Nebraska Newspapers

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CUPID'S MISSIVES
SiinMli;ng ik w is doing I Iil eir
ii, inn .; of valentines The old
.s-t! til rhim. in the' Hue of Cupid's
m:-he.s appropriate to the season.
La- cuh" out rather suddenly, and has
".en Mwc'i-ded by an entirely novel
fai-uion
li the first place, lln Ion;; familiar
o:nic inleiitiiies have "gone out"
nlirely Of course, one may buy
iJiein n? the "penny stores" on alley
corners, and. in nil probability, simi
lar ones will be sold in such places
'ei;:nri'S hence. But lhe are only for
:he vulvar and the very vuluar at
that. The vwsos printed on them are
tiMially abusive ami often nasty, and
por.-ims who send them through the
muils arc commonly inspired by mo
lives f malice.
The new stIe of humorous valentine
appeals to the taste of decent people.
If is really funnj. and not calculated
to injure anybody's feelings. Their
onl purpose seems to be to engender
cheerfulness and merriment, and such
verses as accompany them are not
turned in .a spirit of ridicule. They
make no fun of the old maid favorite
object of the old-fashioned "comic"
and aim no envenomed shaft at the
yhjsical peculiarity or moral weak
ness of this or that recipient.
Some of these new comic valentines
art- pasteboard jingle-jacks, cleverly
dt'sitrned. which are made to undergo
nmu-ing contortions by the pulling of
a strii!!!. There is a German boy
jingle jack, villi a sausage in one
hand and a pretzel in the other; an
irishman jingle jack, a schoolgirl jin
gle jack with a slate in her hand, and
:i Topy jingle jack carrying a slice
f watermelon. Each of them bears on
its breast a heart, with the inscription.
"To my Valentine."
A delightfully comic goose, wear
ing a nightcap and a shawl, with an
umhWrella of the "Gamp" pattern
under its wing, bears the inscription,
"If you say no. and let me loose.
fu will be a great big goose." In an
other valentine two pussy cats, at
tued as howling swells in pantaloons
and dress coats, are making love to
a fashionably dressed oung Tabby in
skirts This is called "The Rivals."
and is particularly cute.
"Love's Telegrams" are decidedly a
novelty in the line of valentines. They
are got up much after the style of
real telegrams, and a printed warning
at the top state, that if there be any
doubt as to the accuracy of the mes
sage, "it can be repeated verbally by
the sender on receipt of ten kisses."
A figure of Cupid carrying a pen
thrust through a pair of hearts adorns
Hie telegram, which is. as a matter of
course, written in verse, for example:
To Mv Valentino-
Wire dato can't wait -be itik;
l.ure-siek no joke hoai t broke.
Quite as amusing in its way is the
valentine passport, which is got up in
the style of the documents issued by
lljF department of state in Washington
iV"r the convenience of American citi
7ns going abroad. The seal on it
bears the words. "Department of
Love." with a pair of hearts thrust
I through by an arrow. This kind of
passport is granted by the Union of
Henri, and is addressed to ".My Sweet
Valentine." it is signed by Hymen,
and reads as follows:
"I. the undersigned, secretary of
tate of the Union of Hearts, do here
by request and require, in the name
of St. Valentine, that you allow
(blank) to pass freely through the
realms of Love: also that you afford
to her (or him) every protection and
encouragement in the furtherance of
her (or his) objects."
Then follows a description of the
person addressed (eyes, mouth, hair
and complexion), which is filled in by
the sender. The document is given
bv Hymen "under my hand and seal
on this 14th day of February, in the
year of grace iyrt5."
If the character of the comic valen
tines has changed, the pretty and rela
tively serious ones are equally differ
ent from what they used to be. Fili
gre paper and other long familiar in
cidentals of the old-style designs have
disappeared and have been replaced
by really artistic bits of color printing
and decorative work. The old themes
remain, but are "illustrated," as one
might say. in a new manner.
In one of the prettiest of the new
valentines for this year a cupid is
shown in the act of unlocking with
a big key a heart which takes the
form of a large padlock. It is a
dainty conception, implying a hope
on the part of the sender that his
particular key will prove a fit. An
other winged child is riding on the
back of a dove, which carries in its
beak an arrow. The paint of the
arrow is inscribed. "Sweetheart, be
ware!" and on the other end are the
words: "Thy charms are many, ray
merits few; yet 1 venture to offer ni"
homage true."
