The Richmond palladium., 1860-07-26
&c orrespandenes of the Cleveland 20. Leader !
Lincoln's Early Days.

deepest interest He furnishes in his his
tory and individual character. a noble spec
linen of true moral courage and manhood
the best sample among US of the gigantic
growth of inteilee, and character. under tn.
fostering influences OF American institution:
aud society. when not dwar,-d by idleness
dissipation. or dishonesty. Every laboring
mau in the country toiling under the weight
of poversy with view TO better days. and
every student struggling for knowledge snd
advancement under whatever difficulties.
has stock in Old Abe. and NAV be justly
proud OF him AS one o! his class who has
demonstrated the distinguished success that
may crown any honorable ambition, proper
II cultivated.
Forty tour years ago Mr.. Lincoln's faith
er emigrated from Kentucky TO Spencer
County. Indiana, where he purchased a
project of public school in the neig bor-
hood vas started aud meeting with encour-
agement. To-; schoolhouse was baili. at
which Abe. then about l6 years old. and
who had never attended school before, was
installed. Exactly six wesks alter the
school commenced, an execution against his
father the result of indorsing note for a
! frieud-swept away the little farm, and the
student was compelled to leave school to
j,u his parent. who. greatly disheartened
) by his misfortune. had determined to emi-
CRATE to Illinois with his family. The six
weeks schooling in that log scho house is
/ all that Mr.. Lincoln ever received. he is
| indebted for whatever education he possess
es solely to his own uuaided exertious. made
during the leisure hours OF laborious life
often consuming the time that should have
been devoted to rest. and always in the ear
lier part Of his life. under circumstances of
great difficulty. induced by poverty.
In due time the Lincoln family reached
Coles County, where it was decided TO seek
their fortunes. By dint of hard labor at
low wages, enough money was saved in the
course OF two years to purchase and pay for
eighty acres of Government land. Ths son
assisted the father for some time in the cul-
tivaton of this farm, but becoming imbued
with the spirit Of enterprise. he eventually
started out to try his own fortunes, and
coming to Macon County. after considerable
difficulty in obtaining work. came across
Mr.. Hawks, with whom he closed q contract
to cut and split three thousand rails. While
at work at this job he found more time than
heretofore to improve his mind. and it is
related of him that when noon arrived he
woaId mount log. swallow his dinner in
from eight to ten minutes, aud then spend
fifty minutes in close study before commen-
cia. the afternoons work. While engs.
ged upon this job our hero made the
Quaintance of a man (whose name l have
foryolten) who proposed that they build
fiat boat, that he would stock it with grain
aud provisions, and that Abe should com.
mand said flat-boai on an expedition down
the Sangamon River to the Illinois; down
the Illinois River to the Mississippi. and
down this river to New Orleans. when the
fat boat and cargo should be disposed OF
The enterprise looked promising. the fiat
boat WAS built aud loaded. Capt. Lincoln
proceeded on his voyage. in due time arrl-
we'd New Orleans. disposed of boat and
cargo. and shipped for home as deck hand
on board one OF the Mississippi River
steamboats,. On this trip up the river Mr..
Lincoln states that he FIRST met the Hon.
Jesse r. Du Bois. the present State Audi.
tor OF Illinois and candidate on the Repub-
lican ticket for re election. who was also
diScharging The duties OF deck hand.
The frs, fla, boat expedition proved so
successful that two others were projected.
aud by the time they were completed. Lin
coin had saved several hundred dollars
With this money he opened small store at
settlement known as New Sal.m, and
with the usual 'oolshness Of new beginners
in business. he took in partner. Il reck
on now" said Lincoln, abiding to the en-
terprise on one occasion, with one OF those
proverbially comical expressions OF counte
nance. IL reckon now that that was TIE
store" aud judge from his ludicrous des-
cription OF Its miscellaneous contents that
it might have been. However. tie new
business went along badly. and did not
prove profitable. The partner insisted that
they must add some whisky to their stock
in trade if they " uld save themselves, but
to this proposition Lincoln ssou'iy objected,
but the partner as stoutly insisting, Lincoln
finally sold out to him.
About this time the Black Hawk war
WAS the subject of excitement. A new
militia company was TO be formed and there
was a strife AS 10 who should be the Cap.
tain There was tall, pompous fellow in
the neigh hborhood, glorying in the military
tile of "Major''-who was very anxious
for the new office, and who felt onfiJent Of
obtaining 1t. Whea the day OF election ar-
rived, there proved to be from a dozen TO
fifteen candidates for the captaiucy. The
plan of election adopted WAS novel. A
space was cleared. and it was agreed that
escn candidate -bouid march across his space
with his friends following him in single file,
and the man VINO hau the largest process
sion Of friends should be declared the cap
tain While the professions were forming
some of the "bovs" caught Lincoln BY the
arm. and declared that he should be a can
didate. He protested tEas he knew nothing
abcu, military matters, but q ssou. fellow
pushed him forward while his supporters
/ formed behind. Great was the as,onish-
ment and mor.i6casion Of the Major when
he discovered that Lineoll's procession out
numbered his own by two men; and Lincoln
was therefore declared TO be Cap,sin.
! Upon Lineoln's re.arn trom the war, he
discovered that his Old partner had been
his own best customer in the whisky traffic,
and that he had ''decamped'' without pay
ing tie debts ut the trading concern. amoun-
ting TO 81. loo. and without leaving any
thing to pay them With. Here, Then, l
vas" said Xr. Lincoln once to . friend