The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-02-08

and Archer Herndon and the representatives
were Abraham Lincoln, John Dawson, Dan Stone,
Ninian W. Edwards (son of former governor),
William F. Elkin, R. L. Wilson, and Andrew Nc
Cormick. They voted solidly together all ques-
tons and held out the bait Of such an important
block of votes to hackers of the internal improve
ments schemes in return for support of Spring
field as the new capital.
Although Lincoln and the Springfield parti-
sans, of whom he in command, strove TO de-
lay final action on the location Of the capital
until the passage Of the Internal Improvement
BILL they could not prevent frequent considera-
ton of that irritating and dangerous subject"
says Beveridge Sometimes they were on the
very edge of defeat, twice they were actually
beaten His colleagues were respondent hope
less; but Lincoln never despaired In the dark
est hours he called the Long Nine to his room
in the tavern, heartened them and devised plans
for victory
That victory came on February g. 1887 "six
days before adjournment after three months of
management, bargaining and intrigue, after the
passage of the Internal Improvements bill with
its clusters Of improvident building, impossible
improvements of impracticable streams, and ap-
preparations of cash to Unfortunate counties
the general assembly in joint session chose
Springfield as the permanent site of the state
capital =. The husbandry of the Long Nine
had yielded its harvest"
Lincoln's part in this celebrated incident has
given rise to some interesting yarns. According
to one story, on the day the final vote was to be
taken he noticed that some of the legislators
who had promised to support Springfield, were
absent when the house called to order If
vote was taken then he would lose. The only
way to prevent that was to make sure that
there was no quorum. He was preparing to lead
enough of his supporters out of the room to
prevent quorum at roll call when the speaker
ordered the door locked and no one allowed to
leave the room. Then, says the story, Lincoln
signaled to his friends and they made their exit
through secondstory window.
Another version of the same tale adds the
further embroidery that Lincoln did not jump
down to the ground, as the others did, but chung
to the window sill until vote to adjourn, in the
absence of a quorum, was passed. Today in
Vandalia where the old state house is now used
as the Fayette county courthouse they will
point out to you that very window from which
the legislators are said to have escaped or the
very window sill to which Lincoln is said to
have clung-dependfng upon who tells you the
story and how great is your eredulity.
Neither Beveridge nor Sandburg includes in
his biography any mention of such an incident
so it can probably be regarded as another of
the numerous Lincoln Legends" which came
into existence after his martyrdom and have
-
After wagng their successful fight to win the
capital for their home county. Lincoln and the
other members of the Long Nine went back to
Springfield in triumph. He was resolved to make
the new capital his home henceforth and to
hang out his shingle lawyer there for the
very day after his victory for Springfield he had
obtained from the Supreme court in vandalia
certificate of admission to the bar of Illinois and
was formally enrolled an attorney.
On April Is. 1887, the Sangamon Journal car
ried new professional card in its advertising
columns. T. Stuart & A. Lincoln Attorneys
and Councillors at Law, win practice, conformity
In the Courts of this Judicial Circuit Office No.
4, Hofman's Row. upstairs, Springfield" Given
ty-eight years later, to day, the columns of
this newspaper would appear with heavy black
borders in mourning for one of these ATTORNEYS
and Councillors at Law now the Martyr Presi-
dent)
Here. then. was Lincoln, but twenty EIGHT
years old. leader of his party In the house of
representatives, winner of the fight for Spring
field as the state capital most talked of and best
liked OF all the Wings Of Sangamon county, and
now partner Of one Of the ablest lawyers in ILL.,
nois and the foremost Wing in the state"-Thus
Albert Notwithstanding progressi But
yesterday pottering about New Salem In contact
only with little things and crude surroundings,
heavily In debt and with dim prospects for adj
vancement; today starting on the high road Of
ambition and achievement"
g by Newspaper unio.