Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-06-30


sixteen years old, and who had never ATTENDED
school before was installed. Exactly sil
weeks after the school commenced, an execu
ton against his father-the result of endors
ing a note for friend-swept away the LITTLE
farm. and the student was compelled to leavt
school to join his parent, who, greatly dis,
heartened by his misfortune, had determined
to emigrate to Illinois with his family. The
six weeks schooling in that log school house
is all that Mr.. Lincoln ever received. He is
indebted for whatever education he possesses
solely to his own unaided exertions, made
during the leisure hours OF laborious life
often consuming the time that should have
been devoted to rest and always in the earlier
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 so
acres of government land. The son assisted
MS father for some time in the cultivation OF
this farm, but becoming imbued with the
spirit Of enterprise, he eventually started ont
to try his own fortunes, and coming to Ma
con county, after considerable difficulty in
obtaining work, came across Mr.. Hawks,
with whom he closed 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 re-
lated of him that when noon arrived he
would mount a log, swallow his dinner in
from eight to ten minutes, and then spend fif-
ty minutes in close study before commencing
the afternoons work. While engaged upon
this job our hero made the acquaintance of
a man (Whose name | have 5orgotten) who
proposed that they build fat boat, that he
would stock it with grain and provisions,
and that Abe should comma nd said fat boat
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 flat-boat and cargo
should be disposed Of The enterprise looked
promising, the fiat-bOat was built and load
ed, Capt. Lincoln proceeded on his voyage,
in due time arrived in New Orleans, disposed
Of boat and cargo, and shippedfor home as a
deck hand on board one of the Mississippi
EFeEn Fl ni4R5Sfh states that he first met Hon,
Jesse r. -Du Bois, the present State Auditor Of
Illinois and candidate N the Republican
ticket fer reelection, who was also discharg-
ing the duties of deck hand.
The first fat expedition proved so success
full that two others were projected, and by
the time they we're completed, Lincoln had
saved several hundred dollars. With this
money he opened a small store at a settle
ment known as New Salem, and with the
usual foolishness ofnew beginners in business,
he took in a partner. ~ reckon now" said
Lincoln, alluding to the enterprise on one
occasion with one of those proverbially COM
ical expressions of eountenance, 81 reckon
now that that was the store" and 1
Judge from his ludicrous description of
its miscellaneous contents that it might have
been. However, the new business went
along badly, and did not prove profitable
The partner insisted that they must add some
whlskey to their stock in trade if they would
save themselves, but to this proposition Lin
coin stoutly objected, but the partner as stout.
ly 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 to who should be the Captain. There
was tall, pompous fellow in the neighbor-
hood, glorying in the military title of ''Ma-
ior who was very anxious for the new of
fee, and who@elt confident of obtaining it.
When the day of election arrived, there prov
ed to be from dozen to fifteen candidates for
the captaincy. The plan of election adopted
was novel. A space was cleared, and it was
agreed that each candidate should march
across this space with his friends following
him in single file, and the man who had the
argeSt procession of friends should be declared
he captain. While the professions were
orming, some of the ''boys" caught Lincoln
3y the arm, and declared that he should be
candidate. He protested that he knew moth
ng about military matters, but a stout fellow
pushed him forward while his supporters
ormed behind Great was The astonishment
md modification of the Major when he dis
covered that Lincoln's procession outnum-
1ered his own by two men; and Lincoln was
therefore, declared to be Captain.
Upon Lincoln's return from the war, he
discovered that his old partner had been his
Jwh best customer in the whiskey trafic,and
hat he had ndeeamped" without paying the
lebts of the trading concern, amounting to
81, 100, and without leaving anything to pay
hem with. "Here, then, was, said Mr..
Lincoln once to q friend 'Sl, 100 in debt,
IT 81, 100 worse off thar at any time in my
life before, for had not single dollar to
pay this Indebtedness with. What to do I
was at a total loss to know I thought
he matter over for many days and was
greatly distressed To go to work at the
9 hoV
SlI00-it seemed as f. could not do it. But
determined at last to Try. never in my
ife knew man, who, resolved to do his duty,
lid not have some means opened up to him,
10 matter how impossible, seemingly, was
he accomplishment Of that duty at the
tart" And so it proved in this case with !
lonest Abe. Stumbling upon, accidentally, !
/ book on Surveying he at once m ade him
elf master Of the science, and commenced !
he business Of surveying as a profession, !
laving in the meantime removed to Spring |
ield. Here he made friends very fast and |
oon became exceedingly popular-sO much |
o that be was selected as Wing candidate |
or the Legislature, nld was triumpbantly /
lected, holding the Office for four years dur !
ng which time he became noted as shrewd /
NJ luublil8bub utuhtofs' Llo odNeu AlOheg I
noQgh during these four years to pay off all
lis SlIOO indebtedness, even to the last shil-
ing. During his legislative term he COM
lenced studying Law BY the advice Of Judge
,ogan and John D. Stewart of Springfield,
rho had discovered in him the evidences of
n acute and remarkable intellect. he was
Omitted to the bar in few months after, got
married, and at once pushed forward to the
'ont rank in his profession.
Such is Mr.. Lincola's early history, given