Salt Lake Tribune | 1910-02-12 | Page 4 | Senator Fred T. Dubois Gives Personal Reminiscences of Lincoln

SENATOR FRED T. DUBOIS GIVES PERSONAL REMINISCENCES Of LINCOLN Special to Tho Tribune. BLACKFOOT. Ida.. Feb. 1L Ex-Senator Fred T. Dubois today addressed the Blnclcfoot high schoot on tho occasion occa-sion of Lincoln's birthday. The senator's sena-tor's uddres3 was of great Interest nnd was very Instructive. Inasmuch as ho spoko from his personal acquaintance with Mr. Lincoln, having boon raised across tbo stroot from Mr. Lincoln's Springfield home. Tho address In part was as follows: "Your worthy superintendent Informs mo that you would bo 'In school for another an-other hour If you wore not hero to listen lis-ten to me. so I am very glad to know this is not a punishment. (Laughter.) I am pleased to meet you all. pleased to sco you all together. Occasionally, of course. I havo caught glimpses of you on tho street individually, but never before be-fore had an opportunity to sec the high j school assembled. "I have as clear and as distinct a recollection of Mr. Lincoln as tho little ones of 7 to 10 years of age would have of ono of the prominent men of Blnck-foot Blnck-foot some forty or 11 fly years from now. 1 Jived directly across tho street from hfm. He had two boys about tho age of my brother next to me and myself. Thomas, the youngest boy. who was nicknamed Tad, was just about my age, and as children we were brought up together. to-gether. My father associated with Mr. Lincoln In almost nil of his political ca- reor, nnd living In Springfield. Illinois whore ho lived most, of his life. I heard him discussed by almost all of his nearest near-est and dearest friends and neighbors. "He was a great character and was vcrv human. He had a wonderful fund of humor. He did not care for money-Had money-Had no doslro apparently to accumulate money. He wns very honest nnd was extremely careful not to misappropriate money or to got money In any questionable question-able way. He was a great politician; in my judgment tho greatest politician that America has ever produced. Not the boss politician, tho machine politician of the present day. but the politician of the highest typo and tho highest order. Mr. Dubois gavo many Illustrations of Lincoln's keenness in political maUers and of his unswerving honesty. lhe remarks were Interrupted by laughter nnd applause, and the senator was accorded ac-corded a vote of thanks by the school. Mr. Dubois gave somo of his personal romlnlsccncos and rend some of Mr. Lincoln's Lin-coln's letters bearing his autograph. At the close of his remarks, tho students examined the autographs and expressed great pleasure at having an opportunity to see Lincoln's writing.