Show Wn R lii Chat 15 Of I NE OF OP tho most Interesting relics ONE of Abraham Lincoln IB is 1 now in possession vos pO alon of oZ C N Strevell of or Bait Lake It is x g section of door ca cas casIng ing The Ite HI gIb b of wood shows the ray ravages ravages ages of or time It is not beautifully grained and ad varnished nor would it be considered an ornament to a modern mansion manIo but this bit of wood is Ic sacred acred for against it the great president pressed pre ed his hs gaunt gunt form while Mr father took his measure The mark here now a faint nick In the v wood od near nea its base be It shows hova President i id dent d nt Lincoln to hive h e b been en almost ox ex exactly n six nbc feet Leot four Inches in height It was wa just years y ago to today today day dRY that John Wilkes Booth fired the that plunged plunKed a nation into mourning such Much as it had not experienced since sl ce the messenger messengers hurried from rom Mo Mount nt Vernon with the tidings that the loved Washington Washl ton was w tva no nomore noore more nore ore To no n citizen did aid the grief have havea haven a n bitterer personal nal tinge than to Judge J T W V formerly of Pontiac Ills III but now DOW a leader lender of or the bar bul of or Miles City Mont Judge Strevell had known Lincoln personally antI and well 1 I 4 F I Ico 5 co z c cJ r 4 44 l J j 4 1 lJ cI rt r r I Iz I aA z d a rw Lr j 1 J r r L r r rc rp c p u uL f 4 7 L 0 10 P pi pt d n 1 1 w 11 If 14 7 1 L A I J JI J rJ U I 17 ii AI L LC C Cf And like a wIlt had been admitted d to the friendship of this great grent Amen Ameri American i ian can an his affection for tor him was Aas of the warmest character I Judge Strevell Str vell was a young lawyer lt 11 lit Pontiac when Lincoln following the th foutt f circuit carne came me there to try cases 1 WM w some years before he was men tinn for tor the presidency but the greats se 95 of the man wa beginning IJ to manifest itself ital he was a 8 leader 1 leaders In a letter th to his non of recent date datt Judge Jud e Strevell tells teUs how he hap hapl l I ne to measure Mr Lincoln Here 1 Is the story in his own words word The young men of Pontiac Ills in inthe Inthe Inthe the winter Inter before Mr Lincoln was wag nominated nf for president had under undertaken undertaken taken to maintain a lecture course which x was wu more In vogue then than now Among the lecturers secured was Mr Lincoln I I introduced him to a avery avery very large lange audience and before intro introducing Introducing him I 1 asked him what subject I should announce for his lecture and he replied The Wheel and Axle That lecture though h one ose of the most moat Inter Interesting esting est I ever heard before or since was wu never found In his paper papers It was waB a aw aV w written ritten V lecture but no trace ot of it was ever obtained after his death He was entertained at our house during the night and after the lecture ther w a general reception fl a large number of citizens clU m of or the town calling upon him during the evening After the reception T had closed and all of our family except Mr Lincoln and myself had retired he hf and I sat mit up until about U n 1 o lock In a great gret t deal of or WhiCh conversation 1 I could repeat here h re but bu t it id l Inot t not to do so soI soI soI I do ii nt it know nor have hate I been able I to r at all aU what Incident it Ita vaa a that flint brought up the of I I his hili hi hight hoj ht He said that he Was wu 6 feet 4 h hI I told tId him thai that it scarcely seemed I I possible JO to me that he was wu four tour inches taller than myself I was wu just six feet feeL Mut iut at all events eventa he said ald You can take my height if It you ou wish and I did H 5 0 he standing with his hl hack back to the thedoor thedoor door rasing co and 1 I taking his measure i wl with h great caution I think with a rule rute I remember very dis distinctly when I was placing the rule on un top of his head to get as near a t level Iel as I could noticing how heavy and coarse his black hair was wasH H He had a heavy beay head hend or of hair and it was waa va very vc coarse and Arid black The meas ur was as taken in his hili stocking feet teet he had some sometime time previous to that pulled off bis 1118 boots boota and he proved d to be just the height you will find on the door casing l ln which chIch I think is 18 exactly e 6 feet teet 4 It If yo yoi oa should be he at all 11 interested ted in an any portion of cf the conversation r atlon I had bad wah v th him that evening I can give you ou a sample ample of it The time of which I am speaking was in the troublous days of slavery and antislavery and one portion 0 o the country countr was WM in sentiment entirely arrayed against the other the north the south and the heated con condition of or the th tb public