Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1906-10-17
Prepares Written Address.

Prepares w Illlen AOOTeSS.
That the idea was nearly. If not quite,
impracticable the trip Of the Talisman
under Mr.. Lincoln's plotting and the
fact that the river remained unim-
proved during all the years of the in
ternal Improvement mania would seem
to be pretty clear evidence. But the
theme was agreeable TO the popular ear
and had been dear to Lincoln from the
moment lie laid bis eyes on the San
CANON 1t was the great topic OF his
speech against Posey and Ewing In
Macon county. when. under the aus
pices OF John Hanks. he beat those
professional politicians so completely
that they applauded him themselves
His experience III navigating the river
was not calculated TO make him forget
1t, and it had occupied his thoughts
more or less from that day forward
Now that It might be turned 10 good
use where he was personally interested.
he set abou. preparing a written ad
dress on ii and on some other questions
of local interest upon which he bestow-
ed infinite pains.
The grammatical errors in the first
draft were corrected by Mr.. McNamar,
the pioneer of New Salem as business
point and the gentlel>an who was des-
tined to be Mr.. Lincoln's rival In the
most important love affair of his life.
The following Is portion of the fin
ished paper:
To the People OF Sangamon County:
date for the honorable Office of one OF
your representatives. in the next general
assembly of this state, I'm accordance with
an established custom and the principles
Of true Repuhhcauism it becomes my duty
to make known TO YOU the people, whom
! propose 10 represent my sentiments
with regard TO local affairs.
Time and experience have verified to
demonstration the public utility of in
'ernu improvements That the poorest
Ind most thinly populated countries
would be greatly benefited by the opening
of good roads and In the clearing of nav
igable streams within their limits Is what
TO person Will deny. Yet 1t is folly to un-
dcrtake works of this kind or any other
kind without first knowing that we are
able to finish them as half finished work
generally proves TO be labor lost There
cannot justly be any objection to having
railroads and canals any more than TO
other good things. provided they cost
nothing. The only objection is to paying
for them. and the objection arises from
the want Of ability 10 pay.
With respect to the county of Sanga-
mon. some more easy means of Communl
cation than II now possesses for the pur-
pose of facilitating the task of exporting
the surplus products of It's fertile soil and
importing necessary articles from abroad
are mdispensably necessary.
From my peculiar circumstances, 1t is
probable that for the last twelve months
| have given as particular attention to
the stage of the water in the Sangamon
river as any other person in the country.
In the month of March, 1881, in company
with others, / commenced the building of
a flatboat on the Sangamon and finished
and took her out in the course of the
spring. Since that time 1 have been con-
cerned in the mill al New Salem These
circumstances are sufficient evidence that
have rot been very inattentive to the
stages of the water. The time at which
we crossed the mill dam being in the last
days of April. the water was lower than
1t had been since the breaking of winter
In February or than It was for several
encountered in descending the river were
from the drifted timber which obstruc-
tions all know are not difficult to be re-
moved. knowing almost precisely the
height of water at that time. l believe !
am safe in saying that 1t has as often
been higher as lower since.
From this view of the subject 1t ap
pears that my calculations with regard