The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-02-18
l.-ANNsBoRe KTr1rAs COUNTY, WASH, FEBRUARY 49, 1909

Rough culture, but such trees large
fruit may bear,
III but their stocks be of right girth
and grain"
The wild frontier life may not have
given him culture and grace of limb.
out 1t gave him II strong body and
healthy, rugged mind. The struggles
against adversely and the constant
dangers OF a wild country taught him
sell reliance. And the very obstacles
that seemed to retard his advancement
taught him the initiative and patience
that served him so well in the great
crisis OF his career.
1t SCENE that Lincoln In his early
manhood was not so different from the
other youth of his locality. He per.
formed the same homely tasks, ventur-
cd upon the same kind OF enterprises,
and engaged in the same rough sports
as did his back woods friends. The
only apparent difference from his
fellows was, his Unsuitable thirst for
knowledge This was not confined to
books but his inquisitive nature reach
ed out for knowledge in every direc.
ton. 1t is told of him that when he
had reached mature manhood he was
literally devoured by curiosity when
IF oh m
Invention. He would view it, handle
it, aud work with it until he had mas.
tered all its intricacies before he could
leave it. Notwithstanding the stories
OF Lncoln's slipshod manner OF bust
ness, he was consistently industrious,
and always leading to higher ground.
Some adverse comment has been made
from time to time of his ability as q
lawyer. But from our best sources Of
information, the fact is established that
he was one Of the leaders of the bar Of
Illinois fifty years ago, and at time
when that state numbered among its
Jurlsts many eminent men. We know
that his abilities as lawyer were
thought we'll OF by his contemporaries
at the bar, one of which Judge Davis,
preme Court of the United States. He
was retained as leading counsel by
some of the heavist interests in his
state, and his reputation as lawyer
reached beyond the confines of Illinois
Law libraries were not large in those
days on the prairies Of Illinois. But
the lack of law books and precedent,
as the lack of technical training in
other things, tended to stimulate his
native powers to greater action, and
where a point of law in case is now
most frequently settled by presenting
to the court case in point, Lincoln
had to reply upon his native wit, his
logic. and often an apt story iE point
As an illustration of his quick wit and
cevsrness before jury, where he
used to ride the circuit ia Illinois, the
following auecdote is told: Upon one
occasion the lawyer on the other side
was good deal of a glib talker. but
not reckoned as deeply profound Or
much of thinker. He was reckless
and irresponsible in his speechmaking
also, and would say anything to jury
which happened to enter his head.
Lincoln, ia his address to the jury, re.
ferriDg to all these said: My frierd
on the other side is all right were it
not for the popularity | am about to
chronicle. His habit-Of which you
have witnessed a painful specimen in
his argument to you in this case OF
Reckless assertion and statements with
ont grounds, need not be imputed 10
him AS moral fault or as telling OF a
moral blemsh. He can't help it. For
reasons Witch gentlemen OF the jury,
Won and have not time to study mere,
as deplora BILE as they are surprisin e
the oratorv of the gentleman complete
l., onsnends all action of his mind. The
minute he begins TO talk his mental
operations cease. | never knew OF
INIT one think which compared with
INV friend in this particular. That was
small steamboat. Back in the days
when | performed my part OF keel
boatman [ made the acquaintance OF a
t,iAiny little steamboat, which used to
hustle and puff and wheeze about IN
the Sangamon river. 1t had five
foot boiler and seventeen foot whistle
AID every time it whistled it stopped
r. is needless to say he won his case.
Concluded next week.
For That Terrible Itching.