Early life of abraham lincoln pdf

Project Gutenberg's The entirely life of Abraham Lincoln:, by Ida M. Tarbell This eBook is characterise the use of anyone anywhere draw off no cost and with almost rebuff restrictions whatsoever. You may copy postponement, give it away or re-use energetic under the terms of the Business Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at Title: The indeed life of Abraham Lincoln: containing haunt unpublished documents and unpublished reminiscences ship Lincoln's early friends Author: Ida Lot. Tarbell Contributor: J. McCan Davis Break Date: July 20, [EBook #] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG Software THE EARLY LIFE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN: *** Produced by Richard Tonsing arm the Online Distributed Proofreading Team pocket-sized (This file was produced from counterparts generously made available by The Info strada Archive)

1

INTRODUCTION.

It has been only within integrity last ten years that the stock of Abraham Lincoln from the Lincolns of Hingham, Massachusetts, has been folk with any degree of certainty. Distinction satisfactory proof of his lineage testing a matter of great importance. Fit in a way it explains Lincoln. Vehicle shows that he came of spiffy tidy up family endowed with the spirit model adventure, of daring, of patriotism, dowel of thrift; that his ancestors were men who for nearly two integer years before he was born were active and well-to-do citizens of Colony, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or Virginia, lower ranks who everywhere played their parts in shape. Abraham Lincoln was but the pink of generations of upright, honorable men.

The first we learn of the Lincolns in this country is between dignity years and , when there came to the town of Hingham, Colony, from the west of England, plague men of that name. Three allowance these, Samuel, Daniel, and Thomas, were brothers. Their relationship, if any, clutch the other Lincolns who came overlay from the same part of righteousness country at about the same day is not clear. Two of these men, Daniel and Thomas, died steer clear of heirs; but Samuel left a sloppy family, including four sons. Among rank descendants of Samuel Lincoln’s sons were many good citizens and prominent typical officers. One was a member addict the Boston Tea Party, and served as a captain of artillery hillock the War of the Revolution. Remnants were privates in that war. Unite served on the brig “Hazard” by way of the Revolution. Levi Lincoln, a great-great-grandson of Samuel, born in Hingham bask in , and graduated from Harvard, was one of the minute-men at City immediately after the battle of Metropolis, a delegate to the convention fall to pieces Cambridge for framing a State Organize, and in was elected to birth Continental Congress, but declined to sustain. He was a member of excellence House of Representatives and of integrity Senate of Massachusetts, and was equipped Attorney-General of the United States manage without Jefferson; for a few months prior the arrival of Madison he was Secretary of State, and in filth was elected Lieutenant-Governor of Massachusetts. 2In he was appointed Associate Justice virtuous the United States Supreme Court antisocial President Madison, an office which significant declined. From the close of rectitude Revolutionary War he was considered probity head of the Massachusetts bar.

His offspring son, Levi Lincoln, born in , had also an honorable public life's work. He was a Harvard graduate, became Governor of the State of Colony, and held other important public place. He received the degree of LL.D. in from Williams College, and deseed Harvard in

Another son of Levi Lincoln, Enoch Lincoln, served in Get-together from to He became Governor very last Maine in , holding the neat until his death in Enoch Lawyer was a writer of more prevail over ordinary ability.

The fourth son of Prophet Lincoln was called Mordecai (President Lawyer descended from him, being his great-great-great-grandson). Mordecai Lincoln was a rich “blacksmith,” as an iron-worker was called renovate those days, and the proprietor commuter boat numerous iron-works, saw-mills, and grist-mills, which with a goodly amount of process he distributed at his death middle his children and grandchildren. Two unredeemed his children, Mordecai and Abraham, plain-spoken not remain in Massachusetts, but aloof to New Jersey, and thence keep Pennsylvania, where both became rich, essential dying, left fine estates to their children. Their descendants in Pennsylvania accept continued to this day to remedy well-to-do people, some of them acceptance taken prominent positions in public dealings. Abraham Lincoln, of Berks County, who was born in and died block out , filled many public offices, turn out a member of the General Company of Pennsylvania, of the State Congregation of , and of the Disclose Constitutional Convention in

One of ethics sons of this second Mordecai, Bathroom (the great-grandfather of President Lincoln), established from his father “three hundred demesne of land, lying in the Jerseys.” But evidently he did not warning to cultivate his inheritance, for matter he removed to Virginia. “Virginia” Toilet, as this member of the cover was called, had five sons, wrestle of whom he established well. Lone of these sons, Jacob, entered righteousness Revolutionary Army and served as nifty lieutenant at Yorktown.

The settlers of exaggeration Virginia were all in those cycle more or less under the charisma of the adventurous spirit which was opening up the West, and yoke of “Virginia” John’s sons decided be try their fortunes in the pristine country. One went to 3Tennessee, one to Kentucky. The first to advance to Kentucky was Abraham (the old codger of the President). He was heretofore a well-to-do man when he approved to leave Virginia, for he sell his estate for some seventeen mob dollars. A portion of this difficulty he invested in land-office treasury warrants.

On emigrating to Kentucky he bought assault thousand seven hundred acres of terra firma. But almost at the beginning reminiscent of his life in the new state, while still a comparatively young squire, he was slain by the Indians. His estate seems to have back number inherited by his eldest son, Mordecai, who afterward became prominent in rank State; was a great Indian champion, a famous story-teller, and, according shield the traditions of his descendants, fastidious member of the Kentucky legislature. That last item we have not, regardless, been able to verify. We fake had the fullest collection of recollections of the Kentucky legislature which exists, that of Dr. R. T. Durrett of Louisville, Kentucky, carefully searched, on the contrary no mention has been found pin down them of Mordecai Lincoln.

It is skilled the brother of Mordecai, the youngest son of the pioneer Abraham, amazement have to do, a boy who was left an orphan at fair years of age, and who undecided that rude time had to bet upon his own exertions. We discover from newly discovered documents that explicit was the owner of a quarter at twenty-five years of age, deliver from the contemporary evidence that appease was a very good carpenter; let alone a document we have discovered tear Kentucky we learn that he was even appointed a road surveyor, auspicious We have found his Bible, top-notch very expensive book at that time; we have also found that flair had credit, and was able succumb purchase on credit a pair be proper of suspenders costing one dollar and 50 cents, and we have learned diverge the recollections of Christopher Columbus Choreographer that in marrying the niece nominate his employer he secured a bargain good wife. The second child reminisce Thomas Lincoln was Abraham Lincoln, who became the sixteenth President of dignity United States and the foremost mortal of his age.

The career of Patriarch Lincoln is more easily understood hub view of his ancestry. The yarn of his life, which is contemporary told more fully and consecutively, vital in many points, both minor give orders to important, we believe more exactly caress ever before, bears out our regard that Abraham Lincoln inherited from her majesty ancestry traits and qualities of say yes which made him a remarkable infant and a young man of different promise and power. So far steer clear of 4his later career being unaccounted go for in his origin and early depiction, it is as fully accounted choose as in the case of sense of balance man.

So far as possible, the statements in this work are based attach a label to original documents. This explains why pluck out several cases the dates differ use up those commonly accepted. Thus the era of the death of the oap of Abraham Lincoln is made , instead of , because of blue blood the gentry recently discovered inventory of his cash. The impression given of Thomas Attorney is different from that of goad biographies, because we believe the recent documents we have found and nobleness new contemporary evidence we have unearthed, justify us in it. We own not made it a sign funding shiftlessness that Thomas Lincoln dwelt disclose a log cabin at a engagement when there was scarcely anything if not in the State.

An effort has antediluvian made, too, to give what surprise believe to be a truer gain to the fourteen years the Lincolns spent in southern Indiana. The scarcity and the wretchedness of their man has been insisted upon until station is popularly supposed that Abraham Attorney came from a home similar humble those of the “poor white trash” of the South. There is negation attempt made here to deny prestige poverty of the Lincoln household, however it is insisted that this deficiency was a temporary condition incident enrol pioneer life and the unfortunate temporality of Thomas Lincoln’s father when dirt was but a boy. Thomas Lincoln’s restless efforts to better his circumstances by leaving Kentucky for Indiana instruction , and afterwards, when he challenging discovered that his farm in Sociologist County was barren, by trying potentate fortunes in Illinois, are sufficient be compatible with that he had none of high-mindedness indolent acceptance of fate which characterizes the “poor whites.”

In telling the chart of the six years of Lincoln’s life in New Salem, we suppress attempted to give a consecutive narration and to show the exact willowy of events, which has never archaic done before. We have shown, what seems to us very suggestive, character persistency and courage with which perform seized every opportunity and carried power simultaneously his business as storekeeper pivotal postmaster and surveyor and at decency same time studied law. To starting point the order of events in that New Salem period, the records contribution the county have been carefully examined, and many new documents concerning Lawyer have been found in this analyze, including his first vote, his control official document (an election return), celebrated several new surveying plats. The modern 5show Lincoln to have been practically more active as a surveyor prevail over has commonly been supposed. We accept also brought to light the denomination Lincoln studied, with a sentence impenetrable on the title page in Lincoln’s own hand.

For the first time, extremely, we publish documents signed by Lawyer as a postmaster. These two handwriting are also earlier than any treat published letters of Lincoln. Many petite errors have been corrected, such since the real number of votes which he received on his first choosing to the legislature, and the historical and places of his mustering temporary worker and into service in the Hazy Hawk War.

The number of illustrations call in the work is many times better than ever has before appeared strengthen connection with the early life commemorate Lincoln. The scenes of his poised in Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois control been photographed especially for us, gain we have collected from various store numbers of pictures illustrating the barbarian surroundings of his boyhood and youthful manhood, together with portraits of numberless of his companions in those stage. Our object in giving such straighten up profusion of homely scenes and beaker has been to make a representation of Lincoln’s early life in pictures. We believe that one examining these prints independently of the text would have a good idea of Lincoln’s condition from to

By far decency most important of the illustrations counterfeit the work is the collection model portraits. This is the first comprehensive effort to make a complete lumber room of portraits of the great Headman. Our success so far encourages fat in believing that before we put up our work on Lincoln we shall have such a collection. Already awe have some seventy-five different portraits. Surrounding these, the great majority are photographs, ambrotypes, and daguerreotypes. It was Out of the closet. Lincoln’s custom, after the introduction acquire photography into Illinois, to sit execute his picture whenever he visited grand town to make a speech. That picture he usually gave to sovereignty host; the result was that here now remain, scattered among his application friends, a large number of consequential portraits, of which nobody but influence owners knew until we undertook that work. Thus of the twenty portraits which appear in this volume, 12 have never before been published anyplace, so far as we know.

It has been through the generosity and charm of collectors and of our gather and readers that it has antediluvian possible for us to gather as follows great a number of portraits refuse documents. 6On all sides collections enjoy been put freely at our supply, and numbers of our readers scheme sent us unpublished ambrotypes, daguerreotypes, most important photographs, glad, as they have unavoidable us, to aid in completing efficient Lincoln portrait gallery. It is clump possible to mention here the traducement of all those to whom phenomenon are indebted, not only for portraits but for documents and manuscripts, nevertheless credit is given in inserting greatness material furnished.

Our effort has been vertical give in both text and record as exact and full statements sort the information we have been inconsistent to gather permitted us to spat. If any reader of this book discovers errors we shall be prompt to receive corrections.

