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

Yarns and Stories, by Alexander K. McClure 120"Something's got to be done," said the President, emphatically, "and doneright away, or the bottom will fall out of the whole thing. Now, ifMcClellan doesn't want to use the army for awhile, I'd like to borrow itfrom him and see if I can't do something or other with it."If McClellan can't fish, he ought at least to be cutting bait at a time likethis."YOUNG "SUCKER" VISITORS.After Mr. Lincoln's nomination for the Presidency, the Executive Chamber,a large, fine room in the State House at Springfield, was set apart for him,where he met the public until after his election.As illustrative of the nature of many of his calls, the following incident wasrelated by Mr. Holland, an eye-witness: "Mr. Lincoln being in conversationwith a gentleman one day, two raw, plainly-dressed young 'Suckers' enteredthe room, and bashfully lingered near the door. As soon as he observedthem, and saw their embarrassment, he rose and walked to them, saying:'How do you do, my good fellows? What can I do for you? Will you sitdown?' The spokesman of the pair, the shorter of the two, declined to sit,and explained the object of the call thus: He had had a talk about therelative height of Mr. Lincoln and his companion, and had asserted hisbelief that they were of exactly the same height. He had come in to verifyhis judgment. Mr. Lincoln smiled, went and got his cane, and, placing theend of it upon the wall, said" 'Here, young man, come under here.' "Theyoung man came under the cane as Mr. Lincoln held it, and when it wasperfectly adjusted to his height, Mr. Lincoln said:"'Now, come out, and hold the cane.'"This he did, while Mr. Lincoln stood under. Rubbing his head back andforth to see that it worked easily under the measurement, he stepped out,and declared to the sagacious fellow who was curiously looking on, that hehad guessed with remarkable accuracy--that he and the young man wereexactly the same height. Then he shook hands with them and sent them on