work with a will. With the aid of
Mentor Graham, and studying day and night, he mastered the subject and
reported to Calhoun in six weeks. The county surveyor was astounded, but
when Lincoln gave ample proofs of his ability to do field work, the
chief surveyor appointed him a deputy and assigned him to the northern
part of Sangamon County.

Deputy Surveyor Lincoln had to run deeper in debt for a horse and
surveying instruments in order to do this new work. Although he made
three dollars a day at it--a large salary for that time--and board and
expenses were cheap, he was unable to make money fast enough to satisfy
one creditor who was pushing him to pay one of the old debts left by the
failure of Berry & Lincoln. This man sued Lincoln and, getting judgment,
seized the deputy's horse and instruments. This was like "killing the
goose that laid the golden egg." Lincoln was in despair. But a friend,
as a surprise, bought in the horse and instruments for one hundred and
twenty dollars and presented them to the struggling surveyor.

President Lincoln, many years afterward, generously repaid this man,
"Uncle Jimmy" Short, for his friendly act in that hour of need.

Lincoln's reputation as a story teller and wrestler had spread so that
when it became known that he was to survey a tract in a certain district
the whole neighborhood turned out and held a sort of picnic. Men and
boys stood ready to "carry chain," drive stakes, blaze trees, or work
for the popular deputy in any capacity--just to hear his funny stories
and odd jokes. They had foot races, wrestling matches and other
athletic sports, in which the surveyor sometimes took part.

But Lincoln's honesty was as manifest in "running his lines" as in his
weights and measures while he was a clerk and storekeeper. In whatever
he attempted he did his best. He had that true genius, which is defined
as "the ability to take pains." With all his jokes and fun Abraham
Lincoln was deeply in earnest. Careless work in making surveys involved
the landholders of that part of the country in endless disputes and
going to law about boundaries. But Lincoln's surveys were recognized as
correct always, so that, although he had mastered the science in six
weeks, lawyers and courts had such confidence in his skill, as well as
his honesty, that his record as to a certain corner or line was accepted
as the true verdict and that ended the dispute.

ELECTED TO THE LEGISLATURE

Hampered though