A valentine is hardly complete,
whatever its design may be. without
a cupid. In one of the new ones Love
is playing on a mandolin and looking
up at two doves billing. In another
the winged god is painting a picture
on a heart-shaped plaque. Above his
head are hung on a line several simi
lar plaques, each of them bearing the
portrait of a pretty woman. Perhaps
this valentine is meant to be sent to
a young man accused of fickleness.
A bi heart of violets incloses the
whole.
Obviously for a young man is a
heart-shaped valentine bearing the
words "Good luck" and ornamented
with pictures of cigarettes and play
ing cards. Thus playfully are the
little masculine weaknesses touched
up. and in no spirit of unamiablc criti
cism. Designs with colored cupids wing
ed pickaninnies with their wool done
up in little twists are more than half
humorous. But none of the new
style of comic valentines have any
suggestion of malice in them, or even
of ridicule. They are just pleasant
and friendly greetings, appropriate to
the anniversary of the good saint
who is supposed to be especially the
patron of lovers.
MANY TRADITIONS OF ST. VALENTINE
Quaint Customs of the Past Compared With
Artistic Missives of the Present.
fWt fWfrw wW dfWwi
St. Valentine's day was once so
great a festival that men and women
were well acquainted with its origin.
They were certain that the 14th of
February would bring many senti
ments of tender love. The festival al
ways suggested kindliness of heart.
But now- with only the shadow of the
day left men and women try to con
sole themselves in wondering how this
day came. Its origin is uncertain, for
through the great lapse of time the
Christian and pagan festivals have be
come so closely blended that they are
not to be distinguished clearly.
The French say that many, many
years ago there was a priest who
loved children better than anything
else in the world. The children loved
him quite as much, and they went to
him with all their sorrows and to hear
stories from his knee. Valentine was
so kind and loving with the little ones
that his name grew beloved through
out the kingdom. The children began
to visit him in such numbers that the
good priest could not see them all,
and asked those he could not see to
write him letters, saying that he would
answer them. The letters he wrote
were so kind and tender, that they
were prized greatly. When the good
man died, the children, to show their
affection for him. wrote love tokens
to each other on his birthday.
It is known that many pretty cus
toms were once associated with this
day. A favorite pastime was the
placing of names in a box, from
which the names of the young men
and women were drawn. The man
was to have the maiden for the day
whose name he got from the box.
Sometimes if two young people grew
fond of each other they were valen
tines for life.
Another quain custom was prac
ticed by young girls. They took bay
leaves ,and pinned four on the corners
of their pillows and put the fifth in
the middle so that they might dream
who their loves should be. Other girls
wrote their lovers' names on bits of
papers and rolled them in clay and
valentines, but the man was most de
voted to the one he drew.
In Norfolk an ancient custom pre
vailed of attaching notes to apples
or oranges on St. Vanentine's eve and
watching a chance to throw them in a
doorway, then rap and disappear as
quickly as possible. Sometimes a
white square was chalked on the step,
and its resemblance to the valentine
was eagerly grasped by the person
opening the door, to the amusement
of the mischief-loving one watching.
These pranks were more like our Hal
loween observances.
Another custom was for three young
men to go put before daybreak with
a net and catch an old owl and two
sparrows. If they brought them home
without injury before the women of
the house had arisen they were treat
ed to three pints of purl and could
demand the same at any similar house.
Symbolic of the owl being the bird
of wisdom, it could influence any of
the feathered race to take the net of
love that day, and suggesting to lads
and lasses the happiness of early
unions.
The first person one met on going
abroad on Valentine's day was sup-
them, and. althqugh the sentimental
ists are prone to decry the decadence
of the day, the dealers declare hat
artistically the valentine is in its hey
day, and that never were the offer
ings so varied or so beautiful as they
have been this year.
Many new ideas have appeared, but
hearts as usual seem to be one of the
prevailing designs. There are delicate
little hand-painted hearts, interwoven
with dainty baby ribbon; there are
large red hearts, tied in rich red .
satin ribbon, forming a background
for an artistically designed Cupid.
Then there are small red hearts, with
sweet little love messages, and flow
ered hearts, enshrining mischievous
Cupids.
