"Abe" Lincoln's Anecdotes and Stories: A Collection of the Best Stories Told by Lincoln Which Made Him Famous as America's Best Story Teller — John Shaqi
"Abe" Lincoln's Anecdotes and Stories: A Collection of the Best Stories Told by Lincoln Which Made Him Famous as America's Best Story Teller
History
"Abe" Lincoln's Anecdotes and Stories: A Collection of the Best Stories Told by Lincoln Which Made Him Famous as America's Best Story Teller
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 -- Anecdotes
Some of Mr. Lincoln's intimate friends once called his attention to
a certain member of his Cabinet who was quietly working to secure
a nomination for the Presidency, although knowing that Mr. Lincoln
was to be a candidate for re-election. His friends insisted that
the Cabinet officer ought to be made to give up his Presidential
aspirations or be removed from office. The situation reminded Mr.
Lincoln of a story: "My brother and I," he said, "were once plowing
corn, I driving the horse and he holding the plow. The horse was lazy,
but on one occasion he rushed across the field so that I, with my long
legs, could scarcely keep pace with him. On reaching the end of the
furrow, I found an enormous chin-fly fastened upon him, and knocked
him off. My brother asked me what I did that for. I told him I didn't
want the old horse bitten in that way. 'Why,' said my brother, 'that's
all that made him go.' Now," said Mr. Lincoln, "if Mr. ---- has a
Presidential chin-fly biting him, I'm not going to knock him off, if
it will only make his department go."
="WEBSTER COULDN'T HAVE DONE MORE"=
Lincoln "got even" with the Illinois Central Railroad Company, in
1855, in a most substantial way, at the same time secured sweet
revenge for an insult, unwarranted in every way, put upon him by one
of the officials of that corporation.
Lincoln and Herndon defended the Illinois Central Railroad in an
action brought by McLean County, Illinois, in August, 1853, to recover
taxes alleged to be due the county from the road. The Legislature had
granted the road immunity from taxation, and this was a case intended
to test the constitutionality of the law. The road sent a retainer fee
of $250.
In the lower court the case was decided in favor of the railroad. An
appeal to the Supreme Court followed, was argued twice, and finally
decided in favor of the road. This last decision was rendered some
time in 1855. Lincoln then went to Chicago, and presented the bill for
legal services. Lincoln and Herndon only asked for $2,000 more.
The official to whom he was referred, after looking at the bill,
expressed great surprise.
"Why, sir," he exclaimed, "this is as much as Daniel Webster himself
would have charged. We cannot allow such a claim."
"Why not?" asked Lincoln.
"We could have hired first-class lawyers at that figure," was the
response.
"We won the case, didn't we?" queried Lincoln.
"Certainly," replied the official.
"Daniel Webster, then," retorted Lincoln in no amiable tone, "couldn't
have done more," and "Abe" walked out of the official's office.
Lincoln withdrew the bill, and started for home. On the way he stopped
at Bloomington, where he met Grant Goodrich, Archibald Williams,
Norman B. Judd, O. H. Browning, and other attorneys, who, on learning
of his modest charge for the valuable services rendered the railroad,
induced him to increase the demand to $5,000, and to bring suit for
that sum.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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