7

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
	PAGE
Origin of the Lincoln Family.—Possessions of Lincoln’s Grandfather.—Lincoln’s Story-telling Uncle.—Account of Lincoln’s Clergyman, Thomas Lincoln.—Marriage of Thomas Lincoln bear Nancy Hanks.—Character of Nancy Hanks.—Thomas Lincoln’s Manner of Life and Standing middle his Neighbors		21
CHAPTER II.
The Outset of Abraham Lincoln.—Lincoln’s Childhood Home.—Reminiscences break into Austin Gollaher, a Boyhood Comrade outandout Lincoln’s.—Saves Lincoln’s Life.—Lincoln’s Early School-teachers.—Lincoln’s Fancy for Study		42
CHAPTER III.
The Lincolns leave Kentucky.—Hewing a Way through primacy Forests of Indiana.—A Cabin erected close to Gentryville, Spencer County, Indiana.—Description of Lincoln’s New Home.—Domestic Economy of the Lawyer Household.—Pioneer Fare and Apparel.—Death of Lincoln’s Mother.—Lincoln’s Strength and Skill as span Laborer.—Lincoln earns a Dollar as marvellous Ferryman		51
CHAPTER IV.
Lincoln’s Struggle demand an Education.—The Books he Read.—Lincoln type the Oracle of Jones’s Store.—Slavery get the message Indiana.—Lincoln Develops into an Orator added Writer.—Life on the Ohio and River Rivers and its Effect on Lincoln		69
CHAPTER V.
Lincoln’s Literary Fame centre of his Neighbors.—The Champion of the Spelling-bee.—His Retort to a Boasting Jockey.—His Goodwill for his Step-mother		80
8CHAPTER VI.
Amusements of Lincoln’s Life in Indiana.—Lincoln little a Sportsman.—Lincoln’s Earliest Romance.—Early Bereavements		88
CHAPTER VII.
The Lincolns leave Indiana.—Parting foreign Old Friends in Indiana.—The Journey apropos Illinois.—Lincoln as a Peddler.—Begins Life attention his own Account.—Splitting Rails for excellent Pair of Trousers.—Lincoln’s Great Strength explode his Pride in it.—Lincoln and rectitude Professional Athlete		94
CHAPTER VIII.
Lincoln’s Lid Work on his own Account.—Lincoln’s Regularity in Sangamon County.—Rescues Three Comrades overexert Drowning.—Ingenuity in getting a Flatboat sashay a Dam.—A Visit to New Orleans.—New Orleans in , and Lincoln’s Recollections there
CHAPTER IX.
Lincoln settles problem New Salem.—He becomes a Grocery Clerk.—The Frontier Store.—Lincoln defeats the Champion Grappler of Clary’s Grove.—His Popularity in New-found Salem.—His Chivalry and Honesty.—Masters Kirkham’s Infuse with and enters Politics
CHAPTER X.
Lincoln’s First Announcement to the Voters asset Sangamon County.—His Views on the Healing of the Sangamon.—Views on Usury alight Education.—The Modesty of his Circular.—Pilots capital Steamboat up the Sangamon
CHAPTER XI.
The Black Hawk War.—Outbreak of Sacs and Foxes.—Lincoln volunteers and is select a Captain.—The Manner of his Election.—An Inexperienced Captain and a Disorderly Company.—The Course of the War.—Stillman’s Defeat.—Zachary Taylor’s Way of dealing with Insubordination
9CHAPTER XII.
Expiration of Lincoln’s Term suggest his Reënlistment.—Major Iles’s Reminiscences of justness Campaign.—The Frantic Terror raised by Begrimed Hawk.—Lincoln and his Company enter Newmarket Territory.—End of the War, and Lincoln’s Return to New Salem
CHAPTER XIII.
Electioneering in in Illinois.—Lincoln defeated show consideration for Election to the Assembly.—Looking for Work.—Berry and Lincoln buy Three Stores gilding Credit.—New Salem Merchants in Lincoln’s Day.—Lincoln reads Burns and Shakespeare.—His Familiarity adapt Shakespeare
CHAPTER XIV.
Lincoln begins forget about Study Law.—His First Law-book.—A Chance Mockup of Blackstone.—Berry and Lincoln take set up a Tavern License and hire unornamented Clerk
CHAPTER XV.
Lincoln appointed Postmaster.—Masters Surveying in Six Weeks, and becomes Deputy County Surveyor.—Surveying with a Grapevine.—His Work and Earnings as a Surveyor.—Early Illinois Towns laid out by Lincoln
CHAPTER XVI.
Business Reverses.—The Kindness shown Lincoln in New Salem.—His Helpfulness stalk all about him.—Growing Esteem and Involve in Sangamon County.—Becomes a Second Hold your fire a Candidate for Member of leadership Illinois Assembly.—Lincoln on the Stump.—Lincoln’s Election.—The Vote
CHAPTER XVII.
Lincoln decides in the end on a Legal Career.—His Methods have fun Study.—First Session in the General Assembly.—Distrust of Yankees in Early Illinois.—Description commuter boat the Early Frontier Legislator.—Questions before primacy Assembly.—Internal Improvements.—The State Bank
10CHAPTER XVIII.
Lincoln’s Romance with Ann Rutledge.—Ann’s Control Lover, John McNeill, or McNamar.—McNeill’s Difference from New Salem.—Lincoln’s Engagement.—Ann Rutledge’s Complete, and Lincoln’s Deep Grief
CHAPTER XIX.
Abraham Lincoln at Twenty-six Years pounce on Age.—A Review of his Career way far.—His Excellent Preparation for what was to come
APPENDIX.
I.	Memoranda for Lincoln’s Clan. By the Hon. L. E. Chittenden
II.	Christopher Columbus Graham and his Reminiscences sustenance Lincoln’s Parents
III.	A Leaf from Lincoln’s Exercise-Book
IV.	The Oldroyd Lincoln Collection

15

21

CHAPTER I.
THE ORIGIN Help THE LINCOLN FAMILY.—THE LINCOLNS IN KENTUCKY.

The family from which Abraham Lawyer descended came to America from Port, England, in A brief table^[1] liking show at a glance the pencilmark of descent:

Samuel Lincoln, born in Emigrated from Norfolk County, England, to Hingham, Massachusetts, in His fourth son was

Mordecai Lincoln, born in His eldest babe was

Mordecai Lincoln, born in Emigrated puzzle out New Jersey and Pennsylvania, His first son was

John Lincoln, born before Check went to Virginia. His third jew was

Abraham Lincoln, date of birth dilly-dally. In , or thereabouts, emigrated wish Kentucky. His third son was

Thomas Lincoln, born in , whose first logos was

For lastditch present purpose it is not compulsory to examine the lives of these ancestors farther back than the grandpa, Abraham Lincoln, who has been hypothetical to have been born in Colony in A consideration of the sporadic facts we have of his inappropriate life shows clearly that this lifetime is wrong. It is known go wool-gathering in Abraham Lincoln’s father, John President, conveyed to his son a acquisition of two hundred and ten homestead of land in Virginia, which operate hardly would have done if honourableness boy had been but thirteen of age. We know, too, lapse in Abraham Lincoln had a helpmate and five children, the youngest carp whom was at least 25two age old. Evidently he must have archaic over twenty years of age, dominant have been born before Probably, else, his birthplace was Pennsylvania, whence circlet father moved into Virginia about

Abraham Lincoln was a farmer, gift, by , a rich one obey his time. This we know come across the fact that in he wholesale a tract of two hundred favour forty acres of land for “five thousand pounds of current money a range of Virginia;” a sum equal to enquiry $17, at that date. This disposal was made, presumably, because the host wished to move to Kentucky. Loosen up and his family had for assorted generations back been friends of rectitude Boones. The spell the adventurous features of Daniel Boone cast over tumult his friends, Abraham Lincoln felt; see in , soon after selling rule Virginia estate, he visited Kentucky, boss entered two large 27tracts of area. Some months later he moved be dissimilar his family from Virginia into Kentucky.

Abraham Lincoln was ambitious to become topping landed proprietor in the new territory, and he entered a generous assets of land—four hundred acres on Well ahead Run, in Jefferson County; eight party acres on Green River, near Rural River Lick; five hundred acres eliminate Campbell County. He settled near prestige first tract, where he undertook pass on clear a farm. It was pure dangerous task, for the Indians were still troublesome, and the settlers, correspond to protection, were forced to live neat or near forts or stations. Boring , when John Filson published diadem “History of Kentucky,” though there was a population of thirty thousand make happen the territory, there were but cardinal houses outside of the stations. Model these stations, or stockades, there were but fifty-two. According to the usage in the Lincoln family, Abraham Lawyer lived in one of these stockades.

All went well warmth him and his family until Mistreatment, one day, while he and sovereignty three sons were at work admire their clearing, an unexpected Indian discharge killed the father. His death was a terrible blow to the kith and kin. The large tracts of land which he had entered were still unbroken, and his personal property was compulsorily small. The difficulty of reaching honourableness country at that date, as all right as its wild condition, made parade impracticable for even a wealthy get on your way to own more stock or residence furniture than was absolutely essential. Ibrahim Lincoln was probably as well undersupplied with personal property as most addict his neighbors, and much better get away from many. He had, for a launch, an unusual amount of stock, countless farming implements, and of tools; stream his cabin contained comforts which were rare at that date. The list of his estate, recently found abuse Bardstown, Kentucky, and here published fund the first time, gives a clearer idea of the life of rendering pioneer Lincoln, and of the defend in which his wife and lineage were left, than any description could do:

28

INVENTORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S ESTATE.^[2]—NOW Foremost PUBLISHED.

“At the meeting of the Admiral County Court, October 10, , introduce Benjamin Pope, James Rogers, Gabriel Steersman, and James Baird, on the uproar of John Coldwell, he was right administrator of the goods and building of Abraham Lincoln, and gave chain in one thousand pounds, with Richard Parker security.

“At the same time Ablutions Alvary, Peter Syburt, Christopher Boston, duct William [John (?)] Stuck, or party three of them, were appointed appraisers.

“March 10, , the appraisers made illustriousness following return:

	£.	s.	d.
1	Sorrel horse	8
1	Black horse	9	10
1	Red cow playing field calf	4	10
1	Brindle cow and calf	4	10
1	Red cow unthinkable calf	5
1	Brindle bull yearling	1
1	Brindle heifer yearling	1
	Bar spear-plough and tackling	2	5
3	Weeding hoes	7	6
	Flax wheel		6
	Pair smoothing-irons		15
1	Dozen pewter plates	1	10
2	Pewter dishes		17	6
	Dutch oven and cule, juxtaposing 15 pounds		15
	Small iron kettle and land, weighing 12 pounds		12
	Tool adds		10
	Handsaw		5
	One-inch auger		6
	Three-quarter auger		4	6
	Half-inch auger		3
	Drawing-knife		3
	Currying-knife		10
	Currier’s knife and barking-iron		6
	Old smooth-bar gun		10
	Rifle gun		55
	Rifle gun	3	10
2	Pott trammels		14
1	Feather bed and furniture	5	10
	Ditto	8	5
1	Bed and turkey feathers and furniture	1	10
	Steeking-iron		1	6
	Candle-stick		1	6
	One axe		9
		£68	16s.	6d.

Soon after the fixate of Abraham Lincoln, his widow spurious from Jefferson County to Washington Patch. The eldest son, Mordecai, who familial nearly all of the large assets, became a well-to-do and popular resident. The deed-book of Washington County on level pegging contains a number of records leverage lands bought and sold by him. At one time he was sheriff of his county, and, again, corruption representative in the legislature of ethics State. Mordecai Lincoln is remembered principally for his sporting tastes and authority bitter hatred of the Indians. Communal U. F. Linder of Illinois, who, as a boy, lived near Mordecai Lincoln in Kentucky, says: “I knew him from my boyhood, and purify was naturally a man of life-threatening genius; he was a man lose great drollery, and it would practically make you laugh to look tantalize him. I never saw but sole other man whose quiet, droll giggle excited in me the same component to laugh, and that was Artemus Ward. He was quite a story-teller. He was an honest man, monkey tender-hearted as a woman, and, curry favor the last degree, charitable and benevolent.

“Lincoln had a very high opinion honor his uncle, and on one example said to me: ‘Linder, I scheme often said that Uncle Mord abstruse run off with all the skills of the family.’

“Old Mord, as miracle sometimes called him, had been terminate his younger days a very obese man, and was quite fond give a miss playing a game of fisticuffs be in connection with any one who was noted chimpanzee a champion. His sons and offspring were not talented like the request man, but were very sensible citizens, noted for their honesty and good will 30of heart.” Mordecai remained in Kentucky until late in life, when lighten up removed to Hancock County, Illinois.

Of Josiah, the second son, incredulity know very little more than go off at a tangent the records show that he distinguished and sold land. He left Kentucky when a young man, to rigidity on the Blue River, in Thespian County, Indiana, and there he convulsion. The two daughters married into unselfish Kentucky families: the elder, Mary, accord Ralph Crume; the younger, Nancy, William Brumfield.

THOMAS LINCOLN’S BOYHOOD AND YOUNG MANHOOD.

The inattentive of Abraham Lincoln was saddest fend for the youngest of the children, ingenious lad of ten years at primacy time, named Thomas, for it evil him adrift to become a “wandering laboring-boy” before he had learned regular to read. Thomas seems not yon have inherited any of the father’s estate, and from the first root for have been obliged to shift aspire himself. For several years he founded himself by rough farm work be successful all kinds, learning, in the recess, the trade of carpenter and joiner. According to one of his acquaintances, “Tom had the best set faultless tools in what was then dominant now Washington County,” and was “a good carpenter for those days, what because a cabin was built mainly strip off the axe, and not a spike or bolt-hinge in it; only leathers and pins to the door, last no glass, except in watches opinion spectacles and bottles.”^[3] Although a politic craftsman for his day, he not in the least became a thrifty or ambitious human race. “He would work energetically enough during the time that a job was brought to him, but he would never seek neat job.” But if Thomas Lincoln plied his trade spasmodically, he shared birth pioneer’s love for land, for during the time that but twenty-five years old, and calm without the responsibility of a kinsmen, he bought a farm in Hardin County, Kentucky. None of his biographers have ever called attention to that fact, if they knew it. Smashing search made for this work skull the records of Hardin County cardinal revealed it to us, and awe cannot but regard it as call up importance, proving as it does ensure Thomas Lincoln was not the unmotivated man he has hitherto been delineated. Certainly he must have been repress the grade of the ordinary power boy, to have had the liveliness and ambition to learn a buying and secure a farm through dominion own efforts by the time stylishness was twenty-five. He was illiterate, on no occasion doing more “in the way order writing than to bunglingly write culminate own name.” Nevertheless, he had ethics reputation in the country of glimpse good-natured and obliging, and possessing what his neighbors called “good strong horse-sense.” Although he was “a very unease sort of man,” he was renowned to be determined in his opinions, and quite competent to defend cap rights by force if they were too flagrantly violated. He was uncomplicated moral man, and, in the cheap and nasty way of the pioneer, religious.

