. We will ride over tbere and see hini. " Thanking Mr. Spears tor the trouble he was taking, we mounted a couplo of horsea a few minutes later and rode out a few miles from town to the RESIDENCE OF W. O. GEKEN, ESQ., one of the wealthicst and best known fartners in (he west. We found Mr. Green at his honie, which stands in a beautiful location, overlooking a large natural park and commanding a view of his great farm of 1,400 acres which lies around it. He welcoined us with gentlemanly hospitality, and when the object of ni y visit was made known, stirred the glowing coals iu the grate and .-at down to a quiet and gossipy chat. '' Take a cigar," said the host, and then, with wreaths of smoko curling upward toward the ceiling, he entered uion a most interosting account of bis acquaintanceship with Abraham Lincoln. I Ir.ive always had tbc imprai.n that Lincoln's various promotionn were surprises to him, but after hearing of him from the lips of an old and in tímate friend, I am satisfied that he began his life in that quiet nook of the great earth at Salem intent upon making something of himself beyond the ordinary auibition of ordinary men. It is, of COUrsp. nnf tn h supprwpil thftt ho looked to acnieve world wide distinction ; but he ktiew he bad something in him above the commonplace, and that visions of great achievements appeared to him can scarcely be doubted. He did not see just how and when the road would be opened - and who does? - but he feit the strength and power of intellectual conquest in him, and every knoll that he climbed, showed him unoiher heiglit which he feit that he had abundant strengtb and will to surmount. lincoln's power over men. " Lincoln's wonderful power and influenoe over men," said Mr. Green, "was feit as 80011 as he carne to Salem. He was always popular and always regarded as authoritv. _ He got the soubriquet of 'Houest Abe' by refusing to act as judge at horse races unless he were left free to decide the question fairly, and not accordiog to the jockeying táctica then in vogue. l'rior to his coming, the race was won by the man who was the luckiest in cboosing a judge; afterward the best horse took the race, no matter who his owner might be. After quarreling for hours over judges, the owner of horses who had each been trying, perhaps, to get a friend and adherent to act as umpire, would finally settle down on Lincoln, and then everybody said, 'Now, look outl Tuis means a fair race, and the best horse must win.' " "Where did Lincoln learn his surveying?" Iasked. "Took it up himselt," replied Mr. Green, as he did a uundred things, and mastered it, too. When he acted as surveyor here he was a deputy of S. M. Neal, and not of Cal houn, as has been so often said. THERE WA8 A DISPUTE about tilia, and many sketches of his life gave Calhoun (Candle-boz Calhoun. as he was known afterwards during the Kansas troubles and election frauds) as the surveyor, but it wasNeal." Mr. Green turned to his desk and drew out an old certifícate, in the handwriting of Lincoln, givinu the boundaries of certain lands, and signed, "S. M. Neal, Surveyor, by A. Lincoln, Deputy," thuH !ettling the question. Mr. Green was a democrat, and has leaued to ward that party all his life, but what he thought and thiaks of Lincoln can be seen by an indorsement on the back of the certificáis natneii, which ia as fullows : Preserve this, at it is from the nobtest i of GocCt creation - A. Lincoln, the 2d preterver of his country, May 8, 1865. : Penned by W. G. Green, who taught : Lincoln the Engliih grammar in 1831. ' "So you taught him grammar?" said I, after reading the inscription. "Well, ycs, replied my host ; "but not long. You never could teach Lincoln fora great whilv. I began with him, but in three weeks he knew mor of the English grammar than I, did, seeing and remembering every word he read without effort. HIS OLD (?RAMMAR MASTER. "An atuusing thing happened alter he was eleoted President," continued Mr. Green : " I was in Washington and talking with Lincoln in the room where the cabinet meetings are held, and tbere was a large table there. Seward catne in, and Lincoln said : 'Mr. Seward, let me introduce you to my old friend, Mr. Green, of Illinois.' Seward was on the oppositeside of the table, and bowed in his courtly way, lut Ijiuwlu fruí uut aitr-ileü. Conie round here, Seward,' said he, 'and shake hands with Mr. Green ; I want you to know him ; he's my old grammar master." "I was very much embarrassed, and afterward said to Lincoln ; 'You ought not to introduce me that way. Why, every body in Washington will be noticing me and testins my grammatical aoquirements.' 