The National tribune., 1909-01-21

LESS company was olSUdnCeo at Wnite-
water, Wis, July 10, and Lincoln and
a comrade started for home. Their
horses had been stolen, and they had
to walk most of the way to Peoria, ILL.,,
where they bought canoe and pad
died down the Illinois River as far as
Havana Here they sold their canoe,
and walked across the country to New
Salem.
End Of the War.
Brief and unnotable as his service
had been, 1t doubtless had a greater
formative effect upon the young man
than even his trip to New Orleans. The
nearest he had come to a battle was
when he arrived on the ground Just
after a skirmish, and helped to bury
the five white men who had been killed
and scalped. The most notable Incl
dent of this experience was his pre-
serving the life of an old Indian who
came into camp bearing a letter from
Gen. Cass Some of the rowdy ele-
ment wanted to kill him on sight, but
Lincoln interposed, with some risk to
himself, and saved the Indian. who
proved to be a good friend of the
whites.
War is swift educator to the right
kind of mind, and Lincoln's horizon
widened greatly by contact with big
men engaged in doing big things. He
had the advantage of his neighbors in
New Salem In that he had stayed the
war thru. He threw himself into his
political campaign with such good ef-
feet that wien the votes came to be
counted it was found that, altho run
ming as a Whig in a strongly Demo-
20-TRIBUNE -.
cratic precinct, he had received 277
out Of 800 votes, and ran far ahead of
any other candidate. Elsewhere the
vote was not SO favorable to him, and
he was defeated. being the only time,
as he says, that he failed to get a
popular majority.
Then he had to look around for
something to do, and thought of be-
coming a blacksmith. Finally he went
into merchandising, buying store in
partnership with William F. Berry. 1t
was an unfortunate venture. Berry
drank, while Lincoln, having found a
copy of BlackStone's Commentaries in
an old barrel, became fascinated with
the book. and could think of little else
Two stories worth while survive of
this period. One is that, having over
chargeda woman a few cents, which
he discovered in the evening, he walked
three miles to her home to repay her.
The other. that drunken bully came
into the store and used profane and
indecent language before the women.
Lincoln threw him out of the store,
pounded him until he cried "'Nuff,"
and then rubbed smartweed in his eyes.
Business Bankruptcy.
The business went from bad to worse.
Lincoln succeeded in being appointed
Postmaster, tho the Administration was
Democratic, but the chief good he got
out of this was the privilege of reading
the newspapers received there by the
subscribers. Finally the store was sold
out on credit to two brothers, who
promptly failed, and then Berry died,
leaving the whole Indebtedness on i'm
pecunious young Lincoln, who struggled
many years before he at last paid off
every cent with interest.
This misfortune would have crushed
weaker man, but Lincoln went cheer
fully on, taking any job that his strong
hands could find to do, splitting rails,
helping at tic mill and not disdaining
to saw an5 split load of wood.
There { ne an unexpected windfaIl.
The rus Oa immigrants to the rich
praiiie c.dntry swamped with work
tbs County Surveyor, John Calhoun.
wanted deputies, and sent over to
w Salem to see IL Lincoln would
. out. The messenger found Lin
coin engaged in splitting rails for
neigIibor. Lincoln said he would go
over to see Calhoun, and did so, begin
ton that he was a Wing, and could not
expect any favor from Democrat, but
was anxious for employment. Calhoun
assured him there was no politics in
this matter, and that if he would quail
ify himself for the work he would be
paid SO a day. This was stupendous
wages for a man who had been glad to
get so cents day. He hurried home,
and began the study of surveying with
more intensity than he had ever set
about any task before. He was FORUM
ate to find a few old books, and he
devoured these for six weeks. when he
felt that he could conscientiously say
that he mad mastered the subject. The
excellence and accuracy of his work
soon demonstrated this. He was kept
busy by the County, the settlers and
the SPECTATORS, and the money came
in very good stead, for he was not only
embarrassed by his own and the firms
debts, but had to send money to his
father. in Coles County. Only one of
his creditors proved hard-hearted. A
man named Van Bergen obtained a
Judgment against him. and the Sheriff
sold Lincoln's horse, saddle, bride and
surveying instruments to satisfy it. Jas.
Short, friend, without saying anything
to Lincoln, bought them in for S120,
and handed them over to him. Some
80 years after. learning that Mr.. Short
was IN trolole ana poor, Lincoln ap-
pointed him an Indian Agent.
I Elected to the Legislature.
Lincoln did not neglect politics in the
midst of a rush of work. He was ex-
tending his acquaintance rapidly, and
he decided tc run for the Legislature
again. This time he was elected by n
very handsome majority, running far
ahead of all the others, except one, on
the ticket. He was the youngest lnem-
ber but one in the Legislature, and he
had to borrow money to hnN1 himself
Vandalia, then the Capital of the State.
Among the members he SAT with was
his future opponent, Stephen A. Doug
las, who struck Lincoln as being the
least man I ever saw"