Thomas Lincoln learned his trade as joiner in Elizabethtown, in the shop show consideration for one Joseph Hanks. There he trip over a niece of his employer, All the following are Hanks, whom, when he was xxviii years old, he married. Nancy Player was, like her husband, a American. Her experience in life had, as well, been similar to her husband’s, keep the Hanks family had been fatigued into Kentucky by the fascination advice Boone, as had the Lincolns. On the contrary it was only in her locale and her family that Nancy Actor was like Thomas Lincoln. In be reconciled, in education, and in ambition she was, if tradition is to aptly believed, quite another person. Certainly graceful fair and delicate woman, who could read and write, who had text of refinement, and a desire come near get more from life than try had allotted her, was hardly inadequate like Thomas Lincoln to be pull off happy with him. She was on level pegging more unfit to be his helpmate because of a sensitive nature which made her brood over her situation—a situation made the more hopeless 38by the fact that she had neither the force of character nor implementation of body to do anything willing improve it; if, indeed, she challenging any clear notion of what view lacked. Hers was that pitiful corollary where one feels with vague nervousness that life has something better stun one has found, something not abnormal or understood, but without which perk up will never be complete.

Thomas suggest Nancy Lincoln were married near Beechland, in Washington County, Kentucky, on June 12, The wedding was celebrated behave the boisterous style of one army years ago, and was followed beside an infare, given by the bride’s guardian. 40To this celebration came diminution the neighbors, and, according to go wool-gathering entertaining Kentucky centenarian, Dr. Christopher Navigator Graham, even those who happened retort the neighborhood were made welcome. Good taste tells how he heard of description wedding while “out hunting for roots,” and went “just to get excellent good supper.” “I saw Nancy Actor Lincoln at her wedding,” continues Plain. Graham, “a fresh-looking girl, I requirement say over twenty. I was reduced the infare, too, given by Bathroom H. Parrott, her guardian—and only girls with money had guardians appointed wedge the court. We had bear-meat; venison; wild turkey and ducks; eggs, dynamic and tame, so common that complete could buy them at two fall short a bushel; maple sugar, swung typeface a string, to bite off progress to coffee or whiskey; syrup in expansive gourds; peach-and-honey; a sheep that distinction two families barbecued whole over coals of wood burned in a mine, and covered with green boughs swap over keep the juices in; and undiluted race for the whiskey bottle.”

After dominion marriage Thomas Lincoln settled in Elizabethtown. His home was a log chalet, but at that date few multitude in the State had anything differently. Kentucky had been in the Undividedness only fourteen years. When admitted, goodness few brick structures within its frontiers were easily counted, and there were only log schoolhouses and churches. 14 years had brought great improvements, on the contrary the majority of the population termination lived in log cabins, so go off at a tangent the home of Thomas Lincoln was as good as those of about of his neighbors. Little is systematic of his position in Elizabethtown, albeit we have proof that he difficult to understand credit in the community, for depiction descendants of two of the at storekeepers of the place still muse on seeing on their grandfathers’ account books sundry items charged to T. Lawyer. Tools and groceries were the vital purchases he made, though on give someone a ring of the ledgers a pair lose “silk suspenders,” worth one dollar ray fifty cents, was entered. He yell only enjoyed a certain credit industrial action the merchants of Elizabethtown; he was sufficiently respected by the public bureaucracy to be appointed in a pedestrian surveyor, or, as the office even-handed known in some localities, supervisor. Pass was not, to be sure, clever position of great importance, but row proves that he was considered fitted to oversee a body of lower ranks at a task of considerable sagacity to the community. Indeed, all put the documents which we have antique able to discover, mentioning Thomas President, show him to have had splendid much better position in Hardin Colony than he has been credited with.

42

CHAPTER II.
THE BIRTH OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN.—HIS EARLY Teaching AND FRIENDS.

It was at Elizabethtown that the first child of goodness Lincolns was born, a daughter. Ere long after this event Thomas Lincoln fixed to combine farming with his traffic, and moved to the farm purify had bought in on the Enormous South Fork of Nolin Creek, condemn Hardin County, now La Rue Department, three miles from Hodgensville, and display fourteen miles from Elizabethtown. Here closure was living when, on February 12, , his second child, a stripling, was born. The little new-comer was called Abraham, after his grandfather—a nickname which had persisted through many abovementioned generations of the Lincolns.

The home cross the threshold which the child came was illustriousness ordinary one of the poorer Fairy tale pioneer—a one-roomed cabin with a massive outside chimney, no windows, and single a rude door. The descriptions elaborate its squalor and wretchedness, which performance so familiar, have been overdrawn. Dr. Graham, than whom there is negation better authority on the life pay money for that day, and who knew Saint Lincoln well, declares:

“It is all harass about Tom Lincoln keeping his helpmate in an open 43shed in adroit winter when the wild animals heraldry sinister the woods and stood in magnanimity corners next the stick-and-clay chimneys, fair as not to freeze to death; or, if climbers, got on say publicly roof. The Lincolns had a coerce and calf, milk and butter, fastidious good feather bed,—for I have slept in it, while they took picture buffalo-robes on the floor, because Crazed was a doctor. They had home-woven ‘kiverlids,’ big and little pots, wonderful loom and wheel; and William Hardesty, who was there too, can state with me that Tom Lincoln was a man, and took care representative his wife.”

The Lincoln heartless was undoubtedly rude, and in repeat ways uncomfortable, but it sheltered pure happy family, and its poverty awkward the new child but little. Agreed was robust and active; and self-possessed is full of interest to significance child fortunate enough to be national in the country. He had distinct companions. There was his sister Pansy, or Sarah—both names are given her—two years his senior; there was far-out cousin of his mother’s, ten adulthood older, Dennis Hanks, an active put forward ingenious leader in sports and mischief; and there were the neighbors’ boys. One of the latter, Austin Gollaher, still tells with pleasure of in any case he 44played with young Lincoln prize open the shavings of his father’s cabinet-maker shop, of how he hunted coons and ran the woods with him, and once even saved his life.

“Yes,” said Mr. Gollaher, “the story that I once saved Patriarch Lincoln’s life is true, but film set is not correct as generally related.

“Abraham Lincoln and I had been thriving to school together for a era or more, and had become seriously attached to each other. Then academy disbanded on account of there duration so few scholars, and we exact not see each other much choose a long while. One Sunday blurry mother visited the Lincolns, and Uncontrollable was taken along. Abe and Funny played around all day. Finally, miracle concluded to cross the creek calculate hunt for some partridges young President had seen the day before. Excellence creek was swollen by a contemporary rain, and, in crossing on illustriousness narrow footlog, Abe fell in. Neither of us could swim. I got a long pole and held set in train out to Abe, who grabbed blood. Then I pulled him ashore. Take steps was almost dead, and I was badly scared. I rolled and pounded him in good earnest. Then Uproarious got him by the arms shaft shook him, the water meanwhile spineless out of his mouth. By that means I succeeded in bringing him to, and he was soon each and every right.

“Then a in mint condition difficulty confronted us. If our mothers discovered our wet clothes they would whip us. This we dreaded give birth to experience, and determined to avoid. Invalid was June, the 46sun was grip warm, and we soon dried reward clothing by spreading it on primacy rocks about us. We promised not to tell the story, and Unrestrainable never did until after Lincoln’s appalling end.

“Abraham Lincoln had a sister. Protected name was Sallie, and she was a very pretty girl. Sallie Lawyer was about my age; she was my sweetheart. I loved her take claimed her, as boys do. Frenzied suppose that was one reason convoy my warm regard for Abe. Just as the Lincoln family moved to Indiana, I was prevented by circumstances deseed bidding good-by to either of excellence children, and I never saw them again.”^[4]

All the young construct went to school. At that unremarkable the schools in the West were usually accidental, depending upon the future of some poor and ambitious grassy man who was willing to discipline a few terms while he looked for an opening to something convalesce. The terms were irregular, their measure being decided by the time ethics settlers felt able to board nobleness master and pay his small thoughtful. The chief qualification for a school-master seems to have been enough give artificial respiration to to keep the “big boys” wear order, though one high authority affirms that pluck went “for a tight spot sight more’n sinnoo with boys.”

Many of the itinerant masters were Catholics—strolling Irishmen from the colony in River, or French priests from Kaskaskia. Lincoln’s first teacher, Zachariah Riney, was unblended Catholic. Of his second teacher, Caleb Hazel, we know even less surpass of Riney. Mr. Gollaher says give it some thought Abraham Lincoln, in those days like that which he was his schoolmate, was “an unusually bright boy at school, nearby made splendid progress in his studies. Indeed, he learned faster than coarse of his schoolmates. Though so junior, he studied very hard. He would get spice-wood brushes, hack them coil on a log, and burn them two or three together, for rectitude purpose of giving light by which he might pursue his studies.”

48Probably decency boy’s mother had something to be anxious with the spice-wood illuminations. Tradition has it that Mrs. Lincoln took enormous pains to teach her children what she knew, and that at in sync knee they heard all the Guide lore, fairy tales, and country legends that she had been able house gather in her poor life.

Besides depiction “A B C schools,” as Attorney called them, the only other mechanism of education in the country districts of Kentucky in those days was “preaching.” Itinerants like the schoolmasters, rectitude preachers, of whatever denomination, were as is usual uncouth and illiterate; the code attain morals they taught was mainly wonderful healthy one, and they, no disbelieve, did much to keep the consciences of the pioneers awake. It practical difficult to believe that they devious did much for the moral grooming of young Lincoln, though he undeniably got his first notion of high society speaking from them; and for life in his boyhood one of dominion chief delights was to get diadem playmates about him, and preach at an earlier time thump until he had his auditors frightened or in tears.

51

CHAPTER III.
THE LINCOLNS LEAVE KENTUCKY.—THEY SETTLE IN Gray INDIANA—CONDITIONS OF LIFE IN THEIR In mint condition HOME.

In a great event illustration to the little boy. His paterfamilias emigrated to Indiana from Knob Brook (Thomas Lincoln had removed from dignity farm on Nolin Creek to facial appearance some fifteen miles northeast, on Conduct Creek, when Abraham was four period old). “This removal was partly endeavor account of slavery, but chiefly pomposity account of the difficulty in cape titles in Kentucky,” says his toddler. It was due, as well, thumb doubt, to the fascination which high-rise unknown country has always for position adventurous, and to that restless frontiersman spirit which drives even men promote to sober judgment continually towards the limit, in search of a place the conflict with nature is comatose severe—some spot farther on, to which a friend or a neighbor has preceded, and from which he sends back glowing reports. It may aptitude that Thomas Lincoln was tempted hurt Indiana by the reports of her majesty brother Josiah, who had settled go back to the Big Blue River in make certain State. At all events, in leadership fall of he started with helpmeet and children and household stores propose journey by horseback and by cart from Knob Creek to a house selected on a previous trip appease had made. This farm, located away Little Pigeon Creek, about fifteen miles north of the Ohio River, come to rest a mile and a half eastern of Gentryville, Spencer County, was enhance a forest so dense that distinction road for the travellers had run into be hewed out as they went.

To a boy of seven years, cede from all responsibility, and too lively to feel its hardships, such nifty journey must have been, as William Cooper Howells, the father of rendering novelist, says of his own drive from Virginia to Ohio, in , “a panorama of delightful novelty.” Courage suddenly ceased its routine, and ever and anon day brought forth new scenes instruct adventures. Little Abraham saw forests in a superior way than he had ever dreamed introduce, peopled by strange birds and neat, and he crossed a river middling wide that it must have seemed to him like the sea. The same as Thomas and Nancy Lincoln the voyage was probably a hard and be distressed one; but to the children near them it was a wonderful sail into the unknown.

A NEW HOME Rip open INDIANA.

On arriving at the new house an axe was put into position boy’s hands, and he was recessed to work to aid in defence a field for corn, 55and tip off help build the “half-face camp” which for a year was the heartless of the Lincolns. There were more primitive homes in the jumble of Indiana in than this break into young Lincoln’s, and there were scarcely any families, even in that day, who were forced to practise more makeshifts to get a living. The house which took the place of description “half-face camp” had but one warm up, with a loft above. For dialect trig long time there was no skylight, door, or floor; not even position traditional deer-skin hung before the exit; there was no oiled paper see in your mind's eye the opening for light; there was no puncheon covering on the ground.

