IN 1832. CHAPTER V. LIFE AT NEW SALEM. N a community where every man casts a vote there will ever be a large number of people who will desire to hold office or represent their fellow-citizens in making laws. In Illinois those who desired political distinction might aspire to be candidates for any position August, and enter the list independent of nomination by a convention of electors. Before volunteering as a soldier, Abraham Lincoln had announced that he would be a candidate for the Legislature. It was only ten days before the election when he reached New Salem. His friends welcomed his return. Those who had served under him as soldiers were ready to persuade their friends to cast their ballots for him. He had shown his patriotism by being one of the first to enlist, and had re-enlisted when others, wearied of the restraints of camp-life, returned to their homes. He was brave, resolute, kind-hearted, and had a mind of his own; in wrestling he had put the best men of the regiment on their backs-all save one. Though most of them were Democrats and he a Whig, they were ready to vote for him. A majority of the people in Illinois accepted the political principles held by President Andrew Jackson. Abraham Lincoln supported the principles held by Henry Clay, who believed the nation ought to improve the rivers, make them navigable, and pass laws which would protect the industries of the country by imposing a tariff on goods made in other countries. He thought a national bank would be a good thing for the country. Candidates better known to the people than he were making speeches in the villages throughout the county. There was to be an auction of horses, cattle, and pigs at Pappsville, twelve miles from Springfield, where all the candidates would speak. The people for miles around would be there to hear them, and help themselves to free whiskey. The day arrives, and Pappsville is alive. A stand for the speakers had been erected. Those who gather around it see a very tall young man, wearing a blue jean clawhammer, bobtail coat, tow-and-wool trousers, cowhide boots, and a straw hat, laughing and telling stories to those around him. It is Captain Lincoln, and those who served under him in the war with the Indians are grasping his brawny hand. His face is bronzed from exposure to the sun and winds upon the prairies. The other candidates speak. He is a young man of twenty-three years, and respectfully waits his turn. Whiskey has flowed so freely that some ruffians in the crowd are quarrelsome. Captain Lincoln sees one of his friends sorely beset by a bully. He jumps from the platform, gives the fellow a threshing, tosses him aside as if he were but a boy, returns to the platform, and listens to the other candidates just as if nothing had happened. It is a brief speech which he makes: "Fellow-citizens, I presume you would like to know who I am. I am humble Abraham Lincoln. I have been solicited by my friends to become a candidate for the Legislature. My politics are short and sweet, like the old woman's dance. I am in favor of a national bank; I am in favor of the internal improvement system and a high protective tariff. These are my sentiments and principles. If elected I shall be thankful; if not, it will be all the same." (') Another meeting was held at Springfield, where he made a longer speech. One who was present has described his appearance on that occasion: "He was tall, gawky, and a rough-looking fellow. His pantaloons didn't meet his shoes by six inches; but after he began speaking I became much interested in him. He made a very sensible speech." (') Four representatives were to be elected. There were twelve candidates. Abraham Lincoln was not chosen. He could not go to Vandalia, the capital of the State, as a representative. What should he do? He did not want to be a boatman or wood-chopper. Would it not be well for him to become a blacksmith? He turned the matter over,(3) but suddenly found himself again keeping store in an unexpected way. Rowan and James Herndon, after the failure of Offut, opened a store at New Salem. James sold his interest to Mr. Berry, who induced Lincoln to purchase the interest held by Rowan Herndon. Lincoln had no money, but Herndon was ready to take his note. Another store was opened by Reuben Radford about the same time. "You had better get on good terms with the Clary Grove boys," said Radford's father, "or they will trouble you." Radford stayed at the store several evenings, expecting a visit from the gang; but as they did not come, and wishing to spend a night a few miles distant, he left the store in charge of a younger brother-Jack, sixteen years old. "You may give the boys, if they come, two drinks all round, but no more," he said. It was the evening chosen by the fellows for a lark in New Salem. "Well, boy, aren't you going to give us a treat?" they asked. "Oh yes," and they were each given a generous drink. "It is about time for another snifter, isn't it, sonny?" they said, after a while. "Yes" and Jack served them once more. They lounged about