The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-02-13
STORIES TOLD OF
ABE LINCOLN
HIS HUMBLE sfRTH AND His RISE
TO ReNdE-A REMARKABLE
AMERICAN. x

las holiday. Lincoln was In many
/ respects the most remarkable figure
In American history, says F. ]. Gas.
lsins. In the Baltimore American.
Washington had the advantage over
Lincoln in birth and education. He
was born to the purple, as 1t were,
while Lincoln came of obscure stock
and went to school ''by Titles as he
once saii. Lincoln might well be cali
ed the siiftlsss child Of destiny. He
moved aimlessly along in his tragic.
lndicrous way, and yet his star led
always onward and upward to the pin.
nacle OF highest fame. He was by
turns a farmland, ferryman. a clerk
in a village store. postmaster of the
village OF New Salem, ILL.,; pilot on the
Mississippi river, lawyer. member of
the State legislature, member of the
lower house of Congress, and then
president
The Lincoln family moved to Illinois
when little Abe was but eight years
old. They lived in a cabin ID feet
square, bailt of poles, and having only
three sides, the fourth being left open
for a door. The bed was made Of sap
lings that reached from cracks in the
wall to forks driven in the dirt floor,
and the bedding was bags of leaves
and skins. The meager tableware con-
sisted only OF tin and pewter articles.
The upper floor where the boy slept
was reached by means of pegs driven
in the wall. When Lincoln's mother
died his father had to make the coffin
IN which she was buried. Several
months after her death the hoy had a
minister come and preach the funeral.
First Dollar Earned.
The first dollar Lincoln ever earned
was paid him for ferrying couple of
men and their trunks from the river
bank to steamer waiting in mid.
stream. Each OF the men gave him a
shining half dollar, and later in life,
when he was living in the White House,
Lincoln related the incident and said:
!T could not believe my eyes when 1
picked up that money. It was the
most important incident in my life. l
could scarcely believe that had act.
ually earned a, dollar in less than a
day. The world seemed wider and
fairer before me, and was more
hopeful and confident being from that
time" Lincoln's first pair of jean
trousers were earned by splitting rails
400 rails for every yard of cloth.
His Pay For Book.
The boy Lincoln was very much in.
terested in a book on the life of George
Washington. He had borrowed the
volume from q neighbor, and one night,
after sitting up late to read It, pat 1t
in the opening between the logs In
the wal. of the cabin. During the
night there was heavy rain and the
water soaked through the mub daub,
staining the leaves and warping the
binding Of the book. Abe was dread.
fully frightened at the damage that
had been done, and with great trepida-
ton went. to the owner of the book,
made Ids explanation, and asked how
he might make restitution. The neigh
Dor said: "Bein' as it's you, Abe, i
won't be hard on you. Come over and
shuck corn for three days and the
books yours"
/ Lincoln was appointed postmaster,
by Jackson, seeking the position SO he
could read all the newspapers that
PASSED through his hands. AS the
Office did not pay, he was seldom
there. He carried the letters around
in his hat on the chance of meeting
tho owners, and was always on the
lookout for something to read. While
clerkins In store he decided that he
would like to study grammar, and
hearing about man, seven or eight
miles away, who had one. he walked
over and borrowed 1t. When he stud.
led law, he walked to the county seat,
20 miles away. to borrow the books,
lounging around the old Salem tavern
and making himself useful as chore-
boy while he studied. His fayorite
paper was tho Louisville Post, and It
is said that he always managed to
raise the money to pay the subscrip-
tion, even though he lacked proper
clothing.
When the news got around the
neighbofhood that Abe Lincoln was
studying law most of the nelghbors
were very much amused. Old Squire
Colby gays: "rhe first time ever.
saw Abe with law book in his hand
lie was sittin' astrlde Jake Bakers
wood pile in New Salem. SEE I, Abe,
what are you studyin' now?' Law
says Abe. Great God Almighty seq
~"
Kind to an Old Woman.
Lincoln was licensed to practice law