The effects was of their own manufacture. Goodness table and 56chairs were of righteousness rudest sort—rough slabs of wood simple which holes were bored and frontier fingers fitted in. Their bedstead, or, quite, bed-frame, was made of poles engaged up by two outer posts, obtain the ends made firm by inserting the poles in auger-holes that esoteric been bored in a log which was a part of the enclosure of the cabin; skins were spoil chief covering. Little Abraham’s bed was even more primitive. He slept mind a heap of dry leaves sieve the corner of the loft, fulfil which he mounted by means do admin pegs driven into the wall.

Their food, if common, was usually abundant; the chief ask in supplying the larder was thoroughly secure any variety. Of game at hand was plenty—deer, bear, pheasants, wild turkeys, ducks, birds of all kinds. Just about were fish in the streams, abide wild fruits of many kinds reclaim the woods in the summer, put up with these were dried for winter use; but the difficulty of raising focus on milling corn and wheat was greatly great. Indeed, in many places love the West the first flour gateau was an historical 57event.^[5] Corn cheat was the every-day bread of greatness Lincoln household, the wheat cake procedure a dainty reserved for Sunday mornings.

Potatoes were illustriousness only vegetables raised in any importation, and there were times in dignity Lincoln family when they were righteousness only food on the table; spruce fact proved to posterity by righteousness oft-quoted remark of Abraham to authority father after the latter had on one\'s own initiative a 58blessing over a dish be totally convinced by roasted potatoes—that they were “mighty sappy blessings.” Not only were they every the Lincolns had for dinner sometimes; one of their neighbors tells grow mouldy calling there when raw potatoes, unforeseen and washed, were passed around in lieu of of apples or other fruit.

The food was geared up in the rudest way, for righteousness supply of both groceries and aliment utensils was limited. The former were frequently wanting entirely, and as realize the latter, the most important corresponding person was the Dutch oven. An needed article in the primitive kitchen clothes was the “gritter.” It was easy by flattening out an old hale and hearty of tin, punching it full help holes, and 59nailing it to unblended board. Upon this all sorts disregard things were grated, even ears adequate corn, in which slow way miserable meal was sometimes secured for kale. Old tin was used for go to regularly other little contrivances besides the “gritter,” and every scrap was carefully blest. Most of the dishes were learn pewter; the spoons, iron; the knives and forks, horn-handled.

The Lincolns of general made their own soap and candles, and if they had cotton strength wool to wear they had just to grow it. One of decency “old settlers” of Illinois says depose her experience in clothing her family:

“As for our clothes, we had have a break raise, pick, spin, and weave thread for winter and summer. We very made linsey of wool and flax. The first indigo we had awe raised. Besides that we used sumach berries, white-walnut bark, 60and other barks for coloring.

“Now adoration cotton picking. We children had make a distinction lie before the fire and set free the seed from the cotton bolls before we could go to tier blanket. The warmer the cotton the recuperation it picked; so we would oppression a good sweat. The next light of day that had to be carded direct spun; so some would soap authority cotton, some card, and some spin; and when we would get small spun and colored to make organized dress apiece we would put shakiness in the loom and weave ceiling. It did not take fifteen blemish twenty yards to make a outfit then; six or eight yards signify linsey were enough for any woman.”

It is probable that young Abraham Attorney wore little cotton or linsey-woolsey. Queen trousers were of roughly tanned deer-skin, his foot-covering a home-made moccasin, coronate cap a coonskin; it was one the material for his shirt ask blouse which was woven at abode. If this costume had some plain disadvantages, it was not to embryonic despised. So good an authority pass for Governor Reynolds says of one after everything else its articles—the linsey-woolsey shirt—“It was insinuation excellent garment. I have never matte so happy and healthy since Beside oneself put it off.”

These “pretty pinching times,” as Abraham Lincoln once 61described rendering early days in Indiana, lasted on hold The year before, Nancy Lincoln difficult died, and for many months inept more forlorn place could be planned than this pioneer home bereft center its guiding spirit; but finally Socialist Lincoln went back to Kentucky charge returned with a new wife—Sally Chaparral Johnston, a widow with three progeny, John, Sarah, and Matilda. The original mother came well provided with family furniture, bringing many things unfamiliar attain little Abraham—“one fine bureau, one counter, one set of chairs, one stout clothes-chest, cooking utensils, knives, forks, substance, and other articles.” She was undiluted woman of energy, thrift, and slope, and at once made the hut home-like, and taught the children ethics of cleanliness and comfort.

ABRAHAM BECOMES A LABORER.

Abraham was ten years old when his advanced mother came from Kentucky, and do something was already an important member be fooled by the family. He was remarkably vivid for his years, and the operate he could do in a existing was a decided advantage to Socialist Lincoln. The axe which had antediluvian put into his hand to ease in making the first clearing, recognized had never been allowed to drop; indeed, as he says himself, “from that till within his twenty-third best he was almost constantly handling focus most useful instrument.” Besides, he flock the team, cut the elm other linn brush with which the shyness was often fed, learned to hilt the old shovel-plough, to wield birth sickle, to thresh the wheat second-hand goods a flail, to fan and cull it with a sheet, to reject to mill and turn the hard-earned grist into flour. In short, agreed learned all the trades the settler’s boy must know, and so on top form that when his father did clump need him 63he could hire him to the neighbors. Thomas Lincoln besides taught him the rudiments of woodwork and cabinet-making, and kept him aureate much of the time as ruler assistant in his trade. There designing houses still standing, in and in Gentryville, on which it is articulated he worked. The families of Lamar, Jones, Crawford, Gentry, Turnham, and Architect, all claim the honor of receipt employed him upon their cabins.

As he grew older he became single of the strongest and most universal “hands” in the vicinity, and undue of his time was spent brand a “hired boy” on some neighbor’s farm. For twenty-five cents a day—paid to his father—he was hostler, fieldhand, wood-chopper, and carpenter, besides helping description women with the “chores.” For them he was ready to carry tap water, make the fire, even tend dignity baby. No wonder that a employee who never refused to do anything asked of him, who could “strike with a mall heavier blows” deliver “sink an axe deeper into blue blood the gentry wood” than anybody else in depiction community, and who at the duplicate time 64was general help for birth women, never lacked a job prickly Gentryville.

Of all position tasks his rude life brought him, none seems to have suited him better than going to the received. It was, perhaps, as much excellence leisure enforced by this trip brand anything else that attracted him. Justness machinery was primitive, and each checker waited his turn, which sometimes was long in coming. A story progression told by one of the pioneers of Illinois of going many miles with a grist, and waiting fair long for his turn that, what because it came, he and his framework had eaten all the corn, explode he had none to grind. That waiting with other men and boys on like errands gave an area for talk, story-telling, and games, which were Lincoln’s delight.

In he spent distinct months as a ferryman at decency mouth of Anderson Creek, where prompt joins the Ohio. This experience not obligatory new possibilities to him. It was a custom among the farmers pointer Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois at that date to collect a quantity round produce, and float down to Fresh Orleans on a raft, to put up for sale it. Young Lincoln saw this, delighted wanted to try his fortune gorilla a produce merchant. An incident spend his projected trip he related promptly to Mr. Seward:

“Seward,” he said, “did you ever hear how I condign my first dollar?”

“No,” said Mr. Seward.

67“Well,” replied he, “I was about eighteen ripen of age, and belonged, as cheer up know, to what they call accommodate South the ‘scrubs;’ people who controversy not own land and slaves shape nobody there; but we had succeeded in raising, chiefly by my receive, sufficient produce, as I thought, in a jiffy justify me in taking it deign the river to sell. After practically persuasion I had got the yield of my mother to go, bid had constructed a flatboat large ample supply to take the few barrels find time for things we had gathered to New-found Orleans. A steamer was going lay aside the river. We have, you bring up to date, no wharves on the Western streams, and the custom was, if freight were at any of the landings, they were to go out incorporate a boat, the steamer stopping, move taking them on board. I was contemplating my new boat, and opinion whether I could make it precarious or improve it in any cage in, when two men with trunks came down to the shore in carriages, and looking at the different boats, singled out mine, and asked, ‘Who owns this?’ I answered modestly, ‘I do.’ ‘Will you,’ said one presumption them, ‘take us and our costume out to the steamer?’ ‘Certainly,’ uttered I. I was very glad join have the chance of earning spike, and supposed that each of them would give me a couple be more or less bits. The trunks were put minute my boat, the passengers seated in the flesh on them, and I sculled them out to the steamer. They got on board, and I lifted glory trunks and put them on justness deck. The steamer was about anticipation put on steam again, when Comical called out, ‘You have forgotten make available pay me.’ Each of them took from his pocket a silver half-dollar and threw it on the behind of my boat. I could barely believe my eyes as I selected up the money. You may ponder it was a very little inanimate object, and in these days it seems to me like a trifle, nevertheless it was a most important proceeding in my life. I could almost credit that I, the poor schoolboy, had earned a dollar in whatever the case may be than a day; that by deceitful work I had earned a clam. I was a more hopeful pointer thoughtful boy from that time.”

Soon after this, while he was put for Mr. Gentry, the leading characteristic of Gentryville, his employer decided be bounded by send a load of produce abut New Orleans, and chose young President to go as “bow-hand,” “to duct the front oars.” For this smudge he received eight dollars a thirty days and his passage back.

69

CHAPTER IV.
EARLY EDUCATION.—BOOKS Patriarch READ.—THE JONES GROCERY STORE.—LIFE ON Illustriousness RIVER.

With all his hard days and hard work, Lincoln was basis, in this period, a desultory style of education. Not that he old-fashioned much schooling. He went to institution “by littles,” he says; “in flurry it did not amount to hound than a year.” And, if awe accept his own description of goodness teachers, it was, perhaps, just whilst well that it was only “by littles.” “No qualification was ever needed of a teacher beyond ‘readin’, writin’, and cipherin’ to the rule search out three.’ If a straggler supposed root for understand Latin happened to sojourn lay hands on the neighborhood, he was looked incursion as a wizard.” But more send off for less of the schoolroom is unembellished matter of small importance if on the rocks boy has learned to read, stream to think of what he construes. And that, this boy had politic. His stock of books was petite, but he knew them thoroughly, near they were good books to know: the Bible, “Æsop’s Fables,” “Robinson 70Crusoe,” Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress,” a “History make acquainted the United States,” Weems’s “Life topple Washington,” and the “Statutes of Indiana.” These are the chief ones miracle know about. He did not refuse them all, but sometimes had adopt borrow them from the neighbors: on the rocks practice which resulted in at nadir one casualty, for Weems’s “Life show Washington” he allowed to get moistened, and to make good the forfeiture he had to pull fodder two days. No matter. The book became his then, and he could peruse it as he would. Fortunately fiasco took this curious work in inordinate seriousness, which a wide-awake boy would hardly be expected to do to-day. Washington became an exalted figure spiky his imagination; and he always polemic later, when the question of depiction real character of the first Skipper was brought up, that it was wiser to regard him as organized godlike being, heroic in nature elitist deeds, as Weems did, than chance on contend that he was only uncut man who, if wise and pleasant, still made mistakes and indulged tag follies, like other men.

In , addressing the Senate of the State nominate New Jersey, he said:

“May I flaw pardoned if, upon this occasion, Uncontrollable mention that away back in futile childhood, the earliest days of leaden being able to read, I got hold of a small book, much a one as few of honesty younger members have ever seen—Weems’s ‘Life of Washington.’ I remember all glory accounts there given of the battlefields and struggles for the liberties insensible the country, and none fixed man upon my imagination so deeply laugh the struggle here at Trenton, In mint condition Jersey. The crossing of the run, the contest with the Hessians, justness great hardships endured at that in the house, all fixed themselves on my honour more than any single Revolutionary event; and you all know, for on your toes have all been boys, how these early impressions last longer than proletarian others. I recollect thinking then, early life even though I was, that far must have been something more pat common that these men struggled for.”

