The Portland daily press., 1895-05-21
TOLD A STORY.
How Lincoln Disposed of a Claim Against
the Government.
Chicago Tribune.)

During the war very intimate friend
and adviser OF President Lincoln called
at the White House to confer with him
upon some of the many perplexing ques-
tions which were continually pouring in
to the executive mansion for solution.
1t was after the seven days. battle
from Mechanicsville to Malvern Hills,
when disappointment at the North was
almost as great as that produced at the
conflict at Bull Run, and the President
was considering the advisability of call
ing for levy of 300, 600 troops. Topics
for discussion were SO numerous and
pressing that it was 80 O'Clock before
the visitor, rising, said: "Well. Lin
coin, must be going now!n
No, T., don't go yet" Lincoln re-
piled, sit down; another matter yet!
There is man from Boston here with
claim against the governments Tor $780,
600. Yesterday he submitted portion
of his papers relative to il, with the re-
quest that / examine them while he was
preparing the remainder. / told him to
come here tonight again at II O'Clock
with the rest of the papers, and you
know he'll come, SO ! want you to wait.
very Wcll, buo VlStlOr ISpltcus duu
they resumed their topics of state, Lin.
coin sitting 9th his chair tilted back
ward, his haHis clasped over the top of
his head and his feet upon the table. the
visitor near by in similar position.
By and by, at the appointed time foot
steps were heard, and the expected Wis
itor was ushered into the executive
chan Der through door at the back of
the President.
"There, Mr.. President" said.thes man
from Boston, is the remainder Of those
papers regarding my claim. l wish you
" olIld examine and report on them as
soon as possible.
aVery well, said Lincoln. turning his
head somewhat toward the visitor; "just
lay them on that table there and l will
examine them as soon as posi- Bile: 1t
may he day or two, it may he week;
hut I'll report on them as soon as can,
and he TUNED his head to his friend
again as il to continue their oonversa-
tion regarding the exigencies of the war.
Before going out the man from Boston
suffe cred his curiosity to get the better OF
him, and he ventured to interrogate the
President as to what he thought OF the
validity of the claim from the papers he
had already examined.
piled, turning toward him, reminds ME
Of jim Prices rat hole. You never knew
Jim, did you? Well, he had all his life
been roaming about from one place to
another and had tried every way imagin-
able to make a living, but without sue
cesa AT the time speak of he was try
ing to practice law in little town near
Springfield; but soon firing of this he
thought to enter the dry goods business
and accordingly wrote to an Eastern
house to know if be would furnish him
with a stock of goods on credit, at the
same time forwarding references as to
his integrity. The Eastern firm addressed
an inquiry to one of these references, de-
string to know if it could safely trust
Jim with a certain amount of goods, aud
the reply was something like this: Jim
Price's assets / would fix at $50, 900,
consisting of the following items: One
wife, valued S25, 600, at least if had
such a wife ] wouldn't take less than
that for her; two children, valued at
S24, 99S, at least if had two such child
rem / wouldn't take less than that for
them; one office table, valued at $1.25;
one ink stand, valued conservatively at
ten cents; one pen holder, valued at five
cents, and rat hole in the corner of his
office that is worth looking into"
And the man from Boston went his
way.