Wilson, Douglas L., ed.; Davis, Rodney O., ed.; Bale, Hardin. 'Hardin Bale (William H. Herndon Interview)' in 'Herndon's Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements About Abraham Lincoln' . Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1998. [format: book], [genre: interview]. Permission: University of Illinois Press
Persistent link to this document: http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/file.php?file=herndon528a.html

[1866]

Hardin Bale — aged 49.

I came to Ills in 1829 — setled — wintered in Petersburg — then a farm — went to Salem in the Spring of 1832 — Knew Lincoln. Row Herndon & Jim Herndon merchandised in N. Salem — mixd store — goods & groceries — Knew Radford: he Kept a Kind of a grocery — whiskey — pepper — Sugar Salt &c — Row & Jim Herndon sold their goods to Berry — . I don't think Lincoln ever owned a dry goods store — Don't think he ever Kept an exclusively whiskey shop — though it is said so — Lincoln Commenced studying Law 1833 — Commenced surveying in 1833 — or 4 — Knew Kelso — Knew Doct. Jason Duncan — Am a Democrat — never Knew anything Evil wrong or criminal. He was a great fellow to try projects — invented a wheel — fixd a box — strapt himself and weighed a thousand or more pounds — : it seems to me that Sincho ^[1] — bought out these various lots of goods — (Sincho). Kelso and Lincoln were great friends — always together — always talking and arguing. My Father was a Babtist preacher.

Library of Congress: Herndon-Weik Collection. Manuscript Division. Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. 3836; Huntington Library: LN2408, 1:382 — 83

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