The most artistic valentines, per
haps, appear on the plain white ob
long cards, some with delicate water
color designs; others in India ink, us
ually in each case showing the head
or bust portrait of some beautiful so
ciety girl. A silhouette of a pretty
girl, with a pen and ink inscription be
low, forms one unique and artistic de
sign. Then there is a four-leaf clover
valentine. The card is a neat white
oblong, with a heart-shaped depression
HEARD LINCOLN IN 1860.
Oldtimer Writes of an Excursion From Chicago to Springfield. III.. Where He First Listened
to Speech from the Mol of the West.
There frequently come to my mind
the tumultuous days of 1860, when the
comparatively unknown Abraham Lin
coln was nominated for the presidency
in the wigwam at Chicago for the first
time, writes A. B. C. Hitchcock in
the Chicago Inter Ocean. Though in
the city I did not have a coveted ticket
to the convention, either as a delegate
or silent spectator; but there were
thousands in the same fix. so there
was enough going on on the outside to
eagage the attention of boy. fresh
from the farm, with a decided bucolic
flavor.
All through the summer of that
year there was intense political ac
tivity in the Queen of the Lakes, and
outspoken loyalty mingled with dis
loyal and defiant mutterings almost
everywhere, for the impending san
guinary conflict was in the air. Some
time in September a great Republican
meeting was widely advertised to be
held in Springfield, the home of Lin
coln, and the railways all over the
gency. and. while they were not very
nourishing, they kept the blood thin
and the stomach distended, thus pre
venting an utter collapse.
After a breakfast of crackers, cheese
and melon, I went to Lincoln's home,
which was not thronged at that early
hour. was ushered into his unpreten
tious two-story house, was warmly
welcomed by the future president, and
sat down at his bidding for a few min
utes on a haircloth sofa. Finding out
that I was a boy from Vermont the
state that, though the birthplace of
Douglas, eagerly embraced Republican
doctrines from the very first and has
never wavered in its fidelity he plied
me with questions and seemed glad
to hear from my lips the esteem for
him held by the sturdy residents of
the Green Mountain sYate. I shall nev
er forget the warm clasp of his long,
bony fingers, nor the sad but inde
scribable benignity and tenderness of
his homely face when he smiled. His
magnanimous spirit and almost infin-
multitude is a treasured remembrance.
All through the afternoon and evea
ing store boxes, steps and porches
were utilized by spellbinders, polit
ically bubbling over. and. as lodging
quarters for the host were out of the
question, speechnaaking. at sporadic in
tervals, broke out until the morals
hour. By a chance, deemed good lack.
I climbed to the top of a fanning aill
standing on the platform at the sta-,
tion, and curled up in the hopper, ost)
of all danger of being stumbled over
or stepped on. It was not exactly of
the shape to fit the human fora. so
the form had to assume a shape to AC
it. It was a coveted place to rest.
howeer, but when I awoke in broad
daylight there was an excruciatias.
stiffness in the joints of my frost-covered
body which made it exceedingly
hard to get off the perch, and son
time elapsed before normal shape was
assumed. cast, as I had been, in a hop
per mold. Not until Chicago was
reached was the delight of a square)
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An Old Valentine
cut of sjj T.'k-m:uiu." worn anil old.
I.ikt- a .wcri from a mty r-hoath.
Jtfttlj :a?In hi trillo ni lace and jiold
A :. irvlik.- tissue, all shot with gold.
Half I'llms a viro bi-noath.
In tli mitl-.t of the verse is a heart,
iran-aixt'd
With a:i arrow of stely blue:
Oh. th foolish verse, with its metaphors
itij.vmI
j'i. th foolIMi heart, with the dart
Jransti i:
.ml the fooH"h way to woo!
I rtueiriber well the sunny-hairoil lad
Who wiote in thi boyish way;
A lreamer what glorious eyes he had!
Poor drvamer. ulic dreams have grown
re and vail.
And whove liair and hopes are gray.
One fair spring day. when the wood
lark's song
So sweet that it sank like pain
Through our thrillins hearts, as we
parked along
Adown lafy aisles (How that haunting
ong
i Moats back to my mind again!)
put them in water to see which would
come to the top. A young girl writ
ing about this practice says: "I lay
abed and shut my eyes all morning
till he came to our house, for I would
not have seen another man before him
for all the world."
