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

Yarns and Stories, by Alexander K. McClure 306if such a thing happened they would leave a mighty good suit of clothesbehind.""SOME UGLY OLD LAWYER."A. W. Swan, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, told this story on Lincoln,being an eyewitness of the scene:"One day President Lincoln was met in the park between the White Houseand the War Department by an irate private soldier, who was swearing in ahigh key, cursing the Government from the President down. Mr. Lincolnpaused and asked him what was the matter. 'Matter enough,' was the reply.'I want my money. I have been discharged here, and can't get my pay.' Mr.Lincoln asked if he had his papers, saying that he used to practice law in asmall way, and possibly could help him."My friend and I stepped behind some convenient shrubbery where wecould watch the result. Mr. Lincoln took the papers from the hands of thecrippled soldier, and sat down with him at the foot of a convenient tree,where he examined them carefully, and writing a line on the back, told thesoldier to take them to Mr. Potts, Chief Clerk of the War Department, whowould doubtless attend to the matter at once."After Mr. Lincoln had left the soldier, we stepped out and asked him if heknew whom he had been talking with. 'Some ugly old fellow who pretendsto be a lawyer,' was the reply. My companion asked to see the papers, andon their being handed to him, pointed to the indorsement they had received:This indorsement read:"'Mr. Potts, attend to this man's case at once and see that he gets his pay. A.L.'"GOOD MEMORY OF NAMES.The following story illustrates the power of Mr. Lincoln's memory ofnames and faces. When he was a comparatively young man, and a