The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-07-19

sTRoUDsBURG, MONROE COUNTY, PA JULY IS, 1860.

and there was strife as to who should
be the Captain. There was tall pom.
pous fellow 10 the neigbborbood, glorying
in the military title of "Major"-who
was very anxious for the new Office. and
who felt confident Of obtainingit it. When
the day Of election arrived. there proved
to be from q dozen to fifteen candidates
for the captaincy. The plan of election
adopted was nosel. A space was cleared,
and it was agreed that each candidate
should march across this space with bis
friends following him in single file, and
the man who had the largest procession
of friends should be declared the Captain.
While the professions were forming. some
of the "boYs" caught Lincoln by the arm.
and declared that he should be candi.
date. He protested that he knew moth
ing about military matters, but stout
fellow pushed him forward while bis sup.
porters formed behind. Great was the
astonishment and the modification of the
Major when he discovered that Lineoln's 8
procession out.numbered bis own BY two
men; and Lincoln was therefore declared
to be Captain.
Upon Lincoln's return from the war,
be discovered that bis old partner had
been his own best customer in the whisky
traffic, and that be bad "decamped" with.
Gus paying the debts of the trading con.
Germ, amounting to 81 100, and without
leaving anything to pay them with
Here, then, | was," said Mr.. Lincoln
once to friend, "Sl 100 10 debt, or ST.
100 worse off than at any time in my life
before, for bad not single dollar to
pay this Indebtedness with. What to do
| vas at . loss to know. l thought the
uatter over for many days and was great
ly distressed. To 60 to work at the Gus
tomary wages of hired hand and earn
S1,l00--it seemed as if could not do it.
But | determined at last to try. l never
in my life knew man, who resolved to
do his duty, did not have some means o.
pened up to him, no u after how impossi-
bic, seemingly. was the accomplishment
of that duty at the start" and so it proved
III tutS OoSS. WIN hUCs OIuuUs
ling upon, accidently, book on survey
ing, be at once made himself master of
the science, and com nepced the business
Of surveying as profession, having in
the mean time removed to Spriufeld.-
Here be made friends rery fast, and soon
became exceedingly popular-so much
so that he was selected as Whig candi-
date for the Legislature, and was trium-
phantly elected, holding the Office for
four years, during which time be became
noted as sbrewd and intelligent debator
He saved money enough during these
four years to pay off all his sl.l00 in
debtedness, even to the last shilling
During his legislative term be commenced
studying law BY the advice of Judge Lo.
gan and john D. Stewart Of Springfield, j,
who had discovered in him the evidence
of an acute and remarkable Intellect
He was admitted to the bar in few
months after got married, and at once
pushed forward to the front rank in his
profession.
Such is Mr.. Lincoln's early history,
given in meager but truthful outline. l
need only add that 10 his personal HABITS
Mr.. Lincoln has always been strictly ab-
stemious, using neither tobacco nor spir-
itous liquor of any kind. No man, more
over, ever Jet accused him of an ungen-
erous or disbonorable act or thought.
Said | not truly that be furnishes the best
sample to be met with of the gigantic
growth of intellect and character,
under the fostering influences of Ameri-
can institutions and society, when not
dwarfed BY idleness, dissipation, or dis.
honestly
Tours, truly, L. r. W.