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About Heppner herald. (Heppner, Or.) 1914-1924 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1924)
Tuesday, February 12, 1924. Page Four THE HEPPNER HERALD, HEPPNER, OREGON The Lincoln lKneu) As lotd by an Aged Westerner lo MAIJoEL SHERMAN In CoJhor'f I FIRST saw Abraham Lincoln In March, 1803, when I made a trip to jthe East from California via the ;Isthmu8 of 1'aiiarna. It was at the President's levee, and, of course, I j-wrote to my family In the West, tell ilng them my Impressions. Tills letter proves that I, like many others of the time, misjudged the man und surely underrated his abilities: Last nlht I was at the Presi dent's levee and saw many of the l dignitaries. A few moments ago I saw Burnslde and at first view I was satlslled of his Incompetency ! to command the army. It Is strange that our President and others have so little perception of character. Lincoln is u good- : natnred Westerner. j Later at one of the White House re ceptions Mrs. Cole and I waited In ithe long line to be received. She some how dropped one of her white gloves land was not conscious of It until we had moved up and It was our turn to greet the President and Mrs. Lln- colu. She stood looking about her In ; dismay for the missing glove, and the iPresldent, seeing what had happened, fwntched her with an amused smile. 'In a moment he said: "Never mind, I Mrs. Cole, I shall have a search made for It tomorrow, and shall preserve It as a souvenir." This remark, coming from a man to ,whom book etiquette was a thing un known, proved him to be an Inborn gentleman. Ills deportment never missed, because It was the expression 'of his friendly feeling for all. He did inot offend because In his heart he felt iDo nulmoslty for anyone. Always In consultation bo was argu mentative, but not dictatorial. lie (was one of the best of listeners and rwan always open to conviction, yet If jhls own reasons were well founded, laud no one had a better reason to 'offer, he could not he moved. But he ("was never offensively opinionated. ! Hit Um of Anecdote. His profuse use of anecdotes Is, of course, a matter of history. I remem ber one day that Mr. Shannon and I i went to see Mr. Lincoln regarding ,souie legislation that concerned Cali fornia. He could not comply with our wishes in the matter, and In order to let ds know that conversation on the object had terminated, lie told us hla story : In the early times In Springfield, "there were three churches, all orlho Haft, a Methodist, a Baptist, and a .Presbyterian. A young fellow came taere very unexpectedly to preach the Unlversallst doctrine and to establish church of that faith. That particular creed was very unpopular ut that time, and these three orthodox preachers determined to get together and preach llilm down. They consolidated their congregations and determined to take turns addressing them. When It frame to the turn of the Methodist preacher he begun by telling them how JLapplly situated they were, both In (temporal and spiritual things, and ituen remarked that "there now conies among us a stranger to preach a new ifloctrlne, to establish a new church )ln which the doctrine will be taught (that all men will be saved. But, my jfcrethren," he concluded fervently, "let tus all hope for better things." I went down on the same train with Lincoln when the battlefield of (let ttysburg was dedicated, j The day, November 10, 18rt.'l, was Overcast and dreary. The morning was pent in Inspecting the late buttle jround. In the afternoon a compara tively small crowd gathered around a plunk platform thirty or forty feet quare, about three, or four feet above hlie ground. There were seats on this (for the delegations und speakers, i Edward Everett was chosen orator f the day, und he held forth for over an hour in a most masterful oration. I remember that he had a little high table before him on which were cards (containing notes, and he referred to three from time to time with no In terruptlou or pause in his speech. When he hud concluded the band played and then, without announce ment, Lincoln arose. He laid his cout off, but retained the familiar sluiwl bout his shoulders. I sat but u few . nwny, on ils right. i 1ue tcgaTi tiy siutiug welt-known facts fuels' wltli which, we were all Jjaiullliir. Ills sentences were short, aiid 1 Tiad the Impression thut some times their briefness wos tiue to the ; fact that emotion choked his utter- ' Tiices. ft whs one of those times when be seemed weighed down by his re