OCR Text |
Show NEW SIDE OF LINCOLN. His Constant Interest In the Military Telegraph 8ystem. Abraham Lincoln has been Btudled 'from almost evory point of vlow, but It is a notable fact that none of his biographers has ever seriously considered consid-ered that branch of tho service with which Lincoln was In dally personal touch for four years tho military telegraph; tele-graph; for, during the civil war. tho president spent moro of his waking hours in the war department telegraph office than In any other r-laco except the Whlto House, Cays the Century. While in the tolerraph office he was comparatively free from official cares and therefore more inclined to disclose his natural traits and disposition. During tho last four years of Lincoln's Lin-coln's all too brlof public career, oven until tho day before his tragic ending, tho writer was most fortunate in being be-ing nblo to see him and talk with him daily, and usually soveral times a day; tag) ho visited the war department depart-ment telegraph office regularly, morning, morn-ing, afternoon and evening, to receive the latest news from the .front. His tall, homely form could bo seen crossing cross-ing tho well-shaded lawn, between the Whlto Houso and the war department with unvaried regularity. In cool weathor ho Invariably woro a gray plaid shawl thrown over his shoulders In careless fashion, and, upon entering tho telegraph office, ho would always hang this shawl over tho top of tho high scieen door opontng Into Secretary Stanton'B room, adjoining. adjoin-ing. This door was nearly always open. Ho seldom failed to como ovor lata In the ovcnlng before retiring, and whon returning to tho White Houso after dark bo was frequently accompanied accom-panied by Mnj. Eckort, our chief, and nearly always by a small guard ot sol-dlers. sol-dlers. Ho sometimes protosted against this latter precaution as unnecessary, but Secretary Stanton's orders to tho guard were Imperative |