Lincolns Yarns and Stories | Page 8

Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, June 12th, Washington County, Kentucky. 1809--Born February 12th, Hardin (now La Rue County), Kentucky. 1816--Family Removed to Perry County, Indiana. 1818--Death of Abraham's Mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln. 1819--Second Marriage Thomas Lincoln; Married Sally Bush Johnston, December 2nd, at Elizabethtown, Kentucky. 1830--Lincoln Family Removed to Illinois, Locating in Macon County. 1831--Abraham Located at New Salem. 1832--Abraham a Captain in the Black Hawk War. 1833--Appointed Postmaster at New Salem. 1834--Abraham as a Surveyor. First Election to the Legislature. 1835--Love Romance with Anne Rutledge. 1836--Second Election to the Legislature. 1837--Licensed to Practice Law. 1838--Third Election to the Legislature. 1840--Presidential Elector on Harrison Ticket. Fourth Election to the Legislature. 1842--Married November 4th, to Mary Todd. "Duel" with General Shields. 1843--Birth of Robert Todd Lincoln, August 1st. 1846--Elected to Congress. Birth of Edward Baker Lincoln, March l0th. 1848--Delegate to the Philadelphia National Convention. 1850--Birth of William Wallace Lincoln, December 2nd. 1853--Birth of Thomas Lincoln, April 4th. 1856--Assists in Formation Republican Party. 1858--Joint Debater with Stephen A. Douglas. Defeated for the United States Senate. 1860--Nominated and Elected to the Presidency. 1861--Inaugurated as Prtsident, March 4th. 1863-Issued Emancipation Proclamation. 1864-Re-elected to the Presidency. 1865--Assassinated by J. Wilkes Booth, April 14th. Died April 15th. Remains Interred at Springfield, Illinois, May 4th.
LINCOLN AND McCLURE.
(From Harper's Weekly, April 13, 1901.)
Colonel Alexander K. McClure, the editorial director of the Philadelphia Times, which he founded in 1875, began his forceful career as a tanner's apprentice in the mountains of Pennsylvania threescore years ago. He tanned hides all day, and read exchanges nights in the neighboring weekly newspaper office. The learned tanner's boy also became the aptest Inner in the county, and the editor testified his admiration for young McClure's attainments by sending him to edit a new weekly paper which the exigencies of politics called into being in an adjoining county.
The lad was over six feet high, had the thews of Ajax and the voice of Boanerges, and knew enough about shoe-leather not to be afraid of any man that stood in it. He made his paper a success, went into politics, and made that a success, studied law with William McLellan, and made that a success, and actually went into the army--and made that a success, by an interesting accident which brought him into close personal relations with Abraham Lincoln, whom he had helped to nominate, serving as chairman of the Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania through the campaign.
In 1862 the government needed troops badly, and in each Pennsylvania county Republicans and Democrats were appointed to assist in the enrollment, under the State laws. McClure, working day and night at Harrisburg, saw conscripts coming in at the rate of a thousand a day, only to fret in idleness against the army red-tape which held them there instead of sending a regiment a day to the front, as McClure demanded should be done. The military officer continued to dispatch two companies a day--leaving the mass of the conscripts to be fed by the contractors.
McClure went to Washington and said to the President, "You must send a mustering offcer to Harrisburg who will do as I say; I can't stay there any longer under existing conditions."
Lincoln sent into another room for Adjutant-General Thomas. "General," said he, "what is the highest rank of military officer at Harrisburg?" "Captain, sir," said Thomas. "Bring me a commission for an Assistant Adjutant-General of the United States Army," said Lincoln.
So Adjutant-General McClure was mustered in, and after that a regiment a day of boys in blue left Harrisburg for the front. Colonel McClure is one of the group of great Celt-American editors, which included Medill, McCullagh and McLean.

"ABE" LINCOLN'S YARNS AND STORIES.
LINCOLN ASKED TO BE SHOT.
Lincoln was, naturally enough, much surprised one day, when a man of rather forbidding countenance drew a revolver and thrust the weapon almost into his face. In such circumstances "Abe" at once concluded that any attempt at debate or argument was a waste of time and words.
"What seems to be the matter?" inquired Lincoln with all the calmness and selfpossession he could muster.
"Well," replied the stranger, who did not appear at all excited, "some years ago I swore an oath that if I ever came across an uglier man than myself I'd shoot him on the spot."
A feeling of relief evidently took possession of Lincoln at this rejoinder, as the expression upon his countenance lost all suggestion of anxiety.
"Shoot me," he said to the stranger; "for if I am an uglier man than you I don't want to live."
TIME LOST DIDN'T COUNT.
Thurlow Weed, the veteran journalist and politician, once related how, when he was opposing the claims of Montgomery Blair, who aspired to a Cabinet appointment, that Mr. Lincoln inquired of Mr. Weed whom he would recommend, "Henry Winter Davis," was the response.
"David Davis, I see, has been