Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-08-16

| PiSfAdS toO much for the iatter, ms gravity never forsook him
 Alter nearing Lincolns version of the letter Johnston subsided, but he never annoyed the postmaster by another TO. quest for mail:
 lh the spring of 1S37 Lincoln was ad. mltted to the bar ill Springfield and after the removal of the state eanifo1 rom VahdaI1a he took up his residence there, quitting New Salem forever. Al most coincident with his departure the village entered on decline. new county was formed with Petersburg only two miles away, as the eonnfv seae' ana New Salem at once began ta Wahe. One by one her denizens denart- ed, her houses Were removed to Peters. burg, or fell to pieces, and the weeds and bushes grew up in her streets.
 When Linndtn, astride the saddlebeos winch contained all the property he owned in the world, set out on Bill 0feene's mare, headed for Springfield. he left behind him the last romance of hls life. Farewell, witty and sagacious Mary Owens, tender heroic and lament. ed Anne Rntledge, Armstrongs, Greenes. Grahams, Hills farewell all! As New Salem reeedes into the dim past. our hero goes forth to new fields. where duty, stern and infexible. shall demand the last measure of his heroic devotion to justice and truth!
 After Lincoln had ''moveds his be- longings to the welcome and pretentious quarters of Joshua F. Speed and en- gagged his board at William Buffers house, We find him already the junior partner with his friend of Black Hawk days. Major John r Stuart, in the prac tiee of law His development as a law yer was easy and continuous Stuart the representative of the district in con gress, was in Washington a good propor- tion of the time. and Lincoln was thus left to conduct the business of the firm alone. He managed it with skill and without lack of confidence i'll his own powers, as witness this letter:
 l SPRINGFIELD, Dec. 8, is3a. DEAR STUABT-Dr Henry will write you all the political news. write this about some 1 little matters of business. You recollect you 1 told me you had drawn the Chicago Massack money and sent it to the claimants. 4 d-d 1 hawk billed Yankee is here besettinq me at every turn take, saying that Robert Kenzie never received the $80 to which he was entitled Can you tell me anything about the matter2 l Again, old Mir. Wright who lives up South | fork somewhere is teasing me continually about some deeds which he says he left with i you, but which l can find nothing of. Can you i tell me where they areY Your friend as ever l A LINCOLN.
 All of which suggests letter Lincoln wrote a few years later to his partner, Herndon, when he himself was in con gress:
 WASHINGTON, Jan. le, 1s4s
 DEAR WILLIA8G-Inelosed you find letter of Louis ". Chandler. What is wanted Is that 1 you shall ascertain whether the claim upon the note described has received any dividend in the probate court of Christian county, where the estate Of Mir. Overton Williams has been administered on. If nothing is paid on it. withdraw the note and send to me- so that l Chandler can see the indorser of it. At all l events write me all about ii till can somehow l get 1t of my hands. have already been kored l enough about 1t, not the least of which Is the l mans unreadable and ungodly handwriting. l Yours, as ever, l. LINCOLN.
 As soon as Lincoln received license to practice law in lS37 he put the precious document in his pocket and immediate l ly set out to visit his father, who lived in Coles county. Just at this time James 1 Gill a man of means, who lived near Thomas Lincoln, brought suit against l another man who had allowed his stock to destroy the growing crops of the plaintiff The suit was for trespass, be- fore justice of the peace. Gill, learn ing that the young attorney was in the neighborhood secured his services. Lin coin conducted the case to the entire sat isfaction Of his client and obtained judgment against the defendant for $10 and costs. As soon as the decision was announced Gill drew from his purse &10 note and gave it to Lincoln, saying, Here, Abe, is your fee. /" This Lincoln declined on the ground that it was his first case, "aud besides, Mir. Gill, " he added, you are good neighbor of fa- 1 ther's and as I'm only on 8 visit to him had no thought of charging anything. " But Gill insisted and notwithstanding Lincoln $ protest that the fee was out of proportion to the services rendered forced the latter to take 1t. When the money was placed in his hands, he re- marked, Since you insist upon it, l will take the money, but will give it to father, for he is poor aud needs ii. ; Thereupon he took the bill and turning to his father, who was standing near, gave 1t to him.
 Before he returned to Springfield an- other one of his fathers neighbors had occasion to call for the young lawyers services. John Rogers owned colt, which, having strayed from home was claimed by another man, who brought suit for the recovery of his property. ''The action, relates q neighbor who was familiar with all the facts, was before justice of the peace, and Abe was employed to defend After full hearing the justice decided the colt be- 1onoe6 in Rooers. The plaintiff appeal