The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-02-21
WAR GENERALS.

A Story Which Mr.. Lincoln Told to tffus-
trate the Difficulty ef Making III per
Selections.
Then he went into discussion Of the
Generals of the war-what difficulties
he had in making appointments. etc.
He illustrated each case with story.
In speaking of one General, he ssid it
reminded him of friend of hiss
blacksmith he knew out in the West
when he was boatman. This old
friend was celebrated for making good
work, especially axes, which were in
great demand in that day. No boat
man had complete outfit unless he had
a good ak.
s'One day." said the President, "he
said to me: Lincoln, have the finest
piece of steel you ever saw; / got it on
purpose to make an ak for you, and If
you will sit down and tell me a good
story, you shall have the ak when it is
finished Go ahead, | said. and I.
sat down to tell the story while he made
the az
My friend, the blacksmith, first put
it up until it was at proper heat-the
Goals glowing then he took up the
piece of steel and looked at it affection
ately, patted it all over, then, Lincoln
he said, did you ever see piece of
steel equal to that? tn make you
companion you will never want TO part
with, and when you are using it you
will think of me- Then he put it into
the fire and began to work his bellows
while | commenced my story. He blew
and blew until the steel was at deep
red heat, when, taking it out of the fire
and laying it on the anvil, he gave it a
blow with four-pound hammer. Lord
bless you! how the sparks flew, and big
red scales also. The blacksmith hit it
about dozen blows and then stopped.
Lincoln, he said, here's 60, and a bad
one. This lump of steel amt worth
the powder that would blow it up. |
never was so deceived in anything in
all my life. 1t won't make an AK. But
I'll tell you what it will make. 1t will
make clevis, and he put it in the
fire again, and went through the
same performance as before. Then,
when it was heated, he laid it on the an
sparks flew and so did the scales, and in
a minute half OF it was gone. The black
smith stopped and scratched his head,
as men often do under difficulties.
We'll, he said this certainly is an or
merry piece of steal, but it may get bet
ter near the heart of it. ] can't make
clevis of it, but it will make clevis-bolt.
1t may have some good in it yet. After
all, good cleyis-bolt is not bad
thing
'sHe put it into the fire again, and this
time heated it to white heat. i think /
have it now he said, and be pounded
away at it until | was almost blind with
scales.
"'This won't do, he said. Il certainly
don't know my trade to allow thing
like that to fool me so. Well, well. it
won't make aclevis-bolt, but | have one
resort yet; it will make ten-penny
nail You will have to wait for your
AK and he put the metal into the fire
again.
This time he didn't blow it; lie let
it get red-hot naturally. and when it
was as he wanted it he put it ON the an
vii again.
lIlfs, nc Sitlu, is u SURF tulLg. L
am down to the heart of the piece
There must be a ten-penny nail in this.
But he was mistaken; there was only
small piece of wire left. He was actually
dazed.
".Durn the thing said he. 4 don't
know what to make of it. | tried it as
an ak; it failed me. Then it failed me
as clevis. 1t failed me as clevis-bolt
and the cussed thing wouldn't even
make ten-penny nal, But III tell
you. old fellow; what it will make and
he put it in the fire again until it and the
tongs were at white heat. Then, turn
ing around, he rammed it into bucket
of water. There, durn you, you'll
make big fizzle, and that's all you will
maker and it sputtered and fixed un-
til it went out, and there was nothing
of it left.
'.Now that's the case with the person
was speaking Of" continued the Presi-
dent. II tried him as an AK. l tried
him as a clevis. He was so full of
shakes he wouldn't work into one. /
tried him as a clevis-bolt. He was
dead failure. and he wouldn't make
even ten-penny nail. But he did make
the biggest fizzle that has been made in
this war, and fizzled himself ont of the
army.
with shocking bad manner
And his credit at zero,
He was contented to stay