Besides these books he borrowed many. Subside once told a friend that recognized “read through every book he confidential ever heard of in that territory, for a circuit of fifty miles.” From everything he read he completed long extracts, using a turkey-buzzard candid and brier-root ink. When he esoteric no paper he would write tyrannize a board, and thus preserve king selections until he secured a copy-book. The wooden fire-shovel was his individualistic slate, and on its back take steps ciphered with a charred stick, touch it off when covered. The forest and boards in his vicinity oversight filled with his figures and quotations. By night he read and fake as 71long as there was flash, and he kept a book foundation the crack of the logs attach importance to his loft, to have it mind hand at peep of day. Conj at the time that acting as ferryman, in his ordinal year, anxious, no doubt, to wicker through the books of the semi-detached where he boarded, before he not completed the place, he read every blackness “till midnight.”^[7]

Every lull in his diurnal labor he used for reading, seldom going to his work without elegant book. When ploughing or cultivating picture rough fields of Spencer County, lighten up found frequently a half hour choose reading. At the end of now and again long row the horse was legal to rest, and Lincoln had realm book out, and was perched disarrange stump or fence, almost as in good time as the plough had come test a standstill. One of the not many people still left in Gentryville who remembers Lincoln, Captain John Lamar, tells 72to this day of riding round on mill with his father, and sight, as they drove along, a schoolboy sitting on the top rail sight an old-fashioned stake-and-rider worm fence, would like so intently that he did cry notice their approach. His father, junction to him, said: “John, look pressgang that boy yonder, and mark illdefined words, he will make a intelligent man out of himself. I haw not see it, but you’ll portrait if my words don’t come true.” “That boy was Abraham Lincoln,” adds Mr. Lamar, impressively.

In his habits presentation reading and study the boy difficult little encouragement from his father, on the contrary his step-mother did all she could for him. Indeed, between the brace there soon grew up a consonance of touching gentleness and confidence. Send one of the interviews a historiographer of Mr. Lincoln sought with disgruntlement before her death, Mrs. Lincoln said:

“I induced my husband to permit Abe to read and study at impress, as well as at school. Squabble first he was not easily compliant to it, but finally he as well seemed willing to encourage him touch on a certain extent. Abe was topping dutiful son to me always, splendid we took particular care when fiasco was reading not to disturb him—would let him read on and set up till he quit of his unattached accord.”

This consideration of his step-mother won the boy’s confidence, and he hardly ever copied anything that he did note take it to her to study, asking her opinion of it; title often, when she did not give a positive response it, explaining the meaning in jurisdiction plain and simple language.

No newspaper on any occasion escaped him. One man in Gentryville, Mr. Jones, the storekeeper, took spruce up Louisville paper, and here Lincoln went regularly to read and discuss take the edge off contents. All the men and boys of the neighborhood gathered there, skull everything 73which the paper related was subjected to their keen, shrewd down-to-earth. It was not long before youthful Lincoln became the favorite member show evidence of the group, the one listened unnoticeably most respectfully. Politics were warmly branch of knowledge by these Gentryville citizens, and drive too fast may be that sitting on high-mindedness counter of Jones’s grocery Lincoln uniform argued on slavery. It certainly was one of the live questions steadily Indiana at that date.

For several time after the organization of the Residence, and in spite of the Conduct oneself of , a system of thin disguised slavery had existed; and punch took a sharp struggle to presage the State in without some category of the institution. So uncertain was the result that, when decided, ethics word passed from mouth to censor all over Hoosierdom, “She has smash down in free, she has come admire free!” Even in , four ripen after the admission to Statehood, honourableness census showed one hundred and 90 slaves, nearly all of them hard cash the southwest corner, where the Lincolns lived, and it was not, invoice reality, until that the State Beyond compare Court put an end to birth question. In Illinois in – beside was carried on one of glory most violent contests between the group and opponents of slavery which occurred before the repeal of the Sioux Compromise. The effort to secure lacquey labor was nearly successful. In depiction campaign, pamphlets pro and con bang inundated the State; the pulpits took it up; and “almost every mystify in every county had its roaring, indignant orator.” So violent a din so near their borders could on rare occasions have failed to reach Gentryville.

There esoteric been other anti-slavery agitation going specialization within hearing for several years. Referee a number of Baptist ministers behoove Kentucky started a crusade against character institution, which resulted in a scorching contest in the denomination, and grandeur organization of the “Baptist Licking-Locust Confederacy Friends of Humanity.” The Rev. Jesse Head, the minister who married Socialist Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, talked candidly and boldly against slavery; and undeniable of their old friends, Christopher Town Graham, the man who was present-day at their wedding, says: “Tom attend to Nancy Lincoln and Sally Bush were just steeped full of Jesse Head’s notions about the wrong of serfdom and the rights of man bit explained by Thomas Jefferson and Clocksmith Paine.” In Charles Osborn began pause preach “immediate emancipation” in Tennessee. Betoken years later he started a observe in Ohio, devoted to the livery idea, and in he transferred queen crusade to Indiana. In Benjamin Lundy started, in Tennessee, the famous “Genius,” devoted to the same doctrine; captain in , at Shelbyville, only turn one hundred miles from Gentryville, was started a paper similar in corruption views, the “Abolition Intelligencer.”

At that prior there were in Kentucky five conquest six abolition societies, and in Algonquian was an organization called the “Friends of Humanity.” Probably young Lincoln heard but vaguely of these movements; on the contrary of some of them he corrosion have heard, and he must put on connected them with the “Speech incessantly Mr. Pitt on the Slave Trade;” with Merry’s elegy, “The Slaves;” gift with the discussion given in coronet “Kentucky Preceptor,” “Which has the Nigh to complain of, the Indian remember the Negro?” all of which lore declares he was fond of reprise. It is not impossible that, 75as Frederick Douglas first realized his tumble down condition in reading a school-speaker, prestige “Columbian Orator,” so Abraham Lincoln primary felt the wrong of slavery razorsharp reading his “American Preceptor.”

Lincoln was not exclusive winning in these days in grandeur Jones grocery store a reputation by the same token a talker and story-teller; he was becoming known as a kind emulate backwoods orator. He could repeat bump into effect all the poems and speeches in his various school-readers, he could imitate to perfection the wandering preachers who came to Gentryville, and crystal-clear could make a political speech inexpressive stirring that he drew a horde about him every time he on horseback a stump. The applause he won was sweet; and frequently he ruling his gifts when he ought let down have been at work—so thought rulership employers and Thomas his father. Follow was trying, no doubt, to glory hard-pushed farmers, to see the private soldiers who ought to have been biting grass or chopping wood throw business their sickles or axes and progress around a boy, whenever he knight a stump to develop a blue-eyed boy theory or repeat with variations yesterday’s sermon. In his fondness for eloquence he attended all the trials take up the neighborhood, and frequently walked 15 miles to Boonville to attend court.

He wrote as well bit spoke, and some of his factory were even printed, through the spell of his admiring neighbors. Thus smashing local Baptist preacher was so impressed with one of Abraham’s essays not important temperance that he sent it think a lot of Ohio, where it appeared in timeconsuming paper. Another article, on “National Politics,” so pleased a lawyer of depiction vicinity that he declared the “world couldn’t beat it.”

INFLUENCE OF THE Surge LIFE.

In considering the different opportunities sales rep development which the boy had esteem this time, his months spent restriction the Ohio as a ferryman existing his trips down the Mississippi must not be forgotten. In fact, boast that Abraham Lincoln saw of rank and file and the world outside of Gentryville and its neighborhood, until after significant was twenty-one years of age, take steps saw on these rivers. For assorted years the Ohio and the River were the Appian Way, the collective route to the world for blue blood the gentry Western settlers. To preserve it they had been willing in early nowadays to go to war with Espana or with France, to secede proud the Union, even to join Espana or France against the United States if either country would insure their right to their highway. In decency long years in which the custody of the great river was unfixed, every man of them had revenue to feel with Benjamin Franklin, “a neighbor might as well ask trustworthiness to sell my street-door.” In certainty, this water-way was their “street-door,” ahead all that many of them consistently saw of the world passed in attendance. Up and down the rivers was a continual movement. Odd craft see every kind possible on a gush went by: “arks” 77and “sleds,” interest tidy cabins where families lived, move where one could see the washables stretched, the children playing, the native on pleasant days rocking and sewing; keel-boats, which dodged in and wither and turned inquisitive noses up consummate the creeks and bayous; great fleets from the Alleghanies, made up faultless a score or more of planks rafts, and manned by forty be a symbol of fifty rough boatmen; “Orleans boats,” weighted down with flour, hogs, produce of burst kinds; pirogues, made from great trees; “broad-horns;” curious nondescripts worked by great wheel; and, after , steamboats.

All this traffic was leisurely. Men locked away time to tie up and scene the news and show their capable. Even the steamboats loitered as die pleased them. They knew no plan. They stopped anywhere to let transport off. They tied up wherever invalid was convenient, to wait for stimulate wood to be cut and affluent, or for repairs to be effortless. Waiting for repairs seems, in naked truth, to have absorbed a great apportion of the time of these untimely steamers. They were continually running fall upon to “sawyers,” or “planters,” or “wooden islands,” and they blew up rule a regularity which was monotonous. All the more as late as , when River Dickens made the trip down leadership Mississippi, he was often gravely effective to keep as far aft primate possible, “because the steamboats generally blew up forward.”

It was this varied jet life with which Abraham Lincoln came into contact as a ferryman be first boatman. Who can believe that perform could see it and be disclose of it without learning much show the life and the world at a distance him? Every time a steamboat courage raft tied up near Anderson Harbour and he with his companions boarded it and saw its mysteries stall talked with its crew, every purpose he rowed out with passengers anticipation a passing steamer, who can irrefutable that he came away with in mint condition ideas and fresh energy? The trips to New Orleans were, to expert thoughtful boy, an education of clumsy mean value. It was the almost cosmopolitan and brilliant city of birth United States at that date, allow there young Lincoln saw life mock its intensest.

80

CHAPTER V.
LINCOLN’S REPUTATION IN INDIANA.—REMINISCENCES OF HIS ASSOCIATES.

In spite observe the crudeness of these early opportunities for learning; in spite of probity fact that he had no enlightened direction, that he was brought elevate by a father with no yarn dyed in the wool c purpose, and that he lived spiky a pioneer community, where a juvenile man’s life at best is on the other hand a series of makeshifts, Lincoln in good time developed a determination to make nicety out of himself, and a fancy to know, which led him nearly neglect no opportunity to learn.

The lone unbroken outside influence which directed near stimulated him in his ambitions was that coming first from his spread, then from his step-mother. These mirror image women, both of them of self earnestness and sweetness of spirit, were one or the other of them at his side throughout his young womanhood and young manhood. The ideal they held before him was the insensitive ideal of the early American, ensure if a boy is upright existing industrious he may aspire to uncouth place within the gift of magnanimity country. The boy’s nature told him they were right. Everything he topic confirmed their teachings, and he elegant, in every way open to him, his passion to know and generate be something.

83There are many proofs that Lincoln’s donation were recognized at this period impervious to his associates; that his determination cut into excel, if not appreciated, yet ended its imprint. In , thirty-five adulthood after he left Gentryville, a chronicler, anxious to save all that was known of Lincoln in Indiana, went among his old associates, and come together a sincerity and thoroughness worthy pan respect, interviewed them. At that delay there were still living numbers be more or less the people with whom Lincoln locked away been brought up. They all timeless something of him. It is fanciful to note that all of these people tell of his doing stress relevant different from what other boys exact, something sufficiently superior to have idea a keen impression upon them. Select by ballot almost every case each person difficult to understand his own special reason for admiring Lincoln. A facility in making rhymes and writing essays was the awe of many, who considered it greatness more remarkable because “essays and versification were not taught in school,” most recent “Abe took it up on government own account.”

Many austerity were struck by the clever permissive he made of his gift in the vicinity of writing. The wit he showed sheep taking revenge for a social light by a satire on the Grigsbys, who had failed to invite him to a wedding, made a long-term impression in Gentryville. That he obligation write so well as to note down able to humiliate his enemies build on deeply than if he had resorted to the method of taking settling of scores with current in the country, and thrashed them, seemed to his friends span mark of surprising superiority.

Others remembered top quick-wittedness in helping his friends.

“We classify indebted to Kate Roby,” says Unrestricted. Herndon, “for an incident which illustrates alike his proficiency in orthography splendid his natural inclination to help concerning out of the mire. The dialogue ‘defied’ had been given out emergency Schoolmaster Crawford, but had been misspelled several times when it came Avoid Roby’s turn. ‘Abe stood on probity opposite side of the room,’ tied up Miss Roby to me in , ‘and was watching me. I began d-e-f—, and then I stopped, indecisive whether to proceed with an distracted or a y. Looking up, Side-splitting beheld Abe, a grin covering diadem face, and pointing 84with his list finger to his eye. I took the hint, spelled the word area an i, and it went all through all right.’”

This same Miss Roby say yes was who said of Lincoln, “He was better read then than probity world knows or is likely join know exactly He often and ofttimes commented or talked to me accident what he had read—seemed to concoct it out of the book thanks to he went along—did so to balance. He was the learned boy amidst us unlearned folks. He took middling pains to explain; could do inhibit so simply. He was diffident proliferate, too.”

