Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-07-31
LINcoLN's FIRST CANDIDACY.

In snngnmon River improvements
He Found Opportunity.
The people of New Salem, like those
| Of all other Western towns. took a keen
interest in politics; politics" meaning.
| in that time and place not only who
was to be President or Governor. but
concerned itself with questions which
came much closer home to jewellers on
the frontier internal improvements"
as they were called-the building of
roads and clearing out of streams so
| that men and women who lived in re-
mote places might be able to travel
back and forth and carry on trade with
the rest of the world-became a burn
ing question in Illinois. There was
great need of such improvements and
in this need young Lincoln saw his OPP
| portunity.
1t was by way of the Sangamon Riv-
err that he entered politics. That uncer-
tain water-course had already twice
befriended him. He had foated on 1t
in floodtime from his fathers cabin
into Springfield. A few weeks later its
rapidly falling waters landed him on
the dam at Rutledge's Mill. introducing
him effectively If unceremoniously, TO
the Inhabitants of New Salem. Now it
was again to play q Fart in his life,
starting him on a political career that
ended only in the White House. Surely
no insignificant stream has had a great
er influence on the history of a famous
man. 1t was winding and sluggish
creek, encumbered with driftwood and
choked by sand bars, but it flowed
through a country already flied with
ambitious settlers, where the roads we're
atrociously bad, becoming in rainy sea-
sons wide seas of pasty black mud, and
remaining almost impossible for weeks
at a time After a devious course the
Sangamon found its way into the ILL
nois River. and that in turn flowed
into the Mississippi. Most of the set
tiers were too new TO the region to
know what a shallow, improbable
stream the Sangamon really was; for
the deep SHOWS of 1S30-31 and of the
following winter had supplied it with
an unusual volume of water. 1t was
natural therefore, that they should re-
gard it as the heaven-sent solution of
their problem of travel and traffic with
the outside world If it could only be
freed from driftwood, and it's channel
straichtened a little they felt sure it
might be used for small steamboats, dur
ing large part of the year.
The candidates for the Legislature
that summer staked their chances of
success on the zeal they showed for
internal improvements" Lincoln was
only %. He had been in the county
barely nine months. Sangamon County
was then considerably larger than the
whole State of Rhode Island, and he
was Of course familiar with only
small part of it or its people; but he
felt that he did know the river He
had sailed on it and had been ship
wrecked by it; he lad, moreover been
one of a party of men and boys, armed
with long handled axes, who went out
to chop away Instructions and meet
earlier, had actually forced its way up
from the Illinois River
Following the usual custom, he an
nounced his candidacy in the local
newspaper in letter dated March Is,
addressed ITO the People of Sangamon
County" 1t was a straightforward,
manly statement of his views on ques-
lions of the day, written in as good
English as that used by the average
college-bred man Of his years. The
larger part of it was devoted to argu-
ments for the Improvement of the San
CANON River. It's main interest for us
lies in the frank avowal of his personal
ambition that is contained in the clos
ing paragraph
every man is said to have his pecu-
liar ambition" he wrote. whether 1t
be true or not, can say, for one, that
l have no other so great as that of be-
ing truly esteemed of my fellow-men by
rendering myself worthy of their es-
TEEN. How far | shall succeed in graf
flying this ambition is yet to be devel-
oped. l am young, and unknown to
many Of you. / was born, and have
ever remained, in the most humble
walks of life. ' have no wealthy or
popular relations or friends to recon-
mend me- Ny case is thrown exclu-
sively upon the Independent voters of
the county; and if elected, they will
have conferred a favor upon me for
which 1 shall be unremitting in my la
bors to compensate But if the good
people in their wisdom shall see fit to
keep me in the background, have been
too familiar with dlsappointments to be
very much chagrined From Helen