''Abe'' Lincoln's Yarns and Stories - University of Macau Library

Yarns and Stories, by Alexander K. McClure 101Although himself a most polished, even a fastidious, gentleman, SenatorSumner never allowed Lincoln's homely ways to hide his great qualities.He gave him a respect and esteem at the start which others accorded onlyafter experience. The Senator was most tactful, too, in his dealings withMrs. Lincoln, and soon had a firm footing in the household. That he wasproud of this, perhaps a little boastful, there is no doubt.Lincoln himself appreciated this. "Sumner thinks he runs me," he said, withan amused twinkle, one day.A USELESS DOG.When Hood's army had been scattered into fragments, President Lincoln,elated by the defeat of what had so long been a menacing force on theborders of Tennessee was reminded by its collapse of the fate of a savagedog belonging to one of his neighbors in the frontier settlements in whichhe lived in his youth. "The dog," he said, "was the terror of theneighborhood, and its owner, a churlish and quarrelsome fellow, tookpleasure in the brute's forcible attitude."Finally, all other means having failed to subdue the creature, a man loadeda lump of meat with a charge of powder, to which was attached a slow fuse;this was dropped where the dreaded dog would find it, and the animalgulped down the tempting bait."There was a dull rumbling, a muffled explosion, and fragments of the dogwere seen flying in every direction. The grieved owner, picking up theshattered remains of his cruel favorite, said: 'He was a good dog, but as adog, his days of usefulness are over.' Hood's army was a good army," saidLincoln, by way of comment, "and we were all afraid of it, but as an army,its usefulness is gone."ORIGIN OF THE "INFLUENCE" STORY.Judge Baldwin, of California, being in Washington, called one day onGeneral Halleck, then Commander-in-Chief of the Union forces, and,