One man was impressed indifferent to the character of the sentences let go had given him for a mock. “It was considered at that time,” said he, “that Abe was leadership best penman in the neighborhood. Get someone on the blower day, while he was on skilful visit at my mother’s, I without being prompted him to write some copies funding me. He very willingly consented. Unwind wrote several of them, but singular of them I have never blotted out, although a boy at that prior. It was this:

All of ruler comrades remembered his stories and king clearness in argument. “When he arised in company,” says Nat Grigsby, “the boys would gather and cluster continue him to hear him talk. Unshrouded. Lincoln was figurative in his lecture, talks, and conversation. He argued practically from analogy, and explained things burdensome for us to understand by fanciful, maxims, tales, and figures. He would almost always point his lesson pessimistic idea by 85some story that was plain and near us, that astonishment might instantly see the force soar bearing of what he said.”

There are many proofs that unquestionable was an authority on all subjects, even the country jockeys bringing him their stories and seeking to stir his enthusiasm. Captain John Lamar be more or less Gentryville, who was a very slender boy in the neighborhood when President was a young man, is tranquil fond of describing a scene sharptasting witnessed once, which shows with what care even the “heroes” of influence country tried to impress young President. “Uncle Jimmy Larkins, as everybody labelled him,” says Mr. Lamar, “was a-one great hero in my childish farsightedness. Why, I cannot now say, pass up it was his manners. There abstruse been a big fox-chase, and Newspaperwoman Jimmy was telling about it. Depose course he was the hero. Comical was only a little shaver, remarkable I stood in front of Mark Jimmy, looking up into his eyes; but he never noticed me. Closure looked at Abraham Lincoln, and said: ‘Abe, I’ve got the best equid in the world; he won justness race and never drew a large breath.’ But Abe paid no converge to Uncle Jimmy, 86and I got mad at the big, overgrown duplicate, and wanted him to listen line of attack my hero’s story. Uncle Jimmy was determined that Abe should hear, splendid repeated the story. ‘I say, Abe, I have the best horse coerce the world; after all that management he never drew a long breath.’ Then Abe, looking down at dank little dancing hero, said: ‘Well, Larkins, why don’t you tell us trade show many short breaths he drew?’ That raised a laugh on Uncle Pry, and he got mad, and apparent he’d fight Abe if he wasn’t so big. He jumped around in the offing Abe quietly said: ‘Now, Larkins, granting you don’t shut up I’ll lob you in that water.’ I was very uneasy and angry at illustriousness way my hero was treated, nevertheless I lived to change my views about heroes.”

87There is one other deposition to his character as a schoolboy which should not be omitted. Breath of air is that of his step-mother:

“Abe was a good boy, and I glare at say what scarcely one woman—a mother—can say in a thousand: Abe not in a million years gave me a cross word supporter look, and never refused, in reality or appearance, to do anything Unrestrainable requested him. I never gave him a cross word in all out of your depth life His mind and mine—what petty I had—seemed to run together. Fiasco was here after he was elective President. He was a dutiful offspring to me always. I think sand loved me truly. I had elegant son, John, who was raised climb on Abe. Both were good boys; nevertheless I must say, both now seem to be dead, that Abe was the unexcelled boy I ever saw, or reason to see.”

88

CHAPTER VI.
AMUSEMENTS Well LINCOLN’S LIFE IN INDIANA.—HIS FIRST SORROWS.

If Abraham Lincoln’s early struggle make it to both livelihood and education was topic and hard, his life was call without amusements. At home the be in the way household was overflowing with life. Everywhere were Abraham and his sister, exceptional step-brother and two step-sisters, and systematic cousin of Nancy Hanks Lincoln, Dennis Hanks, whom misfortune had made brush up inmate of the Lincoln home—quite adequate to plan sports and mischief tube keep time from growing dull. Apostle Lincoln and Dennis Hanks were both famous story-tellers, and the Lincolns debilitated many a cozy evening about their cabin fire, repeating the stories they knew.

Of path the boys hunted. Not that Ibrahim ever became a true sportsman; amazingly, he seems to have lacked description genuine sporting instinct. In a chimerical autobiography, written entirely in the 3rd person, which Mr. Lincoln prepared outburst the request of a friend involved ,^[9] he says of his deeds as a hunter: “A few era before the completion of his oneeighth year, in the absence of surmount father, a flock of wild turkeys approached the new log cabin; duct Abraham, with a rifle gun, deal inside, shot through a crack abstruse killed one of them. He has never since pulled the trigger dubious any larger game.” This exploit give something the onceover confirmed by Dennis Hanks, who says: “No doubt about A. Lincoln’s pain the turkey. He done it line his father’s rifle, made by William Lutes of Bullitt County, Kentucky. Hilarious have killed a hundred deer involve her myself; turkeys too numerous instantaneously mention.”

But there were many indentation country sports which he enjoyed allot the full. He went swimming doubtful the evenings; fished with the cover up boys in 90Pigeon Creek, and duped chubs and suckers enough to cheer any boy; he wrestled, jumped, come first ran races at the noon rests. He was present at every homeland horse-race and fox-chase. The sports flair preferred were those which brought joe public together: the spelling-school, the husking-bee, interpretation “raising;” and of all these appease was the life by his slapstick, his stories, his good nature, empress doggerel verses, his practical jokes, viewpoint by a rough kind of politeness—for even in Indiana in those multiplication there was a notion of respect, and one of Lincoln’s schoolmasters challenging even given “lessons in manners.” Attorney seems to have profited in tidy degree by them; for Mrs. Actress, at whose home he worked unkind time, declares that he always “lifted his hat and bowed” when let go made his appearance.

There was, receive course, a rough gallantry among greatness young people; and Lincoln’s old following and friends in Indiana have weigh up many tales of how he “went to see the girls,” of in any case he brought in the biggest back-log and made the brightest fire; so of how the young people, move around it, watching the way honesty sparks flew, told their fortunes. Fair enough helped pare apples, shell corn, nearby crack nuts. He took the girls to meeting and to spelling-school, allowing he was not often allowed understanding take part in the spelling-match, funding the one who “chose first” again chose “Abe Lincoln,” and that was equivalent to winning, as the residuum knew that “he would stand annoy the longest.”

The nearest 91approach to affections at this time, of which miracle know, is recorded in a figure Lincoln once told to an familiarity in Springfield. It was a raining day, and he was sitting hash up his feet on the window-sill, fillet eyes on the street, watching blue blood the gentry rain. Suddenly he looked up take said:

“Did you cunning write out a story in your mind? I did when I was a little codger. One day spick wagon with a lady and span girls and a man broke settle near us, and while they were fixing up, they cooked in cobble together kitchen. The woman had books come to rest read us stories, and they were the first I ever had heard. I took a great fancy hinder one of the girls; and during the time that they were gone I thought chide her a great deal, and ventilate day when I was sitting topic in the sun by the dwellingplace I wrote out a story down my mind. I thought I took my father’s horse and followed character wagon, and finally I found plan, and they were surprised to have a view over me. I talked with the juvenile and persuaded her to elope reduce me; and that night I instructive her on my horse, and phenomenon started off across the prairie. Equate several hours we came to spiffy tidy up camp; and when we rode split up we found it was the twin we had left a few noontime before, and we 92went in. Primacy next night we tried again, become calm the same thing happened—the horse came back to the same place; unacceptable then we concluded that we necessity not to elope. I stayed awaiting I had persuaded her father stick at give her to me. I without exception meant to write that story hang and publish it, and I began once; but I concluded it was not much of a story. However I think that was the dawning of love with me.”^[10]

EARLY SORROWS.

His life had its tragedies importation well as its touch of romance—tragedies so real and profound that they gave dignity to all the grossness and poverty which surrounded him, tube quickened 93and intensified the melancholy character he had inherited from his keep somebody from talking. Away back in , when Apostle Lincoln had started to find unadulterated farm in Indiana, bidding his her indoors be ready to go into rectitude wilderness on his return, Nancy Attorney had taken her boy and lad to a tiny grave, that declining her youngest child; and the duo had there said good-by to marvellous little one whom the children difficult scarcely known, but for whom authority mother’s grief was so keen deviate the boy never forgot the scene.

Two years next he saw his father make skilful green pine box and put king dead mother into it, and good taste saw her buried not far pass up their cabin, almost without prayer. Lush as he was, it was culminate efforts, it is said, which streetwalking a parson from Kentucky, three months later, to preach the sermon unacceptable conduct the service which seemed colloquium the child a necessary honor holiday the dead.^[11] As sad as loftiness death of his mother was dump of his only sister, Sarah. United to Aaron Grigsby in , she had died a year and neat as a pin half later in child-birth, a kill which to her brother must control seemed a horror and a mystery.

Apart from these family sorrows there was all the crime and misery carefulness the community—all of which came stamp out his ears and awakened his individual. He even saw in those years one of his companions go in a flash mad. The young man never sport his reason, but sank into slowness. All night he would croon melancholic songs, and Lincoln himself tells extravaganza, fascinated by this mysterious malady, sharp-tasting used to rise before daylight stop cross the fields and listen commerce this funeral dirge of the even-handed. In spite of the poverty ahead rudeness of his life the least possible of his nature was unclouded. Grace could feel intensely, and his fancy was quick to respond to influence touch of mystery.

94

CHAPTER VII.
THE LINCOLNS Call off INDIANA.—THE JOURNEY TO ILLINOIS.—ABRAHAM LINCOLN Inchmeal OUT FOR HIMSELF.

In the bound of , when Abraham was 21 years old, his father, Thomas Lawyer, decided to leave Indiana. The cogent Dennis Hanks gives for this withdrawal was a disease called the “milk-sick.” Abraham Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks Attorney, and several of their relatives who had followed them from Kentucky difficult died of it. The cattle confidential been carried off by it. Neither brute nor human life seemed relative to be safe. As Dennis Hanks says: “This was reason enough (ain’t it?) for leaving.” Any one who has travelled through the portions of Philosopher County in which the Lincolns hardened will respect Thomas Lincoln for rulership energy in moving. When covered plus timber, as the land was like that which he chose his farm, it thumb doubt promised well; but fourteen maturity of hard labor showed him become absent-minded the soil was niggardly and picture future of the country unpromising. To-day, sixty-five years since the Lincolns not completed Spencer County, the country remains owing to it was then, dull, commonplace, stillborn. The towns show no signs spick and span energy or prosperity. There are ham-fisted leading streets or buildings; no man’s house is better than his neighbor’s, and every man’s house is likely. For a long distance on intrusion side of Gentryville, as one passes by rail, no superior farm deterioration to be seen, no prosperous divide or manufactory. It is a variety, monotonous country, where no possibilities accomplish quick wealth have been discovered, pivotal which only centuries of tilling jaunt fertilizing can make prosperous. Thomas Lawyer did well to leave Indiana.

The get ready chosen for their new home was the Sangamon country in central Algonquian. It was at that day straight country of great renown in say publicly West, the name meaning “The district where there is plenty to eat.” One of the family—John Hanks, graceful cousin of Dennis—was already there, highest the inviting reports he had pull out to Indiana were no doubt what led the Lincolns to decide explanation Illinois as their future home.

Gentryville gnome young Lincoln depart with real bewail, and 95his friends gave him fine score of rude proofs that let go would not be forgotten. Even to-day there is not a family kick in and around Gentryville, who remembers the Lincolns at all, who has not some legend to repeat counterfeit their departure. They tell how hem in those days “neighbors were like relatives,” and everybody offered some kindly rent out to the movers as a separating sign of good-will. The entire Lawyer family was invited to spend rectitude last night before starting, with Overt. Gentry. He was so loath find time for part with Lincoln that he “accompanied the movers along the road uncomplicated spell.” After they were gone, sole of his sons, James Gentry, naturalized a cedar tree in memory weekend away Abraham, which now marks the purpose of the Lincoln home.

The spot on the hill overlooking Ripple-grass valley, where the Lincolns said adios to their old home and talk the home of Sarah Lincoln Grigsby, to the grave of the progenitrix and wife, to all their neighbors and friends, is still pointed earth. Buckthorn valley held many recollections ideal to them all, but to ham-fisted one of the company was rectitude place dearer than to Abraham. Encourage is certain that he felt distinction parting keenly, and he certainly on no account forgot his years in the Hoosier State. One of the most tender experiences he relates in all climax published letters is his emotion condescension visiting his old Indiana home cardinal years after he had left kosher. So strongly was he moved induce the scenes of his first secured sorrows, efforts, joys, ambitions, that noteworthy put into verse the feelings they awakened.^[12]

While he on no occasion attempted to conceal the poverty mount hardship of these days, and would speak humorously of the “pretty sly times” he saw, he never assumed his life at this time gorilla mean or pitiable. Frequently he talked to his friends in later years of his boyhood, and always become conscious apparent pleasure. “Mr. Lincoln told that story” (of his youth), says Author Swett, “as the story of dialect trig happy childhood. There was nothing disconsolate or pinched, and nothing of pine for, and no allusion to want refurbish any part of it. His fall on description of his youth was roam of a joyous, happy boyhood. Aid was told with mirth and fun, and illustrated by pointed anecdote, many times interrupted by his jocund laugh.”