The custom of drawing and match
ing names seems to date back to the
days of the Roman empire. There was
a feast in honor of Pan and Juno in
February, the festival of Lupercalia.
The names of young women were put
in a box and drawn as chance direct
ed by the men.
In the days of the early church,
when every effort was made to do
away with old superstitions and pagan
customs, saints names were substitut
ed. But the memory of dead saints is
nothing to the living, breathing lover,
and the outline of the custom has been
preserved in different ways in all cen
turies, the lovers never asking nor
caring if it be pagan or Christian.
An influence was supposed to per
vade the charmed hours. Birds chose
their mates on that day with mad
rigals of love. Love blossomed with
the spring in young hearts.
Ancient custom were much as now.
The refined and cultured sent missives
of love flowers, dainty jeweled re
membrances: the rustic wrote verses
to his maid; the cynic and the ma
licious sent anonymous letters or pic
tures with a stinging reminder of some
weakness or fault.
A traveler in England and Scotland
in olden times speaks of a custom
much like our game of forfeits. Maids
and bachelors congregated and each
wrote his or her name on billets of
paper which were drawn by the other
sex. Each got a valentine. The maid
hers the man his. Each had two
posed ly one's destiny, and great care
was exercised as to the proper per
son to meet in consequence.
Valentines in earlier days were writ
ten on plain sheets of paper, not print
ed. But soon they preferred to Den
their words on folded sheets with lace
odges. One of these early home valen
tines is seen in the British museum:
it is made of a sheet of paper about as
large as a lady's pocket handkerchief,
folded into squares about four inches.
Valentine's day as a love festival
has lost much of its significance dur
ing the last fifty years. It is so much
easier to buy the pierced hearts and
flying cupids and to trust that the
seniments found on them may be ap
propriate. Still there are many chil
dren in all parts of the world who are
designing their own valentines and
writing their own sentiments. Some
of these designs are crude, others are
elaborate and beautiful. A bright red
heart and a golden arrow are among
the favorite designs.
There is no country where the val
entines are prettier and more original
in design than in France: this is part
ly because even to this day the chil
dren love the name of St. Valentine.
So they are careful in making these
tokens of love. German boys are rich
in sentiment, though they do love a
soldier's cap and a gun. American
men may be shy -about expressing
their feeling, but American boys are
not. and so Billy makes short work in
telling Dorothy that he loves her.
The years have gone by. and young
men and women think no more of the
kind, gentle priest who sacrificed his
life on the altar of love. Yet chil
dren, with their true feeling of grati
tude, will always love and remember
the good French priest who loved
near the upper left side, in the center
of which appears the photogravure
head portrait of a handsome girl,
framed in gold and green rings, from
the lower rim of which extends a sin
gle clover leaf spray.
Similar in design are the Japanese
valentines, so stylish for children this
year. A tall, oblong-shaped card, with
a square depression near the top,
bears a brightly colored picture of a
little Japanese boy or girl. On the
lower right side is set ihe inscriptions
in bright red letters, reading from the
top downward.
Among the odd designs in valen
tines, mostly for children, are the
clock, with the hours marked off in
hearts; the thermometer, with cupids
hiding among forget-me-nots, along
the sides; little carriages, with boys
wheeling their sweethearts, and a red
heart furnace, which cupids seated on
the hearth, are filling with wood.
A neat little leap year valentine for
a girl to send to a boy is a four leaf
clover, made of hearts, each heart be
ing tied with a small bow, to be re
turned or accepted, according as the
love message is accepted or rejected.
It is eminently fitting that St. Valen
tine's day should come in February,
for this month, although the shortest
of the year, is the one on which tradi
tion and legend has taken an especial
hold. There are days for the religious,
the superstitious, the patriotic days
for the lover of history, the lover of
play and the lover of love and other
days yet. She has one-fourth of the
legal holidays of the year exclusive
ot election days one rare day, a love
day. two birthdays, one very holy day
and more than one prophetic day. and
all these days are "among the high
tides of the calendar."
The story as old as Adam and Eve's
Was told, while the lark o'erhead
Flung his arrows of ong into golden
sheaves.
A iil the silken rustle of tender leaves
TUdde. sweeter the words he saiuT
Ah. well! We have all had our "Area- I
And this is the brief of mine.
