Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-07-11
AN HONEST MAN.

| our arm In his peculiar way with ono OF
his long, hony hands whilo no ran his I'm.
gers through and brushed back his shaggy
lack hair, II fully made up my mind to
appoint 10 Office these only whom / knew
| to ho honest and who had suitable ability,
| In any event. honesty should ho tho pre-
requisite Ms tho lack OF little ability
might be easily made up by an honest man
cndavoring to do his whole duty consct.
ontiously, While this resolve was fresh
upon mo, there camc To visit mo very old
friend, u minister who had travelled 40
fast that he had not yet shaken tho Illinois
real estate OH hts capacious boots,
Why, what brings you hcrs Mr.
| ShofeE (Which was not his name, but Il
will do Just rs wcll,l
| Well, he replied, i camo down hery,
firstly, to SCI YOU and get an old fashioned
| shake ot tho hand, and, secondly, 20 say
| that tho folks of my congregation aro SO
poor that they can hardly afford mo do,
cent living, and l thought maybe you
could give me some sort Of an oilcc that
would pay me better
Certainly, answered quickly, for
| knew he WAS an honest man, and was
looking for stock Of that kind, Have you
In view any particular Officer
| placcntly, Il would not know what to 80.
lcct II you wero to hand moa list to choose
| from
- Nor what to give you, hut win toll
you who will help you out, You know
| Colonel Chootsper OF our county, llo IL
now ON duty In tho treasury departments
| Go and seo him. He Is n man ot rcsouroos
and will got YOU ont VI your difficulty.
| Come back tomorrow and report
"'fhe next day, according to promise,
| .Shoilc put IN an appearance, and said that
| the colonel had recommended him ~ apply
| for u certain position In tho revenue do
| partment
"'What IL tho salaryY' said l, signing In
mechanical way pila OF commissions
1.-Two thousand dollars u year
"'Wcll, DO you think that cnoughp l
may he abba To do hcttor for YOU
| know he was an honest man and Thought
no might just as we'll as not got u place
where he could earn more money,
"'oh, plenty, unclo Abe, FOR that ~
moro than double tho amount Two boon
| slrntnR for years past.
Nov began to think, p" saia our mar.
| tyr president, that would hnvo to force
him into place paying larger salary
| and where government would have cor
| responding rNlurn LOT Nus NNIUlblN AcTN~
| iccs for was moro than nvcr--if that
were possihle--cunv incod that ho was an
honest man Hut finally concluded to
give him his own way, and ho was mp.
| pointed accordingly, on ho won't rcjoio.
horse gift TO my good, honest, reverend
| friend.
Three years elapsed. and the anx.
ictics attending tho war had complete
iy driven from my mind, for tho timo bc.
ing, tho incident Just roatod, when my
messenger brought mo n card bearing tho
| familiar name Rov. Adam Shoiln.' And
| Immediately there flashed across my mind
| oil tho circumstances attending my up.
| pointing him to Office. directed him to
| be shown In, and In walked, with croAky
boots, ono OF tho best and finest dressed
mon Ind seen In many u day, l rccog
nizcd his oountennnco Mt u glance, but II
was his marvellous clothes that troubled
mo They snt easily enough upon his
body, but somehow or other they did not
sit sn ensy on my mind But wherefore !
could not for the lifn OF mo toll, u | Ind
tried, which didn't,
Good morning. Mr.. Prosidont'--no
longer Uncle Abe, as bcforc--snid no In n
sort of grandiloquent manner, 4 hope
you nro we'll and getting on nicely
"'Oh, yes, said !. 'Wo poor folks okc
out living after n fashion, intending Ia
give him tho bit In his mouth. for | know
what an honest man no wns and how
much couldn't toll thon exactly how
much, for had lost tho run Of him-wo
were indebted To him.
MIR President, have como to resign
my Office
| ~, hnN nuh I Inn
boon struck by lightning, managed to
cxclnim, indeed
Yes feel that there aro many others
deserving of tho place, and that II Is my
duty to make way for Thorn,
=" Was thure over such nm honest man NJ
thatr said l to myself, chuckling over my
stupidity on tho clothes surprise But
said !, aloud, I'm afraid you nro not con
sidering yourself, Friend Shoilc and that
when you go bhck TO preaching you will bo
~ hard up M when you cano here three
years ago. Hadn't you better hold ON
| little longer, sny year moro, and lot US
both 20 out Of Office togothorp'
mo, thank you. ] nm going To Europe
during that time. but ! hope to sce you
here, as president, when ! return, and,
after u fcw more kind expressions of went
Rev Shofio
about n month after, ono Of tho rcy
erend gcntemnn's noighbors pnid mo u
visit, and among other things, remarked
casually that ! had done pretty good
thing for Shoile
Yes | replied, ] gave him n 81, 600
year position for three ycars
- Besides the balancol' added my visit
or. Why, II he's worth cent. no II
worth today 5000, 900, and ciun provo II II
necessary
"whnt could tho idiot mcapp To satisfy
myself Of tho falsity Of the charge, ! sent
detectives to where he lived. and they
brought back word that no had made his
%, 900 salary In the aggregate yield fully
5000, 000-but then knew no was m
honest man, and there must DO mistake
somewhere"
by the way" added Mr.. Lincoln. with
ono OF his knowing winks I'VE have
plenty OF Shofies' loft. but tho mischief OF
1t Ii 1t Is hard finding Thorn out, and they
arc not considerable enough 70 resign, as
did out honest friend Shone. True Flag.