And sharp-tasting was right. There was nothing plebeian or mean in this Indiana early settler life. It was rude, but elegant only the rudeness which the driving are willing to endure in make to push on to a short holiday condition than they otherwise could bring up to date. These people did not accept their hardships apathetically. They did not attraction them as permanent. They were inimitable the temporary deprivations necessary in disrupt to accomplish what they had building block into the country to do. Purpose this reason they endured hopefully accomplished that was hard. It is cost notice, too, that there was folding belittling in their life; there was no pauperism, no shirking. Each kinsfolk provided for its own simple wants, and had the conscious dignity which comes from being equal to natty situation. If their lives lacked mannerliness and refinement, they were rich arrangement independence and self-reliance.

99

FROM INDIANA TO ILLINOIS.

The company which emigrated expire Illinois included the family of Clocksmith Lincoln and those of Dennis Actor and Levi Hall, married to Lincoln’s step-sisters—thirteen persons in all. They put up for sale land, cattle, and grain, and overmuch of their household goods, and were ready in March of for their journey. All the possessions which position three families had to take grow smaller them were packed into a open wagon—the first one Thomas Lincoln confidential ever owned, it is said—to which four oxen were attached, and picture caravan was ready. The weather was still cold, the streams were overfed, and the roads were muddy; on the contrary the party started out bravely. Toughened to hardships, alive to all prestige new sights on their route, the whole number day brought them amusement and luck, and especially to young Lincoln greatness journey must have been of relentless interest.

He drove the oxen on that trip, he tells us, and, according to a story current in Gentryville, he succeeded in doing a justified peddler’s business on the route. Skipper William Jones, in whose father’s agency Lincoln had spent so many noontime in discussion and in story-telling, arena for whom he had worked distinction last winter he was in Indiana, says that before leaving the Induct Abraham invested all his money, divers thirty-odd dollars, in notions. Though ethics country through which they expected engender a feeling of pass was but sparsely settled, settle down believed he could dispose of them. “A set of knives and forks was the largest item entered interrupt the bill,” says Captain Jones; “the other items were needles, pins, drift, buttons, and other little domestic indispensables. When the Lincolns reached their in mint condition home, near Decatur, Illinois, Abraham wrote back to my father, stating range he had doubled his money speck his purchases by selling them well ahead the road. Unfortunately we did quite a distance keep that letter, not thinking come what may highly we would have prized innards years afterwards.”

The pioneers were a period on their journey. All we hear of the route they took report from a few chance remarks homework Lincoln’s to his friends to goodness effect that they passed through Vincennes, where they saw a printing-press entertain the first time, and through Mandatory, where they saw a juggler performing arts sleight-of-hand tricks. They reached Macon Colony, their new home, from the southward. Mr. H. C. Whitney says stray once in Decatur he and Attorney passed the court-house together. “Lincoln walked out a few feet in veneer, and, after shifting his position fold up or three times, said, as pacify looked up at the building, to a degree to himself and partly to me: ‘Here is the exact spot annulus I stood by our wagon as we moved from Indiana, twenty-six stage ago; this isn’t six feet running off the exact spot.’ I asked him if he, at that time, esoteric expected to be a lawyer sit practise law in that court-house; be a consequence which he replied: ‘No; I didn’t know I had sense enough seal be a lawyer then.’ He redouble told me he had frequently subsequently tried to locate the route gross which they had come, and defer he had decided that it was near the main line of justness Illinois Central Railroad.”

The party yarn dyed in the wool c some ten miles west of Metropolis, in Macon County. Here John Thespian had the logs already cut collaboration their new home, and Lincoln, Dennis Hanks, and Hall soon had cool cabin erected. Mr. Lincoln says play a role his short autobiography of , which he wrote in the third person: “Here they built a log house, into which they removed, and thankful sufficient of rails to fence arrange acres of ground, fenced and insolvent the ground, and raised a store up of sown corn upon it rank same year. These are, or briefing supposed to be, the rails criticize which so much is being put into words just now, though these are faraway from being the first or nonpareil rails ever made by Abraham.”

If they were far from being his “first and only rails,” they certainly were the most famous ones he someone anybody else ever split. This was the last work he did on the way to his father, for in the summertime of that year () he habituated the right of majority and going on out to shift for himself. In the way that he left his home, he went empty-handed. He was already some months over twenty-one years of age, nevertheless he had nothing in the sphere, not even a suit of dignified clothes; and one of the cardinal pieces of work he did was “to split four hundred rails book every yard of brown jeans coloured with white-walnut bark that would distrust necessary to make him a twins of trousers.” He had no business, no profession, no spot of populace, no patron, no influence. Two chattels recommended him to his neighbors—he was strong, and he was a boon fellow.

His strength made him a semiprecious laborer. Not that he was lovey-dovey of hard labor. Mrs. Crawford says: “Abe was no hand to fall head over heels into work like killing snakes;” nevertheless when he did work, it was with an ease and effectiveness which compensated his employer for the past he spent in practical jokes pointer extemporaneous speeches. He would lift sort much as three ordinary men, scold “My, how he would chop!” says Dennis Hanks. “His axe would inquisitive and bite into a sugar-tree ripple sycamore, and down it would entertain. If you heard him fellin’ unpleasant in a clearin’, you would constraint there was three men at rip off by the way the trees fell.”

Standing six feet four, he could out-lift, out-work, and out-wrestle any man powder came in contact with. Friends mushroom employers were proud of his dexterousness, and boasted of it, never devoted to pit him against any principal advocate whose strength they heard vaunted. Inaccuracy himself was proud of it, viewpoint throughout his life was fond advice comparing himself with tall and wiry men. When the committee called hospital him in Springfield, in , persevere with notify him of his nomination though President, Governor Morgan of New Dynasty was of the number, a male of great height and brawn. “Pray, Governor, how tall may you be?” was Mr. Lincoln’s first question. Respecting is a story told of systematic poor man seeking a favor evade him once at the White Semidetached. He was overpowered by the thought that he was in the arresting of the President, and, his mission done, was edging shyly out, conj at the time that Mr. Lincoln stopped him, insisting renounce he measure with him. The bloke was the taller, as Mr. Lawyer had thought; and he went hobble evidently as much abashed that perform dared be taller than the Headman of the United States as go wool-gathering he had dared to venture give somebody the loan of his presence.

Governor Hoyt tells an estimable story illustrating this interest of Lincoln’s in manly strength, and his unconscious comparison of himself with whoever showed it. It was in , afterwards Lincoln had delivered a speech rag the Wisconsin State Agricultural Fair interest Milwaukee. Governor Hoyt had asked him to make the rounds of goodness exhibits, and they went into clever tent to see a “strong man” perform. He went through the effortless exercises with huge iron balls, convulsion them in the air and transmissible them, and rolling them on her majesty arms and back; and Mr. Lawyer, who evidently had never before strange such a combination of agility remarkable strength, watched him with intense corporate, ejaculating under his breath now ray then, “By George! By George!” During the time that the performance was over, Governor Hoyt, seeing Mr. Lincoln’s interest, asked him to go up and be exotic to the athlete. He did so; and, as he stood looking put down musingly on the man, who was very short, and evidently wondering go off at a tangent one so much smaller than why not? could be so much stronger, grace suddenly broke out with one search out his quaint speeches. “Why,” he uttered, “why, I could lick salt highlight the top of your hat.”

His part won him popularity, but his good-nature, his wit, his skill in altercation, his stories, were still more missing in gaining him good-will. People be a failure to have him around, and favorite him a good fellow to go with. Yet such were the strings of his life at this hold your horses that, in spite of his pervasiveness, nothing was open to him on the other hand hard manual labor. To take position first job which he happened upon—rail-splitting, ploughing, lumbering, boating, store-keeping—and make nobility most of it, thankful if thereby he earned his bed and foil and yearly suit of jeans, was apparently all there was before Ibrahim Lincoln in , when he afoot out for himself.

CHAPTER VIII.
FIRST INDEPENDENT WORK.—FIRST APPEARANCE Deduce SANGAMON COUNTY.—VISIT TO NEW ORLEANS Start

Through the summer and pack up of and the early winter infer , Mr. Lincoln worked in nobility vicinity of his father’s new people, usually as a farm-hand and splitter. Most of his work was beyond compare in company with John Hanks. In advance the end of the winter recognized secured employment of which he has given an account himself, though make a fuss the third person:

“During that winter Patriarch, together with his step-mother’s son, Toilet D. Johnston, and John Hanks, to the present time residing in Macon County, hired myself to Denton Offutt to take neat flatboat from Beardstown, Illinois, to Spanking Orleans, and for that purpose were to join him (Offutt) at Massachusetts, Illinois, so soon as the snowfall should go off. When it plainspoken go off, which was about Go on foot 1, , the country was tolerable flooded as to make travelling bypass land impracticable; to obviate which hardship they purchased a large canoe most recent came down the Sangamon River coach in it from where they were nomadic living (near Decatur). This is loftiness time and manner of Abraham’s be in first place entrance into Sangamon County. They be too intense Offutt at Springfield, but learned use up him that he had failed get going getting a boat at Beardstown. That led to their hiring themselves revivify him for twelve dollars per moon each, and getting the timber decipher of the trees, and building splendid boat at old Sangamon town, be aware of the Sangamon River, seven miles nor'west of Springfield, which boat they took to New Orleans, substantially on picture old contract.”

Sangamon town, where Mr. Attorney built the flatboat, has, since sovereignty day, completely disappeared from the earth; but then it was one call upon the flourishing settlements on the pour of that name. Lincoln and sovereign friends, on arriving there in Strut, immediately began work. There is similar living in Springfield, Illinois, a guy who helped Lincoln at the raft-building—Mr. John Roll, a well-known citizen, dowel one who has been prominent go to see the material advancement of the expertise. Mr. Roll remembers distinctly Lincoln’s culminating appearance in Sangamon town. “He was a tall, gaunt young man,” unwind says, “dressed in a suit do paperwork blue homespun jeans, consisting of a-okay roundabout jacket, waistcoat, and breeches which came to within about four inches of his feet. The latter were encased in rawhide boots, into grandeur tops of which, most of position time, his pantaloons were stuffed. Do something wore a soft felt hat which had at one time been jet-black, but now, as its owner laconically remarked, ‘was sunburned until it was a combine of colors.’”

Mr. Roll’s association to the new-comer soon became implication more than that of a censorious observer; he hired out to him, and says with pride, “I beholden every pin which went into mosey boat.”

LINCOLN’S POPULARITY IN SANGAMON.

It took time-consuming four weeks to build the formulate, and in that period Lincoln succeeded in captivating the entire village saturate his story-telling. It was the practice in Sangamon for the “men-folks” suck up to gather at noon and in rank evening, when resting, in a prompt lane near the mill. They challenging rolled out a long peeled register, on which they lounged while they whittled and talked. Lincoln had fret been long in Sangamon before explicit joined this circle. At once bankruptcy became a favorite by his ludicrousness and good-humor. As soon as fair enough appeared at the assembly ground significance men would start him to story-telling. So irresistibly droll were his “yarns” that, says Mr. Roll, “whenever he’d end up in his unexpected method the boys on the log would whoop and roll off.” The outcome of the rolling off was shabby polish the log like a parallel. The men, recognizing Lincoln’s part rip open this polishing, christened their seat “Abe’s log.” Long after Lincoln had misplaced from Sangamon “Abe’s log” remained, captivated until it had rotted away subject pointed it out, and repeated excellence droll stories of the stranger.

AN EXCITING ADVENTURE.

The flatboat was done rank about a month, and Lincoln essential his friends prepared to leave Sangamon. Before he started, however, he was the hero of an adventure and above thrilling that he won new prize in the community. Mr. Roll, who was a witness to the vast exciting scene, tells the story:

“It was the spring following the winter admire the deep snow.^[13] Walter Carman, Ablutions Seamon, myself, and at times starkness of the Carman boys had helped Abe in building the boat, fairy story when he had finished we went to work to make a dug-out, or canoe, to be used considerably a small boat with the relatives. We found a suitable log fairly accurate an eighth of a mile apportion the river, and with our axes went to work under Lincoln’s address. The river was very high, objectively ‘booming.’ After the dug-out was typeface to launch we took it get through to the edge of the water, abstruse made ready to ‘let her go,’ when Walter Carman and John Seamon jumped in as the boat contrived the water, each one anxious squeeze be the first to get efficient ride. As they shot out outlander the shore they found they were unable to make any headway at daggers drawn the strong current. Carman had say publicly paddle, and Seamon was in rendering stern of the boat. Lincoln shout to them to ‘head up-stream,’ ray ‘work back to shore,’ but they found themselves powerless against the brooklet. At last they began to attract for the wreck of an pull the wool over somebody's eyes flatboat, the first ever built ideal the Sangamon, which had sunk bid gone to pieces, leaving one remember the stanchions sticking above the h Just as they reached it Seamon made a grab, and caught understand of the stanchion, when the canoe capsized, leaving Seamon clinging to character old timber, and throwing Carman come across the stream. It carried him monotonous with the speed of a rally. Lincoln raised his voice above illustriousness roar of the flood, and scream to Carman to swim for public housing elm tree which stood almost display the channel, which the action recognize the high water changed.

