Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-10-10
Tho Ono Friend.

to be little hard upon the mother
in-law.
Tho Ono Friend.
The following will be new to our
readers. We get the facts from a
source which we know to bc trust
worthy.
President Lincoln, on one of his
early morning walks, while McClel-
Ian, with the army of the Potomoc,
was on the Chickahominy, dropped
in at the War Office and found the
Secretary, as usual up to his ears in
business. kilograms were thick
upon his desk, and important re-
ports from subordinates were At
each elbow. The President nodded
kindly and sat down.
AS it chanccd Mr.. Lincoln had
seated himself by a small table upon
which was a pile of papers held to-
gether by sprirg clasp. He had
seen too many OF that description
not to know what they were. They
were petitions for otfice-some of
them as long as a "Corn law" peti-
ton, and signed by the whole vo
ting force of district,-others
with no more than one or two hun
dred names--whilc others had come
with fewer and still fewer sign
ers. Some were signed by Cover
nors, Ex-Governors, and Members
of Congress, and others had only
recommendations of military heroes
of fame and renown.
The office asked for was valua-
bic one. The former incumbent
had been transferred to an impor-
tant post in the west by Gen. Hal
leck, and special detail by the
Secretary had been doing the duties
appertaining to The vacancy, Mr..
Lincoln took the applications from
their clasp and looked them over.
His face heightened and his lips
tightened as his gaze became lost
in the wilderness of names opened
before him.
"Stanton," said he, "what are you
going to do about this? Have you
selected your man for the place."
"Selectcdv cried the Secretary
pushing away lot of papers from
before him and facing about. "How
is man going to select? Look at
this list of applicants, and look at
the host of sponsors. Just at this
moment don't want to offend any
body needlessly. ] am obliged to
offend enough anyway.
''Here's man royalty recon-
mended," "said Mr.. Lincoln, holding
up an application Of great length
and bearing the names Of those
mighty in the political arena. "This
man ought to be worthy"
"Look further Mr.. President and
You will find that petition thrown
in the shade entirely"
"Mercy!" exclaimed the Prcsi-
dent. He had taken hold Of a pc
tition which had unfoldcd itself to
the floor.
"Go on, 60 on-you'll find more
of the same Sort" said the Secreta
ry.
The President overhauled the
heap, and near the bottom he came
across simple petition, bearing
only the signature of the applicant.
"Poor fellow! Here must be a
man without friends. No one to
speak a word in his favor. And
how simply he asks for the situa-
tion-as though it were the Office Of
pcdagogue in frontier school,. DO
you know the man?
The Secretary took the petition
and looked at it.
eyes," said he. "He brought
the petition with his own hand. He
was introduced to you last evening
at Seward's."
~ rembmber," said Mr.. Lincoln
with Frightening look. "The
plainly dressed quiet youth who had
his mother with him?"
eyes"
"Say, Stanton do you think him
fit for the placer"
81 do, certainly"
"Then as he seems so entirely
fricndless among the multitude who
have friends without number, l will
be his friend. He shall have one
at least"
And President Lincoln took pen
and placed his strong autograph
upon the margin of the young mans
petition.
We need hardly add that the
young man thus betriended received
the appointment.
We may add however, that he
proved himself a most worthy re-
cipient of the good Presidents
favor.-Neso York Ledger.