Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-05-15

after hearing the letter read, and ~
pecting that the reader was misrenrs-
senting its contents, he resorted to an.
other person, with like result. Aftor
having gone the rounds he applied a.
last to Lincoln, and although the tasl
came near proving too much for the
latter, his gravity never forsook him
After hearing Lincoln's version of the
letter Johnston subsidized, but he never
annoyed the postmaster by another ra-
! quest for mail.
In the spring of 1887 Lincoln was al.
mitted to the bar in Springfield and
after the removal Of the state canital
from Yandaha he took up his residence
there quitting New Salem forever Al.
most coincident with his departure the
village entered on decline. 4 new
county was Termed, with PETERSBURG
/ only two miles away, as the county
seat, and New Salem at once began to
wane. One by one her denizens depart.
B., ed, her houses were removed to Peters.
! burg or fell to pieces, ard the weeds
and bushes grew up i'll her streets
| When Lincoln, astride the saddlebags
which contained all the property he
owned in the world, set out on Bill
Greene's mare, headed for Springfield.
he left behind him the last romance Of
his life. Farewell, witty and sagacious
Mary Owens, tender, heroic and lament.
ed Anne Rutledge, Armstrong;, Greenes.
Grahams, Hills, farewell all AS New
| Salem recedes into the dim past, our
hero goes forth to new fields, where
duty, stern and inflexible, shall demand
the last measure of his heroic devotion
to justice and TRUTH
After Lincoln had moved 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 T. Stuart, in the prac-
tice Of law. His development as law
yer was easy and continuous Stuart,
the representative Of the district in con-
gress, was III Washington a good proper
ton Ct 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 in his own
powers, as witness this letter:
SPRINGFIELD, Dec. %, 1882
DEAR STUART-Dr. Henry will write you all
the political news. Write t.ia about some
little matters of business. You recollect you
told me you had drawn the Chicago Massack
money and sent it to the claimants. A id
hawk billed Yankee is here besetting mo at
every turn take, saying that Robert Kenzie
never received the $50 to which he was entitled.
Can you tell me anything about the matterg
Again, old Mr.. Wright, who lives up South
fork somewhere, is teasing me continually
about some deeds which he says he left with
you, but which can find nothing of. Can you
tell me where they are2 Your friend, as ever,
A. LINCOLN.
All Of which suggests a letter Lincoln
wrote few years later to his partner,
Herndon, when he himself was III con.
gress:
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 1848.
DEAR WILIIAM-Inelosed you ind a letter of
Louis W. Chandler. What Is wanted is that
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 Mr.. Overton Williams has been
administered on. II nothing is paid on it.
withdraw tho motto and send to me. so that
Chandler can see the indorser of it. At all
events write me all about it till / can somehow
get it off my hands. have already been bored
enough abou' it, not the least Of which is the
mans unreadable and ungodly handwriting
Yours as ever, A LINCOLN.
As soon as Lincoln received license to
practice law in 1887 he put The precious
document i'll his pocket and Immediate
y set out to visit his father, who lived
in Coles county. just at this time James
Gill, man Of means, who lived near
Thomas Lincoln, brought suit against
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 q
Judgment against the defendant for SO
and costs. As soon as the decision was
announced Gill drew from his purse q
$40 note and gave it to Lincoln, saying,
Here, Abe, is your fee y This Lincoln
declined on the ground that it was his
first case, land besides, Mr.. Gill, y he
added, you arc a good neighbor Of IA
ther' s, and as I'm only ON a visit to him
had no thought Of charging anything.
But Gill insisted and notwithstanding
Lineoln's protest that the fee was out Of
proportion to the services rendered
forced the latter to take it. When the
money was placed in his hands, he re-
marked, Since you insist upon it, /
will take the money, but will give it to
father, for he is poor and needs it.
Thereupon he took the bill, and turning
to his father, who was standing near,
gave it 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 a colt,
which, having strayed from home, was
claimed by another man, who brought
suit for the recovery Of his property,
The action, relates a 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-.
longed to Rogers. The plaintiff appeal.
ed TO the circuit court OF Coles county.
and in the fail Lincoln returned to
Charleston to try the case there. He
showed by preponderance of the testi-
monY and by his own argument. in the