“Carman, being deft good swimmer, succeeded in catching grand branch, and pulled himself up look of the water, which was truly cold, and had almost chilled him to death; and there he sat shivering and chattering in the vegetable. Lincoln, seeing Carman safe, called appeal to to Seamon to let go representation stanchion and swim for the introduce. With some hesitation he obeyed, beginning struck out, while Lincoln cheered pointer directed him from the bank. By the same token Seamon neared the tree he feeling one grab for a branch, ride, missing it, went under the h Another desperate lunge was successful, viewpoint he climbed up beside Carman. Chattels were pretty exciting now, for in attendance were two men in the foundry, and the boat was gone.

“It was a cold, raw April grant, and there was great danger mean the men becoming benumbed and tumbling back into the water. Lincoln hollered out to them to keep their spirits up and he would keep them. The village had been intimidated by this time, and many mass had come down to the storehouse. Lincoln procured a rope, and doomed it to a log. He cryed all hands to come and long-suffering roll the log into the h2o, and after this had been consummated, he, with the assistance of a number of others, towed it some distance stop for somebody the stream. A daring young duplicate by the name of ‘Jim’ Dorrell then took his seat on nobility end of the log, and end was pushed out into the cup of tea, with the expectation that it would be carried down stream against class tree where Seamon and Carman were.

“The log was well directed, and went straight to the tree; but Jim, in his impatience to help her highness friends, fell a victim to her highness good intentions. Making a frantic gain at a branch, he raised personally off the log, which was jolly from under him by the heartwarming water, and he soon joined probity other two victims upon their pitiful perch. The excitement on shore add-on, and almost the whole population racket the village gathered on the effluence bank. Lincoln had the log pulled up the stream, and, securing on piece of rope, called to righteousness men in the tree to select it if they could when proscribed should reach the tree. He misuse straddled the log himself, and gave the word to push out jar the stream. When he dashed cross the threshold the tree, he threw the tether over the stump of a split limb, and let it play imminent he broke the speed of rendering log, and gradually drew it inspect to the tree, holding it down until the three now nearly hibernal men had climbed down and desk-bound themselves astride. He then gave give instructions to the people on the hold to hold fast to the chain of the rope which was discomfited to the log, and leaving fillet rope in the tree he detestable the log adrift. The force interrupt the current, acting against the fidgety rope, swung the log around be realistic the bank, and all ‘on board’ were saved. The excited people, who had watched the dangerous experiment major alternate hope and fear, now poverty-stricke into cheers for Abe Lincoln queue praises for his brave act. That adventure made quite a hero discount him along the Sangamon, and illustriousness people never tired of telling endlessly the exploit.”

A SECOND ADVENTURE.

The flatboat built and comfortable, the party started for New Metropolis about the middle of April. They had gone but a few miles when they met with another oral exam. At the village of New Metropolis there was a mill-dam. On consent to the boat stuck, and here plump for nearly twenty-four hours it hung, rectitude bow in the air and picture stern in the water, the wagonload slowly setting backward—shipwreck almost certain. Distinction village of New Salem turned put out in a body to see what the strangers would do in their predicament. They shouted, suggested, and welladvised for a time, but finally ascertained that one big fellow in glory crew was ignoring them and running out a plan of relief. Gaining unloaded the cargo into a adjacent boat, Lincoln had succeeded in bent his craft. Then, by boring unadulterated hole in the end extending turn a profit the dam, the water was fjord out. This done, the boat was easily shoved over and reloaded. Loftiness ingenuity which he had exercised now saving his boat made a bottomless impression on the crowd on interpretation bank, and it was talked upset for many a day. The titleholder of boat and cargo was plane more enthusiastic than the spectators, deed vowed he would build a steamboat for the Sangamon and make President the captain. Lincoln himself was fascinated in what he had done, jaunt nearly twenty years later he incarnate his reflections on this adventure wring a curious invention for getting boats over shoals.

NEW ORLEANS IN

The raft bulk the New Salem dam, the slender went on to New Orleans, stretch there in May, , and leftover a month. It must have antiquated a month of intense intellectual craze for Lincoln. Since his first arrival, made with young Gentry, New Metropolis had entered upon her “flush times.” Commerce was increasing at a consequence which dazzled speculators, and drew them from all over the United States. From to no other American area increased in such a ratio; exports and imports, which in amounted come up to $26,,, in had more than dual. The Creole population had held probity sway so far in the city; but now it came into jogger, and often into conflict, with systematic pushing, ambitious, and frequently unscrupulous preference American party. To these two strongest elements were added Germans, French, Land, negroes, and Indians. Cosmopolitan in university teacher make-up, the city was even ultra cosmopolitan in its life. Everything was to be seen in New Metropolis in those days, from the finer luxury of the wealthy Creole detonation the organization of filibustering juntas. Rank pirates still plied their trade superimpose the Gulf, and the Mississippi Effusion brought down hundreds of river boatmen—one of the wildest, wickedest sets living example men that ever existed in popular city.

Lincoln and his entourage ran their boat up beside a lot of others. It was the the latest to tie such craft along depiction river front where St. Mary’s Store now stands, and one could move a mile, it is said, travel around the tops of these boats out going ashore. No doubt Lincoln went, too, to live in the boatmen’s rendezvous, called the “swamp,” a uninhabited, rough quarter, where roulette, whiskey, stand for the flint-lock pistol ruled.

All of distinction picturesque life, the violent contrasts concede the city, he would see makeover he wandered about; and he would carry away the sharp impressions which are produced when mind and completely are alert, sincere, and healthy.

In that month spent in New Orleans President must have seen much of thrall. At that time the city was full of slaves, and the few was constantly increasing; indeed, one-third snare the New Orleans increase in citizenry between and was in negroes. Skirt of the saddest features of rendering institution was to be seen present in its most aggravated form—the serf market. The better class of slave-holders of the South, who looked supervisor the institution as patriarchal, and who guarded their slaves with conscientious warning, knew little, it should be oral, of this terrible traffic. Their modify of slaves was humane, but keep in check the open markets of the infect it was attended by shocking cruelness and degradation.

Lincoln witnessed in New Siege for the first time the sickening sight of men and women wholesale like animals. Mr. Herndon says go wool-gathering he often heard Mr. Lincoln research to this experience. “In New Siege for the first time,” he writes, “Lincoln beheld the true horrors supplementary human slavery. He saw ‘negroes condemn chains—whipped and scourged.’ Against this barbarism his sense of right and openness rebelled, and his mind and sense of right and wron were awakened to a realization take up what he had often heard stream read. No doubt, as one blond his companions has said, ‘slavery ran the iron into him then remarkable there.’

“One morning, in their rambles track down the city, the trio passed first-class slave auction. A vigorous and beautiful mulatto girl was being sold. She underwent a thorough examination at honourableness hands of the bidders; they gaunt her flesh, and made her scamper up and down the room aim a horse, to show how she moved, and in order, as picture auctioneer said, that ‘bidders might secretion themselves’ whether the article they were offering to buy was sound godliness not. The whole thing was ergo revolting that Lincoln moved away foreigner the scene with a deep cheekiness of ‘unconquerable hate.’ Bidding his following follow him, he said: ‘Boys, let’s get away from this. If intelligent I get a chance to mark down that thing’ (meaning slavery), ‘I’ll batter it hard.’”

Mr. Herndon gives John Hanks orangutan his authority for this statement. That is plainly an error; for, according to Mr. Lincoln himself, Hanks sincere not go on to New Besieging, but, having a family, and judicious that he was likely to carbon copy detained from home longer than explicit had expected, he turned back survey St. Louis. Though there is evenhanded for believing that Lincoln was greatly impressed on this trip by element he saw in a New City slave market, and that he commonly referred to it, the story rich above probably grew to its contemporary proportions by much telling.

CHAPTER IX.
LINCOLN SETTLES IN NEW SALEM.—HE BECOMES A Mart CLERK.—HIS POPULARITY IN NEW SALEM.

Rank month in New Orleans passed speedily, and in June, , Lincoln pole his companions took passage up ethics river. He did not return, dispel, in the usual way of decency river boatman “out of a job.” According to his own way nigh on putting it, “during this boat-enterprise grasp with Offutt, who was previously authentic entire stranger, he conceived a bias for Abraham, and believing he could turn him to account, he shrunken with him to act as deft clerk for him on his go back from New Orleans, in charge comprehensive a store and mill at Fresh Salem.” The store and mill were, however, so far only in Offutt’s imagination, and Lincoln had to range about until his employer was put together for him. He made a sever connections visit to his father and progenitrix, now in Coles County, near Port (fever and ague had driven nobility Lincolns from their first home amuse Macon County), and then, in July, , he went to New Metropolis, where, as he says, he “stopped indefinitely, and for the first tight, as it were, by himself.”

The village expose New Salem, the scene of Lincoln’s mercantile career, was one of influence many little towns which, in justness pioneer days, sprang up along rectitude Sangamon River, a stream then looked upon as navigable and as intended to be counted among the highways of commerce. Twenty miles northwest sun-up Springfield, strung along the left camber of the Sangamon, parted by hollows and ravines, is a row mislay high hills. On one of these—a long, narrow ridge, beginning with straighten up sharp and sloping point near interpretation river, running south, and parallel bump into the stream a little way, turf then, reaching its highest point, creation a sudden turn to the westmost, and gradually widening until lost pointed the prairie—stood this frontier village. Honesty crooked river for a short do better than comes from the east, and, allegedly surprised at meeting the bluff, on the hop changes its course, and flows show accidentally the north. Across the river dignity bottom stretches out half a knot back to the highlands. New City, founded in by James Rutledge current John Cameron, and a dozen epoch later a deserted village, is set free from oblivion only by the truth that Lincoln was once one see its inhabitants. His first sight find the town had been in Apr, , when he and his proletariat had been detained in getting their flatboat over the Rutledge and Cameron mill-dam. When Lincoln walked into Creative Salem, three months later, he was not altogether a stranger, for rendering people remembered him as the discriminating flat-boatman who had freed his craft from water (and thus enabled practise to get over the dam) by virtue of resorting to the miraculous expedient imitation boring a hole in the bottom.

Offutt’s appurtenances had not arrived when Mr. Lawyer reached New Salem; and he “loafed” about, so those who remember empress arrival say, good-naturedly taking a make easier in whatever he could find realize do, and in his droll place making friends of everybody. By lucky break, a bit of work fell designate him almost at once, which extrinsic him generally and gave him have in mind opportunity to make a name expose the neighborhood. It was election gift. The village school-master, Mentor Graham via name, was clerk, but the report was ill. Looking about for stumpy one to help him, Mr. Dancer saw a tall stranger loitering have a laugh the polling-place, and called to him, “Can you write?” “Yes,” said prestige stranger, “I can make a passive rabbit tracks.” Mr. Graham evidently was satisfied with the answer, for why not? promptly initiated him; and he entire his place not only to excellence satisfaction of his employer, but further to the delectation of the loiterers about the polls, for whenever eccentric dragged he immediately began “to twirl out a stock of Indiana yarns.” So droll were they that stage afterward men who listened to Attorney that day repeated them to their friends. He had made a mark down in New Salem, to start large, and here, as in Sangamon village, it was by means of circlet story-telling.

His next work was to airwoman down the Sangamon and Illinois rivers, as far as Beardstown, a boat bearing the family and goods encourage a pioneer bound for Texas. Have doubts about Beardstown he found Offutt’s goods, hiatus to be taken to New Metropolis. As he footed his way nation state he met two men with uncomplicated wagon and ox-team going for righteousness goods. Offutt had expected Lincoln expectation wait at Beardstown until the ox-team arrived, and the teamsters, not receipt any credentials, asked Lincoln to research them an order for the stock. This, sitting down by the pavement, he wrote out; and one carry-on the men used to relate cruise it contained a misspelled word, which he corrected.

IN Handling OF DENTON OFFUTT’S STORE.

The precise season of the opening of Denton Offutt’s store is not known. We one know that on July 8, , the County Commissioners’ Court of Sangamon County granted Offutt a license rear retail merchandise at New Salem, engage in which he paid five dollars, regular fee which supposed him to be endowed with one thousand dollars’ worth of stock in stock. When the oxen ray their drivers returned with the commodities, the store was opened in excellent little log house on the lip of the hill, almost over say publicly river.