And the mystic messages, the shining
key
That opened that land of delight to me
Was this primitive valentine.
We do these things In a different wav
From the younger folk I glean.
In the learned light of this lettered day
We move in a more esthetic way.
And a wiser way, I ween.
But athwart the years, with their grand
er things.
Their treasures of wisdom and lore.
This trifle of gold shot tissue brings
Kemembrance of simple, holier things
That hallowed the days of yore.
Agnes Mahony.
. FroficsoDKCori
Erntothegamewithaclukfedeligjit;
Be ruycxTmpaniorisal that he needs;
Rushing Ms soon up behind the steeds.
Usurping nofhing; he watches them run
Ah! fan still is apfeceforone.
Ring the bclb with a hullabaloo!
Kbu rascally Cupid, youVe work io do!
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Tzm&r-AjzooGzs
state and adjoining states planned ex
cursions, offerin'g extremely low rates
the round trip from Chicago being
but 3. I concluded to be 'among the
excursionists.
Three long passenger trains start
ed from the city and it was our mis
fortune to board the last one. Mis
fortune, I say, for the other two trains
seemed filled with patriotic gluttons
on a foraging expedition, for the trains
followed each other so closely that the
eating houses did not have time to re
cuperate or replenish, so they were as
bare, when our train arrived, as the
cupboard of Old Mother Hubbard not
a bone left. The day was delightful, the
air just keen enough to whet our ap
petite to an edge which would not
have questioned the quality of any
spread obtainable even breakfast
food half sawdust would have been
relished. Our train missed but a very
few of the side tracks, and lingered
for a while on most of them. So a
day and a night were consumed before
Springfield hove in sight. The city
was but an insignificant one compared
to what it is now, and was pervaded
by the spirit of the sluggish, turbid
Sangamon on whose banks it reposed,
and was in no way prepared to take
care of such a congested mass of hu
manity, estimated at over 100.000 peo
ple. Square meals and lodgings were
out of the question and fortunate was
he who could get crackers, a stale
sandwich or a second-hand cup of
coffee.
The only thing, except people, was
watermelons. Every available spot
seemed piled with them, huge speci
mens, at from 5 to 10 cents apiece.
They were bought for refreshing seats,
to slake thirst, and th seeds and pulp
rinds made walking exceedingly pre
carious, as much so as a highway of
banana skins. Rubber boots were a
necessity if one would have dry feet.
It must have been the banner season
for the esculent, the people having
largely planted the prairies for a crop,
having got an inkling somehow- that
there would be a great demand for
campaign purposes. In any event,
they were a godsend in this emer-
ito tenderness of heart irradiated every
lineament and made it beautiful, as
merged scenery becomes charming in
the play of sunlight and shadow.
The fair grounds had been selected
as the speaking place of the great
gathering, and a dozen stands, per
haps, erected, for no one man's voice
could reach one-tenth of the listeners.
Senator Lyman Trumbull, Illinois. Sen
ator Doolittle, Wisconsin, and scores of
lesser lights were there to discuss at
length the grave issues with an earn
est intensity not equiled since the re
public was born. The defiant and
threatening mutterings of the south-
J ern wing of the democracy were full
oi ominous ioreoouings and seemed to
inspire the orators ot the occasion.
About 3 o'clock a barouche, drawn
by white horses, brought Lincoln to
the grounds. The crowd was too dense
for the team to be driven to the stand,
so he alighted and was born upon stal
wart shoulders. They were so jostled
that it kept the great man waving
very much like a turkey perched uihjii
a slender branch in a high wind. The
sight was somewhat ludicrous, but h
could not fall, for there wen too
many hands eager to hold him up.
deeming it a privilege to but touch the
bom of his garment. His troupers were
pushed up to his knees, and. though
but an humble spectator of the scene,
I may be called an assistant in car
rying the precious burden, for I
grasped one ankle. The platform was
finally reached, and, with air of heaven
caressing and tossing his locks, he
made a brief address in acknowledg
ment of the honor cf being chosen as
the exponent of the young party so
soon to take the reins of government
in its giant hands. He was a natural
orator, with a charming voice, and his
usually heavy eyes lighted up anc re
flected the fire of his inmost soul as
he warmed to his subject, and a pe
culiar sweetness irradiated his fea-
tures, which in reimse had not a linea- j
ment of anything but sadness. If ever '
an inworking spirit came to the sur-
face, it was the spirit of Abraham Lin- '
coin. The recollection of those few )
minutes when he was addressing the j
meal experienced, a fast of nearly four
days, in which time no boots or gar
ments had been shuffled off. no face
washed save in watermelon juice; but
as in the economy of our nature pains,
are not remembered, the recollection
of that excursion with its collateral de
lights, is pleasant to recall.
