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Show MEMORIES OF LINCOLN'S DAY Told by One Who Was Acquainted Ac-quainted With the Great Emancipator and His Opponent, Douglas. MRS. JOHN LYMAN CHILD, who is eighty-two years old, knew Lincoln personally, heard Lincoln and Douglas debate, has a store of interesting incidents in-cidents connected with her father-in-law, an ardent Abolitionist, as well as tales of her father, who served as adjutant-general of Illinois. Mrs. Child's maiden name was Mary Ellen Anderson. She was born and reared near Springfield, lived in that locality for eighty years, and now re sides in Cvincago. "Yes, I remember when Springfield was nothing but a mud-hole, when the horses were driven to the court house, unhitched, tied to the back of the wagon and fed there. I lived on a farm not far from town ; we knew the people in town and went in to the political meetings. In those days, you know, two would talk together, each trying to get voters for his side. I heard Lincoln and Douglas stump. Folks said that Douglas was the smartest man but that Lincoln was the shrewdest. Once I heard Douglas say to Lincoln : 'You, sir, used to sell whisky !' "When Lincoln got up, this was his answer to that: 'Yes, I did. And while I officiated in one way. you. .Douglas, did in another; you did the drinking.' "Douglas was a drinker. -They snid he made the best speeches when he was under tho influence. The day my father Introduced him to a little boy who was for Douglas, though the boy's father was strong on the other side. I know he had been drinking. "This boy's father, Stephen Child the boy Shad the same name was known "all around as an abolitionist. The boy, only ten years old. for sour, reason was not on that side. One the father while at work in the field saw his team being driven by little Stephen out to the road as fast as they could go. He hollered for the boy to bring the horses back but he paid no attention. After awhile Mr. Child saw a gang of boys drive back to the house. They had a pole In their wagon. They took this out and ! pretty soon began trying to raise it, ! for a flag-pole, In front of the house. Mr. Child (by the way, he later be- came my father-in-law) went over and offered to help, although it was ; a hickory pole. But little Stephen I said, 'No. this is a Democrat pole and no Abolitionist shall touch it I' I "Little Stephen had two cats that he called Douglas and Lincoln. He took fine care of Douglas but he used : to beat Lincoln unmercifully. That ! was a long time ago, but he Is still living and still remembers his cats, i "My father was a Democrat. We lived neighbor to tho Childs. and one i day father took 1H tie Stephen to a t meeting where Douglas spoke. After i the meeting father had the boy shake hands with Douglas, and he Intro-j Intro-j duced him as a 'ten-year-old Democrat eon of an Abolitionist.' "My father-in-law was an awful trjng Abolitionist. He sheltered, col- ored people and helped show them the way north. He had a horse named Pomp. They said he would put a colored col-ored runaway on the horse, send It off and be pretty sure it would do what was expected of it ; would run along steadily, then kick up its heels and throw off Its load right at the door of another Abolitionist. "My father-in-law used to hide the runaways in his cellar, which had no outside door, just a trap-door in the house. Once he had a lot of them there and searchers etime along, suspecting sus-pecting him. Mr. Child told them they were welcome "o search. They looked all around, but not in the right place. That night he loaded the colored col-ored people in the bottom of the wagon, piled on top bags of hay and started out for Salt Creek. On the trip at the side of the road he met a man who asked for a ride. Mr. Child raised his whip and told him to get out of the way, that he didn't want any one to ride and hurt his load. He got the people safely to Salt Creek, there in Logan county, then showed them the way north. "Yes, I knew Lincoln. I knew Mary Todd, too, slightly. She was haughty. After their marriage it hurt her that s rJsLJ LL..M IW.HS-y-...- .... l,m,W. Lin! -H....N lilTITW Mrs. John Lyman Child. Lincoln was so plain and. dressed so plain ; she wanted him to dress up. When I first knew him he liked to wear the linsey woolsey. He was a homely man but drew people to him. He was a great friend to the poor, made more over a ragged boy or girl than jn other kind. "Everyone around Springfield sorrowed sor-rowed when Lincoln was killet'i. I remember as though It was yesterday his body lying in state there in the state house. And I remember the day my husband and I went to pay our respects that there was the biggest fight on the streets of Springfield that I had ever seen. Colored people had flocked there from all sides, they were present in such numbers they more than filled the sidewalks. There really didn't seem to be any room for any of the white people that wanted to go to the state house. It was shouted shout-ed that the colored people should go out Into the rond. not take all the sidewalks. A big fight followed, there was much noise and confusion. But the police finally stopped it. Lin coln lay in state a day and night, an army of people had oppsrtunity to pass along as he lay there with the guards about him." KATHERINE POPE. Liquid refreshments were sold in that general store In New Salem where Lincoln worked. (Copyright, 1920, Western Newspaper Union) |