The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1864-11-03
biography of Abraham Lincoln.


Hazel, carrying with him an old copy
of "Dillworth's Spelling Book, one Of
the three works that formed the family
library. His father, Thomas Lincoln,
kconly felt the disadvantages arising
from his own lack of education, and de-
terminej, in spite of difficulties almost
iuconceivable, to give his son better
facilities for study than he had himself
enjoyed.
Finding a life in Kentucky a most
unsatisfactory one for himself, and pre-
senting no bright prospect in the future
for his children, Mr.. Lincoln determined
upon removal, aud when Abraham was
in his eighth year, the plan was carried
into execution.
The old home was sold, their small
stock of valuables placed upon a raft
and tho little family took its way to
new home in the wilds Of Indiana, where
free labor would have no competition
with slave labor, and the poor white
man might hope that in time his chill
dren could take an honorable position
won by industry and careful economy,
abraham Lincoln" as Mrs. Stowe
truly says, "is in the strictest sense a
man Of the rOrking classes" All his
advantages and abilities are those Of q
man of the working classes; and his po.
sitiou now, at the head of one Of tn,
most powerful nations of the earth, is {
sign to all who liYe by labor that thei,
day is coming. Lincoln was born tc
the inheritance of hard work, as truly
as the poorest laborer's son that dig,
in our fields. At seven years Of age h,
was set to work, axe in hand, to clea,
up farm in the Western forest. Unit
he was seventeen his life was that of .
sim pie farm laborer, with only such in.
I tcrvals of schooling as farm laborcrs get
Probably the school instruction of hi
whole life would not amount to NOR,
than year.
At nineteen he made trip to New
, Orleans as a hired hand on a hat-boat
q and on his return lie split the rails fo
log-cabin and built it, aud enclosed
ten acres of land with rail fence Of hi
own handiwork. The next year h
hired himself for twelve dollars a montl
to build fat-boat and take her to New
Orleans, and any one who knows what
the life Of a Mississippi boatman was in
these days must know that it involved
every kind of labor.
In 1882, in the Black Hawk war, tho
hardy boatman volunteered to fight 70
his country, and was unanimously elect
ed a captain, and served with honor
for a season in fIoatier military life
After this, while serving as postmaster
he began his law studies, borrowing tA,
law books he was too poor to buy, an
studying by the light of his evening fire
lie acquired a name in the country
about as a man of resources and shrewd
ness; he was one that people looked t.
for counsel in exigencies, and to WHOM
they were ready to depute almost any
enterprise which needed skill anC
energy.
The surveyor of Sunca non County
being driven with work, came to bin
to take the survey Of a tract off his hands
True, be had never studied survoyin;
, but what of that? He accepted tn,
job" procured a chain, treatise OF
surveying, and did the acOrh Do ",
It see in this a parable of the wide
wilderness which in later years he ha
undertaken to survey ana fit for human
habitation withom a chart or surveyor
: chain2
In 1894 he was sent 10 the Legisla
ture, and the political life commence
. which his eountrymen's votes have SIM
shown they fully appreciated. Whe
! the session Of the Legislature was over
, he set himself to the study of law i
, good earnest.
In 1886, our backwoodsman, fat-boi
hand, captain, surveyor, obtained a i
!. censc to practice law, and, as might
expected, rose rapidly. One anecdot
will show tho esteem in which he wa
held in his neighborhood.
A client come to him in a case n
lating to a certain land claim, an
i Lincoln said to him, "Your first ste
e must be to take thirty thousand dollar
i and 90 and make a legal tender; it Q
= course will be refused, but it is the n,
r c'ssary step"
# "But," said the m,n, ~ havea't Ii
: thirty thousand dollars to make it with.
!, ooh, that's it. just step over to d!
bank with me and I'll get IT,"