sponsibilities, and his voice was fairly pathetic In Its Intonation. Everyone listened attentively, but It then did not seem a remarkable siieech, aud we were all fairly surprised when he sat down. The audience broke up without expression or demonstration, but I vra conscious that Lincoln's remarks jbad uiude a tremendous Impression. ' Discussed Possible Danger. - During the lust two years of the 'war I went lu and out of the White House at will. I usually found Lincoln in his own room on the second floor in iIih ?)'' .' '. . '. The Countries First Tribute , - ir few air lib ''L'INCOLN.' r. TTTPTTTTTl The first tribute to Abraham Lincoln to be erected In this country, known as the Lot Flannery statue of the Great Emancipator, has been restored to practically Its original position In front of the courthouse In the nation's capi tal. The statue was once removed from this position, but there was so much criticism that congress finally voted to have It restored. ing. hi wunii weuuier me uoor stood open and anyone could go In unan nounced. I was uceustomed to doing so. Seated ut his desk In the farther end of the room, but not facing the door, more with his back to It, I gen erally found him. He always arose and gave me a cordial welcome. On one of those days when I went unannounced I saw a look of distress oq his face such us I had never Been on any humuu countenance. I stood still, not wishing to disturb him. Sud denly be saw me and swiftly the look of pain passed as he greeted m with his usual smile. I stayed with him a long time thut day and we went oyer the. war maps. It was then I took oc casion to mention my fears for htm. I had gained access to his room so easily and anyone else might have done the same. He listened silently, as he. always did, but did not seem to be Impressed with my plea. When I had finished he said : "When I first came here, I made up my mind that I woild not be dying all the while." He was thoughtful for a moment, then continued: "1 have ob served that one man's life Is as dear to blm as another's, and he could not expect to take my life without losing his own." Then, as an afterthought: "Besides, If anyone wanted to, he could shoot me from some window as I ride by dully to the Soldiers' home. But I do not believe It Is my fate to die In this way." This conversation took place Just about n year before he was assas sinated. I was one of the lust to see Presi dent Lincoln alive. It was In the afternoon of the fatal April Hth that Schuyler Colfax and I went together to Wlllard's hotel to see blm to protest against nn order Issued by a general the duy before. Mr. Colfax had hardly launched Into the subject when Mr. Lincoln Inter rupted him with: "I have already changed the order." We departed, and that night I went to New York. While 1 wus on the train I was awakened and leumed that the beloved President had been shot. Millions Are Starving, Says General Allen In a letter Just received at Oregon state headquarters for the American committee for re lief of German children, 715 Corbett building, Portland, among other things Major-General Henry T. Allen, former commander of American troops in Germany and now national chajrman of this relief work, said: ' Z " U survey of the evidence has convinced me that Secre tary Hoover is fully Justified In saying tat fo,6$,u0o Germans ift now li serious danger. As is always the case In such emer gencies, the most acute suffer ing Is to be found among the children and the aged. The childhood of Germany is now gravely menaced by lack of proper toed and clothing and the diseases resulting there from." An Inspiration. In his homely rugged honesty. In his whole-souled devotion, to "right" In piloting the nation through the rocks that threatened Its destruction Abra ham liucoln becomes enshrined eter nally In the hearts of the people and starves b an rntrntton rrori) "wi;:r itie ternaries. ' Trn am um am nm nl am a'll Hill Mill ft II 1 r1inJVnttnmmmd "Abe" Lincoln as an Inventor , tfltt j UIH Hi! MMHTWf .1 U THAT Abraham Lincoln once seri ously devoted lils attention to me chanical invention, and pursued It so far as to obtain a patent, may be news to some who are unaware of the many activities that engrossed the great (resident's mind. In the forties and later the matter of navigation was the big problem In the West. Nearly all the settlements of Illinois and Missouri anywhere near a stream were hopeful that In some way those streams cojild be made navigable for steamboats, and It seems Lincoln shared this hope regarding the Sangamon