Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1906-09-19
CHAPTER ~.
A Famous Piece Of Floating Drift
wood" odpes al New Salem.

81
twenty houses, inhabited by near
ly "A hundred people, but in 1881
there could not have been more
than two-thirds or three-fourths that
number. Many of the houses cost not
more than $40 and non of them more
than 500. In those days, which in the
progressive west would be called an
cient days, New Salem was in Sanga-
mon county, with Springfield as the
county seat. Springfield itself was still
Il mere village, having Il population of
1000 or perhaps LOO. The capital of
the state was yet at Vandalia and
waited for the parliamentary tact of
Abraham Lincoln and the "long nine'
to change it to Springfield.
In July or August, 1881, Mr.. Lincoln
made his second appearance Mt New
Salem. the nrst having been in April
of the same year, when his datboat
stuck there. He was again In COM
pany with Denton Offutt, who had col
lected some goods at Beardstown and
now proposed to bring them to this
place. Mr.. Lincoln undoubtedly came
there In the service of Offutt, but while
the goods We're being transported from
Beardstown he seemed to be idling
about without any special object In
view. Many persons who saw him then
for the first time speak of him as do
ing nothing" He has given some en-
enlargement to this idea himself by
the manner in which be habitually
cnotra Of hi1 ohunnf
himself as coming down the river after
the winter of the deep snow, like a
piece Of floating driftwood" borne
along by the freshet and accidentally
lodged at New Salem.
On the day of the election, In the
month of August, as Minter Graham,
the schoolteacher, tells us. Abe was
seen lettering about the polling place.
1t must have been but n few days aft
er his arrival in the town. for nobody
knew that he could write. They were
short of a clerk" at the polls. and.
after casting about in vain for some
one competent to fill the office, 1t oc-
Cured to one of the judges that per-
haps the tall stranger possessed the
needful qualifications. He thereupon
accosted him and asked If he could
write. He replied, Eyes. a little"
"Will you act as clerk of the election
today" said the judge.
81 will try" returned Abe, land do
the best l can, If you so request"
He did try. accordingly, and, in the
language of the schoolmaster, per
formed the duties with great facility,
much fairness and honesty and impair
TALLY. This was the first public Off
cial act of his life.
While Abe was doing nothing" or,
IN other words, waiting for Offutts
goods, one DR.. Nelson. a resident of
New Salem, built d fatboat and, plac-
ing his family and effects upon 1t,
started for Texas. But as the Sanga-
NOR was q turbulent and treacherous
stream at best, and its banks were
now full TO overlooking, Nelson needed
a pilot at least as far as Beardstown.
His choice fell upon Abe, who took
him 10 the mouth of the doubtful river
In safety, although Abe often declared
that he occasionally ran out into the
prairie at least three miles from the
channel. Arriving at Beardstown, Mel
son pushed on down the Illinois and
Abe walked back to New Salem.
The second storekeeper at New Sa-
lem was a Mr.. George Warburton; but,
1.-The country not having improved his
morals In the estimation Of his friends
George thought it advisable to transfer
his storeroom and the remnant of his
stock to Offutt. In the meantime Of
futt's long expected goods were receiv-
ed from Beardstown. Abe unpacked
them. ranged them OIL the shelves. roll
ed the barrels and kegs into their
places and, being provided with q
brand new book, pen and ink, found
himself duly installed as first clerk
Of the principal mercantile house in