'Never mind, said Lincoln, 'I want them to remember you, and when I introduce you in that way the'll never forget you on earth.' And he kept it up, introduoing me to everybody we met as bis grammar uianter. ' ' "You saw Lincoln frequently while he ws President?" "Yes, quite often, considering that my home was here and his in Washington. Wben the internat revenue laws were about to be put in operation, Lincoln was told that this district would not submit to the tax, and that the agents of THE (OVERNMENT WOULD BE RESISTED. He sent for me and said, 'Bill, that's my old home, and it will never do to have trouble out there. Now, I want to make you collector, for I believe you can put everything through peacefully.' "Well, I said, 'Lincoln, you know I don't want any office, but if I can help you any I am willing to take it,' and so he appointed me and I went to work. I didn't have any trouble, the law was enforced, and Lincoln was very much gratified." Mr. Green did not mentionit, but it was no doubt owing to the fajt tbat he was a democmt of wealth and influenee, that the scheme went through. It is somewhat singular to note that some of Mr. Lincoln's warmest friends were life-long deoiocrats. When ha ran for tbe legislature the first time he was what was called an Adams man, while themajority of his neighborsvincluding Green, were Jackson men. Notwithstanding thia he succeeded, and in all his precioet, which cast upwards ol 400 votes, there were but three ballota against him. 'Where did you first see Lincoln?" I asked, aa Mr. Green paused for a moment iu his recital. "The first time I saw hitn," said be, " was one uiorning in Salem, on the mil1 dam, that was in 1831. He was out on the dam with bis pants rolled up above his knees, tryÍDg to get a flatboat over. The boat had been built at Sangaraontown, and the owner, with some goods aboard, had started to go on down the river tint il ho htruek a favorable luwu lu whioh to open up. Ihey couldn't get the boat over very wel!, so the owner concluded he might as well start hia store in Salem. "Lincoln went to work for a man named Kirkpatrick, who promised htm $13 a month. This was about the usual prioe. but Lincoln was very strong and Kirkpatrick, who ran a saw-mill, said it would save liim buying a jack-screw to handle the logs with it' be got Lincoln, so he promised to pay him $13. VVhen they carne to settle up, Kirkpatrick wouldn't pay him but ten, and Lincoln was pretty mad. By the way, that led to the first oath I ever heard Lincoln use. LINCOLN SWEAR8. "I don't know but it was the last, too. You m'l' about that time the Blackhawk war broke out, and we organized acompany. The adjutant came over from Springfield, and the men- about 10O- were drawn up in line. The adjutant told us that the governor would appoint the field -officers, the oolonel, major, etc, but we could elect our own captain. We had underetnod this, and there were two oandidat'is- Lincoln and this sauie Kirkpatrick. When we were in line the adjutant asked the candidates to step ten paces in front of the inen, and wli 'ii T.inooln and Kirkpatrick oame out he told us that all who wanted Lincoln should form a line by him, and all who wanted Kirkpatrick could go to his side. I veiy eager for Lincoln, and the minute the word ¦vas given I ran and stood at his elbow. The others followed, according to their cboice, and in fortuing the two lincs they liedme rather crooked, every one wanting to see how many each oandidate had. Lincoln wasso tall he could see over all our heads, and when the last man had taken his place, and before the adjutant had counted noses, he saw that he had triumphed, and he slapped me on the shoulderandsaid: 'Bill! I'llbed-d if I hain't beat him !' " I think he was more pleased at beating Kirkpatrick, and thus m a manner gutting even with him for his dishonesty, than he was in securing the captaincy of the company." HIS SOCIAL LIFK. Mr. Green paused bere, and I ventured to try aeain to get something of Lincoln's social life. "You'and Lincoln were young men together, Mr. Green," said I, "and of course were going to parties and gatherings of various kinds. Do you remember any iucidents connected withthem?" "WJI, yea I mippose I can recall somo." "Was he 'waitiag' upon any girls in the neighborhood then?" Mr. Spears remarked that he thought Lincoln didn't go around among the young ladies niuch. "Not tnuch," responded Mr. Green. "He was very bashful ; but I do remember a case or two that may be wofth telling." "Was he ever engaged to any lady hereabout?" "Yes, he wasgoing tomarry Mary Owens, a distant relation of mine, but the match was broken off." "How was that?" "A very silly thinf. It all carne about in this way But I find there is too much to teil in one letter, and I must defer a number of incidents and anecdotes related bv Mr. Green for another artioïe.