river. The Lincoln patent was recorded: "Model of sinking and raising boats by bellows below. A. Lin coln, May 30, 1849." liwas stated that at one time there was a wrecked boat in the Sangamon river, about four miles from Spring field, III., as the result of an nttempt of Lincoln's to show that the little river was navigable. It was the dream of the pioneer planters that If boats could Voyage up the little streams near their holdings they would become wealthy from the proceeds of their crops. They then could get them to the big markets, where big prices were paid, and throughout the states of the Mississippi valley craft of varlotts kinds made many experiments at up state navigation on small streams. When he lived in old Salem It is said Lincoln had great faith in the future of the Sangamon river as n material arm of western Industry. The big problem ns he and others saw It was In getting the boats over the shal low places. The time wus far in ad vance of appropriations for river Im provement, and some other means had to be devised for overcoming obstacles to navigation. In the Sangamon river were numerous stretches of compara tively "easy water," for boats, and then would come a lot of sandbars or shallow places. It was this problem on which Lincoln worked. The model he made may BtlU be" In the patent office, or on exhibi tion somewhere. It would be almost priceless now. It never waa demon strated In actual work, however. Under the guards of the boat was a "battery" of blacksmith bellows. When the boat reached a place where the bottom would strike the river bed the 'J' 'i' 'J' 'i' 'I' -J. PROFESSIONAL CARDS PR. A. H. JOHNSTON Physician and Surgeon Odd Fellows' Building ; ' ' Heppner, Ore. DR. F. E. FARRIOR DENTIST ODD Fellows' Building Heppner, Oregon S. E. NOTSON ATTORN E Y-AT-LA W Office In Court House HEPPNER, OREGON WOODSON & SWEEK ; ATTORNEXS-AT-LAW Masonic Building HEPPNER, OREGON DR. A. D. McMURDO PHYSICIAN and SCRGEOS Telephone 122 Office Patterson's Drug Store HEPPNER, OREGON DeLUXE ROOMS Summer Rates - 75C & $1.00 Over Case Furniture Co. June E. Van Vac'or R. R. Butler Van VACTOR & BUTLER ATTORN E YS-AT-LA W Suite S04 First National Bank Bldg THE DALLES, OREGON. WATERS & ANDERSON FIRE INSURANCE Successors to C O, Patterson , HEPPNER. OREGON Denows were supposeu 10 act erg" for the boat, like an air-inflated bladder. It was figured the bellows would raise the boat so its draugnt irr.,,M slide over the bars like a raft. Once over the shallows the air would be released from the bellows and the boat would proceed until it came to the next bad place. Sfinn sfter Lincoln obtained his pat- nt bis mind wus diverted to weight ier matters, though he never forgot his "mifetv first" Invention for boats, it la siiid that soon after his Inaugura tion us president he got one of the patpnt office officials to look up the model for him. Just Good m w DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR U. S. Land Office at The Dalles, Ore. Dec. 26, 1923. NOTICE is hereby given that Jacob A. Dexter, of Heppner, Ore., who, on March 5, 1819, made H. E. No. 020142 and on July 12, 1920, made additional H. E. No. 020443, for NE, NNW' SENWtf, NSEi,i, Sec. 20, NWNE, NWU, NSWi, Sec. 21, Township 4-South, Range 24-East, Willamette Ik ( Just two things have made H possible lor us to give you this 20 reduction on Tuxedo: 1. A reduction in the oost oi Kentucky Burley tobacco and in package ma terials, as well. 2. The consolidation ol three of our big plants Into one. (Mr. Ford may net be In the tobacco business but he Is right about consolidation.) Tuxede Is always Fresh. Every package Is Guaranteed Printing We cater to the trade of those who apprecite good work and demand their money's worth when or dering printing. We do not try to underbid any one; we simply give first class service at a reason able profit and know the man who charges you less gives you less, and the one who charges you more simply makes a bigger profit than we do. Whatever your business, the demand for neatly printed stationery guar antees a profitable invest ment. Prompt delivery is another claim we make. THE HERALD Meridian, has filed notice of inten tion to make three year Proof, to establish claim to the land above described, before Gay M. Anderson, United States Commissioner, at Heppner, Oregon, on the 6th day of February, 1924. Claimant names as witnesses: J N. Batty, of Eightmlle, Ore.; F. M. Lovgren, of Heppner, Ore.; (i. I. Burnside, of Eightymi'e, Ore.; K. D. McGurdy, of lone, Ore. J. W. DONNELLY, Register.