One of Lincoln's Stories.
"Did you ever hear Mr. IJncoIn's
lightning-rod story?" asked Speaker
Cannon of some friends who were
spinning yarns. "Well, it's a good
one.
"Mr. Lincoln said he had attended
meeting at a country church where
one of the stingiest creatures on
God's footstool went through the
make-me-good idea he was worship
ing the Savior. The minister asked
for a free contribution to enable tho
church fathers to buy a lightning rod
for the edifice.
" 'Surely you are willing to lend to
the Lord, said the minister. 'Is ho1
not the owner of the cattle on a thou
sand hills? Will he not repay?'
"This was the chance for the old
m'ser to get in his work by giving a
reason for not contributing. Rising in
his seat, he said:
" "You say the Lord is the owner
of the cattle on a thousand hills.
Then, why can't he sell some of tho
cattlo and buy a lightning rod?"
Washington Times.
Lincoln's Response.
An enthusiastic supporter from Buf
falo made the trip to Washington
during the civil war to see President '
Lincoln. The visitor, whose name was
Johnson, had prepared this polito
speech to address to the president, as
he reached him at the public recep
tion: "The people of Buffalo, sir. be
lieve in Almighty God and in Abra
ham Lincoln."
The president gave an extra warm
grasp of his visitor's hand, whisper
ing in his ear: "You tell them that I
they are more than half right." Buf-I
falo Courier.
LINCOLN AND VIRGINIA.
Afiitation Caused bv His Letter to Ex-Confederate Official
After the Surrender of Gen. Lee. !
"In April, 18C5, just after the end
of 'the war," said Major Alderson. "I
was sitting on the porch of the resi
dence of Lieutenant Governor Price in
Lewisburg, in Greenbrier county. I had
just returned home from the army,
and you may well believe I was en
joying the rest and the company of
the prettiest girl in the world. Gov
ernor Price's daughter, who was on
the porch with me.
"While we were talking." Major Al
derson continued, "a soldier suddenly
galloped into sight and drew rein at
the door. He asked if that was Gov
ernor Price's house, and upon my tell
ing him that it was he said he brought
a letter for Governor Price from the
president of the United States.
"I told him that the governor was
down on his farm two or three miles
away and that as he seemed tired and
broken down I would delirer the let
ter. "I found the old fellow at work in
the barn fanning wheat." Major Abler
son went on, with a reminiscent smile.
"They had buried two or three sacks
of grain to keep it from falling into
the hands of the northern troops, and
now they had resurrected it and were
cleaning it to have some bread. A
negro was turning the wheat fan. an
other was scraping away the cleaned
wheat and Governor Price was stand
ing by the hopper working the grain
through to the riddles.
"I jumped off ray horse and hurried
into the barn.
" 'Governor,' I said in some excite
ment, 'here is a letter for you from
the president of the United States.'
"The old fellow turned as white asl
a .sheet. You see, we did not know I
at that time just what course the;
United States government would pur-
sin toward the men who had fought in
the confederate army or hold office.
under the confederate government.
The old fellow- broke the seal and took
, out a large document, portentous look-
j ing indeed. He read hurriedly and
' then laughed.
"'It's all right, he said, and he
, handed me the letter. It was ad-
j dressed to Lieutenant Governor Price, i
and signed by Abraham Lincoln. It
requested him to call the Virginia
legislature together at once to take
action regarding the changed condi
tion of affairs in the state. In con
clusion were these words, which I
shall always remember: "I want you
people to come back and hang up your
hats on the sair.e old pegs.
'r.. on tl.k .,., Yiirvl. Kn 1-..A
uui ju ii4ir m. iiio"i iimi leiicril
was received. I think." said Major Al
derson. "the president was assassi- .
nated. and bis plans for the govern- I
ment of the states which receded vV
never carried ouC"