the store, sang songs, danced, and made themselves at home. "Well, Jack, we reckon that it is time for another nipper," they said. “You can't have any more. Rube said I might give you two drinks, but no more." "Oh ho! he said so, did he? We will see!" And each one of the crew went to the whiskey-barrel, took a big drink, and filled his bottle. The whiskey was doing its work- they danced and whooped like Indians. "I'll bet the drinks I can beat you in hitting those jars," said one, seizing a weight and smashing a glass jar. Each in turn brought the jars and crockery crashing to the floor; then frying-pans, skillets, Dutch-ovens, coffee-pots, tin basins, milk-pans, saucers, plates and platters, molasses-jugs, went flying through the air. The glass in the windows rattled to the ground, and the door was torn from its hinges. A little past midnight they rode whooping homeward, with cow-bells tied to their saddles. The sun was just rising when Reuben Radford was awakened by the cow-bells and whooping, as the gang rode past the house where he was spending the night. Suspecting there might be trouble, he mounted his horse and galloped towards New Salem, passing on the way a boy of sixteen, William G. Green, who had started early in the morning with a bag of corn to be ground at Mr. Rutledge's mill. Radford reached the store, beheld the wreck and ruin, and heard Jack's story. He had no particular desire to be a merchant any longer, and was ready to sell out. "I'll sell this store to the first person who makes me an offer," said he, as Green rode up; and added, "What will you give for it?" The boy looked through the window and surveyed the interiorthe shattered glass and crockery, the helter-skelter of frying-pans and broken jugs. He noticed many of the most valuable articles had not been disturbed, and without much thought, and in fun rather than in earnest, said, "I'll give you $400." "But I haven't any money." "No matter; I'll take your note." Green dismounted, entered the store, and signed a note promising to pay $400 after a specified number of days. A little later Abraham [From a photograph by C. S. McCullough, Petersburg, Ill. Lincoln & Berry's store stood Lincoln came, beheld the broken crockery and general confusion, and laughed as he listened to Jack Radford's account of how the Clary Grove boys danced, yelled, and smashed things. Green told the story of the purchase. "Billy," said Lincoln, "I shouldn't be surprised if you had made a good bargain. I'll help you take an inventory." (*) Young Green, whose education had been limited, did not know just what an inventory might be. If it was a further smashing, he said he did not care for it. Lincoln explained it was an estimate of the value of each article. "You will need it, to be able to fix prices." The man who said this was part owner in a rival store; but he was ready to help the boy who thoughtlessly had begun as a trader. They hung the door on its hinges and nailed boards over the window. Green took his corn to the mill and Lincoln left for his breakfast. Through the day he went over the inventory with Green. The broken glass and crockery were swept out and things put in place. "Billy, it figures up more than $1200 at St. Louis prices," said Lincoln, when the inventory was completed. Customers came, listened to the story, laughed over it, and purchased articles. During the day Green sold goods to the amount of $15. Mr. Lincoln's partner, Berry, thought it would be a good business operation to buy out Green. "What will you take for your bargain?" he asked. Berry owned a good horse, which Green thought he would like to obtain. Although he was only sixteen years old, he had an eye to business, and was ready to quit being a store-keeper. Besides, he was not quite sure how his father would look upon what he was doing. "I'll tell you what I'll do. If you will let me have your horse, saddle, and bridle, $200 cash, and you and Lincoln will give your joint notes for $200, I'll call it a bargain." Lincoln had made the inventory, and found the property was worth $1200. Berry having $200 in silver on hand, the offer was accepted, the notes signed, and the transfer completed. With the goods of both stores put into one building, Berry and Lincoln began business on a larger scale, having a monopoly of trade in New Salem. It was nearly midnight when Green, riding the horse obtained from Berry, and leading the other with the bag of meal on its back, reached home. Having put the horses in the stable, he lifted the latch and entered the house. His father and mother were in bed. They had heard what had been going on at New Salem: the wreck done by the Clary Grove boys, and the purchase by their son. "Well, boy," said his father, "you think you can be a store-keeper, do you? I'll teach you a lesson not to buy a store when I send you to mill. Go to bed, you rascal, and be prepared for a threshing in the morning!" "Hold on, father!" said the son, raking open the coals in the fireplace and throwing on a stick of wood. He seated himself on the floor |