''Abe'' Lincoln's Yarns and Stories - University of Macau Library

Yarns and Stories, by Alexander K. McClure 278manner in which he stirred up the newspaper reporters by his Bloomingonspeech.Joseph Medill, editor of the Chicago Tribune, told the story:"It was my journalistic duty, though a delegate to the convention, to make a'longhand' report of the speeches delivered for the Tribune. I did make afew paragraphs of what Lincoln said in the first eight or ten minutes, but Ibecame so absorbed in his magnetic oratory that I forgot myself and ceasedto take notes, and joined with the convention in cheering and stamping andclapping to the end of his speech."I well remember that after Lincoln sat down and calm had succeeded thetempest, I waked out of a sort of hypnotic trance, and then thought of myreport for the paper. There was nothing written but an abbreviatedintroduction."It was some sort of satisfaction to find that I had not been 'scooped,' as allthe newspaper men present had been equally carried away by theexcitement caused by the wonderful oration and had made no report orsketch of the speech."WHEN "ABE" CAME IN.When "Abe" was fourteen years of age, John Hanks journeyed fromKentucky to Indiana and lived with the Lincolns. He described "Abe's"habits thus:"When Lincoln and I returned to the house from work, he would go to thecupboard, snatch a piece of corn-bread, take down a book, sit down on achair, cock his legs up as high as his head, and read."He and I worked barefooted, grubbed it, plowed, mowed, cradled together;plowed corn, gathered it, and shucked corn. 'Abe' read constantly when hehad an opportunity."