File:Abraham Lincoln and the downfall of American slavery (1914) (14763787181).jpg

Identifier: abrahamlincolnd00broo (find matches)
Title: Abraham Lincoln and the downfall of American slavery
Year: 1914 (1910s)
Authors: Brooks, Noah, 1830-1903
Subjects: Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 Presidents Slaves Slavery
Publisher: New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: State of Indiana through the Indiana State Library

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ribe to the guileless new arrivals the location of streets,public squares, and other features of future magnificencelaid down—on paper. Lincoln became an assistant toCalhoun, and, when occasion required, was a surveyor on his own hook. In May, 1833, Andrew Jackson being President, Abra-ham Lincoln was appointed postmaster of New Salem.The office had very small revenues and no political import-ance. It was given to Lincoln, because all his neighborswanted him to have it, and he was the only man willingto take it and able to make out the necessary returns tothe post-office department. The mail was light, andLincoln, as tradition runs, generally carried the post-officein his hat. He could not keep at home, of course, andwhen a villager met him and asked if there were letters forhim, the postmaster gravely searched through his hat foran answer. But there were newspapers brought toNew Salem by this weekly mail, and Lincoln religiouslymade it his duty to read them all before they could be
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T/f£ NATIONAL DEBT: 69 called for; this, he used to say, made the office worthmore to him than many times the amount of the moneyincome could have been. In course of time, the popula-tion of New Salem migrated to other and more promis-ing localities, and the post-office was discontinued. Inlater years, an agent of the post-office department huntedup the ex-postmaster and demanded the small balancedue to the government; the amount was seventeen dollarsand some odd cents. His friend and neighbor, Dr. A. G.Henry, happened to be present when the agent made thisunexpected demand, and, knowing Lincolns extremepoverty, took him aside and offered to lend him the sumrequired. Hold on a minute, said Lincoln, and let ssee how we come out. Going to his sleeping-room, hebrought out an old stocking and, untying it, poured onthe table the exact amount, just as it had been paid tohim in pennies and small silver pieces. Many a time hadLincoln been in bitter want, many a time hard-pressed formoney; bu

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