mind soon BOOn eventuated eventuated in the clash esh of f arms Our con was waa largely upon UIn this sub subject subjEct subject i I said to him I 1 believe you Ou will l 1 b o nominated for tor president pres ent at the ap I hing convention in Chicago I did not ot then know what his hl Mr Smith afterwards told me was true rue that he did not like Uke to have boe anyone anone say to him that he would be nominated ted I suppose it was upon the ground that thera the was sva a n great deal of oC that talk which he lie himself re regarded gardeI garde as flippant nd much of ot it said with a I mere idea Ideo to please him hs he be did not like Jik In answer be he a asked ked me with rather ra her a stern countenance ou thy I 1 said ald that t aL aLIson I T Ison soon ga gave gae e him proof that tat t I did no nat n say it without what I regarded as a good reason for tor doing so he and Doug Douglas Douglas Douglas las had had their Joint debate two years before I said to io him Douglas will be nominated at Baltimore and the peo I pie r le will wUl never be satisfied until you and ho lie have had this out on a n broader field Held than the one in which you were wee engaged in your our joint debate This was a 3 conviction of ot mine and andI I think Jt It immediately addressed d itself to him JIm art aM a convi 11 he be said w what nt ou of Mr being 4 nominated at t Baltimore nalUm re may be true and it may not but I can tell you one I he will vill not be b nominated at Bal Baltimore Baltimore I without a 8 great fight The event proved how bow much better he un understood understood understood the situation than I did The convention c at Baltimore resulted re in a a tremendous fight and a split 00 But Mr tr Lincoln continued even cven if what you y u say should turn out to be betrue b true I do not see how that would ne necessitate necessitate I my nomination as you seem to think He then said which his I Mr Smith stated to me afterwards was probably as ag much ashe as ashe ashe he ever eer said to anyone 1 I have thought that I might be e named for the second place on the ticket but not for any anything anything thing higher Talking in relation to this matter as he lie had presented it I asked him who would in his judgment be nominated He said sald I 1 Mr Seward will be nominated His prediction that Seward S ward would be nominated would have havu proven to be entirely true had it not bot been for tor Hor Horace Horace Horace ace Greeley who went into the th conven convention convention convention tion as an alternate from one of the western territories I 1 often met Mr lIr Lincoln during my residence in Illinois and had many con conversations with him in relation to pro professional and political subjects I was vas vasa wasa a az member of a state Republican con convention convention convention In which it was decided unan unanimously to present his name at Chi Chicago Chicago cago cao I never uw Ir Lincoln alive after hi hl election but ut your our mother and myself received an n 11 autograph letter entirely in his own hand urging urgIng urging ing us to visit him lim at the White House but this visit was ns is never made Toward the close of his first term President Lincoln appointed Judge Strevell cashier In Jn the New Orleans custom house anti and he lie was engaged in his duties there when the news came that Lincoln had hud fallen fullen at the hands handsor of or an assassin Some time ago C N Strevell was visiting his old hime in Pontiac which is now no by b his He had heard the story of how his fa father father a ather ther measured Lincoln and asked to be beshon shown shon the door casing Then the de desire desire desire sire to obtain possession of the unique relic grew gre strong within him and he secured permission to take it away It ItIs ItIs Itis Is now in his hands and for tor a few days he will exhibit it in one of the show windows of the Hard Hardware Hardware Hardware ware COmDon Mr Strevell has another interesting souvenir of Lincoln in the shape ol or olan oran an autobiography of the president written In his own on hand It was sent to J Jesse W r Fell of ot Normal Ills at Mr Jr Fells FeUs request After President Lin Lincoln Lincoln coln coin was W 8 killed Mr 11 Fell Felt had hati reproductions lions of the manuscript made and Mr Strevell has one of them framed Through his courtesy the conclusion of the tho autobiography ty 1 herewith reproduced reproduced together with the certificate of authenticity Auth by David Davis Lyman Trumbull and Charles Sumner HI If any personal description of me meis meIs meis is thought desirable Mr Lincoln writes Uit it lt nay may be said I urn Um m in height 6 feet 4 1 Inches nearly lean in flesh weighinG on an average pounds dark complexion with coarse black hair and gray eyes no other marks or brands recollected |