The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1896-07-04

back from one grove to another the
prairies being entirely unoccupied and
good and appreciative crowd always
greeted our arrival. The speaking would
begin in the forenoon, the candidates
alternating until all had had their turn,
and the entire day was generally con-
sumed. The discussions We're upon ma
tional and state questions, prominent
among which We're the subjects of a ma
tional bank the tariff, a general system
of internal improvements and the COM
pletion Of the Illinois and Michigan
canal, then in process of construction.
In handling these questions Mr. Lincoln
took very prominent part, manifesting
the most cOnsummate skill and tact. l
shall never forget how he illustrated the
intricacies of the tariff. j confess,
he said, that l have not as clear views
on the question as | should have. OF
course revenue we must have. In or
der to keep house we must have break
fast, dinner and supper, and this tariff
business seems necessary to bring them.
But yet there is something obscure
about it, after all.
"'It reminds me Of the fellow who
came into our store at New Salem last
fall and asked my partner, Berry for "a
picayune's worth of crackers. After the
good We're laid out for him he looked at
them for few moments and then said
to Berry, Il don't want these crackers
after all Please take them back and
give me a glass of cider instead" Berry
| no rlynl,c tn no
box and handed the customer the cider.
After drinking it he started for the door.
Here, Bill, shouted Berry. PAY me
for your cider. why" answered Bill,
II gave you the crackers for it. :" "Well,
then, pay me for the crackers. " "But !
amt had any," retorted Bill. ''rhat's
SO, said Berry i'll disgust well, then,
clear out. 1t seems to me I've lost
picayune somewhere, but l can't make
it out exactly" So, said Lincoln, it is
with the tariff. Somebody gets the
picayune, but | don't exactly under
stand how )"
On another occasion when with several
other ndidates-Edward ID. Baker and
E. D. Taylor being among them-after
he had made strong Wing speech at
Kyle's store, group of Democrats of
local prominence, calling him aside, ex-
hibited to him cannon ball. Now"
said one of them, "if you can throw
this ball farther than the best man in
our crowd We'll all vote for you. After
each of the others had tested his strength
Lincoln picked up the ball, rolled it over
in his hands as if to estimate its weight
| III
this ball farthest is all you require of
me, I'll get your votes. " Fixing his left
foot firmly in the ground, he swung his
arm back and forth several times and
then sent the ball forward On exami-
nation it was found he had thrown it
almost three feet farther than any one
else!
OF his administration Of the New
Salem postoffice one incident remains.
An ignorant, conspicuous fellow named
Johnston annoyed the postmaster by
constant and fruitless inquiries for
mail. At length Lincoln wrote and ad-
dressed him letter, which pretended to
have come from female negro in Ken
tucky, where Johnston had formerly
lived. The letter eyinced considerable
affection on the part of the writer. She
invited Johnston to revisit her, promis-
ing him possum dinners and endless
fun at dances, corn shuckings, etc. ''Be
sure to come, Johns" she said affec-
tionately, land promise you old massa
shan't kick you out of the kitchen any
more" Being unable to read, Johnston
was forced to invoke the aid of another
/ 90 .