Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1906-09-19
Salem.
Lincoln Becomes a Clerk.

collection of miScellanies groceries.
dry goods. mare ware, e~arthenware and
stoneware. cups and saucers, plates
and dishes. coffee and tea. sugar and
molasses, boots and shoes. whisky and
lead. butter and eggs. tobacco and gun
powder, with an endless list of things
unimaginable except by n housewife
or a merchant. Such was the store
TO the charge Of which Abe was now
promoted-pr1noted from the rank of
Il common lahorer to be n sort of bre-
vet clerk.
But Ofutt's ideas of were
very comprehensive. and. as his bust
ness was already considerably scatter
ed about the country" he thought he
would scatter n little more. He there
fore rented the mill at the foot of the
hill from Cameron x Rutledge and
set Abe to overlooking that as well as
the store. This increase of business,
however, required another clerk. and
in a few days Abe was given a COM
panion in the person of w. G. Green.
They slept together on the same cot In
the store, and, as Mr.. Green observes
by way of indicating the great init
macy hat subsisted between them,
when one turned over the other had
TO do SO likewise"
Since the trip on the flatboat Offutt's
admiration for Abe had grown to be
boundless. He now declared that ABE
knew more than any man in the United
States" that "he would some day be
president of the United States" and
that he could ut that present moment
outrun. whip or throw down any man
in Sangamon county. These loud boasts
were not wasted on the desert air.
They We're bad seed sown In a rank
soil and speedily raised up a crop of
sharp thorns for both Abe and Offutt.
At New Salem honors such as Offutt
accorded to Abe were to be won before
they were worn.
Bill Clary made light of Offutt's
opinion respecting Abe's prowess, and
one day. when the dispute between
them had beer running high in the
store, it ended by u bet of $40 on
the part of Clary that Jack Arm
strong was u better a Now,
Jack was n powerful twister," square
built and strong as an OK" He had, be-
sides, a great backing, for he was the
chief of the 'Clary's Grove boys" and
the Clary's Grove boys were the terror
of the countryside. Although there new
er was under the sun n more generous
parcel of rutfians han those over whom
Jack held sway, a strangers introduc-
ton was likely to be the most unpleas-
ant part of his acquaintance with them.
In fact, one of the objects of their asso-
citation was to Initiate or ~naturaliZe
newcomers" as they termed the anna
BILE proceedings which they took by
way of welcoming any one ambitious
of admittance to the society of New Sa-
lem.
Abe Tackles jack.
Thus far Abe had managed to escape
initiation at the hands of Jack and
his associates. They were disposed to
like him and to take him on faith, or nj
least TO require no further evidence of
his manhood than that which rumor
had already brought them. Offutt, with
his busy tongue, had spread wide the
report of his wondrous doings on the
river, and, better still, all New Salem,
including many of the Clary's Grove
boys. had witnessed his extraordinary
feats of strength and ingenuity at Rut-
ledge's mill dam. 1t was clear that no
particular person was spelling for a
collision with him, and an exception to
the rule might have been made in his
favor but for the offensive yea and
confidence of his employer.
The example of Offutt and Clary was
followed by all the boys" and money,
knives, whisky and all manner of
things were staked on the result of the
wrestle. The little community was ex-
cited throughout, and Jacks partisans
were present in great numbers, while
Offutt and BIZ Green were about the
only persons upon whom Abe could re.
ly IL the contest should take the usual
turn and end in a fight. Fol- these and
many other reasons he longed to be
safely and honorably out of the scrape,
but Offutt's folly had made 1t impossi.
Bile for him to evade the conflict with
out mourning the imputation and suffer
ing the penalties of cowardice. He
said: II never tussle and scuffie. and l
will not. l don't like this wooling and
pulling"
But these seruples only served to az
gravate his case, and he was at last
forced to take hold of Jack, which he
did with a will and power that amazed
the fellows who had at last baited him
to the point of indignation. They took
side holds and stood struggling, each
with tremendous but equal strength,
for several minutes without any percep-
tible advantage to either. New trips or
unexpected twists were of no avail be-
tween two such experienced wrestlers