Lincolniana; Or, The Humors of Uncle AbeAdderup, Andrew
General
Lincolniana; Or, The Humors of Uncle Abe
Adderup, Andrew
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 -- Anecdotes
Uncle Abe went up into the Governor's room in the State House, where he
was soon joined by many of the leading Republicans of the town. Some one
remarked on his look of weariness. "It is a mighty contest," remarked
Uncle Jesse Du Bois.
"But Mr. Lincoln does not show his great appreciation of it upon the
stand," remarked a Chicago correspondent, in allusion to Uncle Abe's
good humored replies to Douglas.
"But still, when the day's gladiatorial combat is over, it seems to
me, as the Kentucky fellow said, that I had been through 'an acre of
fight.'"
"Give us that story, Abe," said Dr. Wallace, Uncle Abe's brother-in-law.
"Well, one of my earliest recollections of a Kentucky Court, was a trial
about a fight. It took place in the Court House grounds, and the Judge,
thinking it constructable as a contempt of Court, sent out the Sheriff,
and had the parties quickly brought before him. Both had bruised noses
and beavers, and showed the unmistakable evidence of having been in
a scrimage. The witnesses were numerous, and the evidence was so
conflicting, that the Judge declared he could legally reach no other
conclusion than that there had _been no fight at all_. But the Sheriff
ventured to suggest:
"Here's Jim Blowers--he had hold on one of them fellers, when I arrested
them."
"Mr. Clerk," said the Judge, "you will at once swear Mr. Blowers."
"Now, Mr. Blowers," said the Clerk, "you will please tell the Court what
you know about this affair."
"Well, ax on."
"Well, was there a fight between these parties?"
"Just a bit of scrimage."
"It was a real fight, was it?"
"Well, some people would call it that."
"How much of a fight was it?"
"Oh, considerable--they pulled and hauled about kinder like two cows
when they lock horns."
"But, tell the Court more precisely?"
"Well, I should say it was a right smart fight."
"But _how_ much of a fight?"
"Well, then, just about an acre, I reckon."
It is needless to say that the crowd enjoyed the joke hugely.
"It is easier to pay a small debt than a larger one."
Uncle Abe Believes in the Intelligence of Oysters.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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