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

Yarns and Stories, by Alexander K. McClure 355This was a point the caller was not willing to debate, and so he cut his callshort.LINCOLN'S FIRST SPEECH.Lincoln made his first speech when he was a mere boy, going barefoot, histrousers held up by one suspender, and his shock of hair sticking through ahole in the crown of his cheap straw hat."Abe," in company with Dennis Hanks, attended a political meeting, whichwas addressed by a typical stump speaker--one of those loud-voicedfellows who shouted at the top of his voice and waved his arms wildly.At the conclusion of the speech, which did not meet the views either of"Abe" or Dennis, the latter declared that "Abe" could make a better speechthan that. Whereupon he got a dry-goods box and called on "Abe" to replyto the campaign orator.Lincoln threw his old straw hat on the ground, and, mounting the dry-goodsbox, delivered a speech which held the attention of the crowd and won himconsiderable applause. Even the campaign orator admitted that it was a finespeech and answered every point in his own "oration."Dennis Hanks, who thought "Abe" was about the greatest man that everlived, was delighted, and he often told how young "Abe" got the better ofthe trained campaign speaker."ABE WANTED NO SNEAKIN' 'ROUND."It was in 1830, when "Abe" was just twenty-one years of age, that theLincoln family moved from Gentryville, Indiana, to near Decatur, Illinois,their household goods being packed in a wagon drawn by four oxen drivenby "Abe."The winter previous the latter had "worked" in a country store inGentryville and before undertaking the journey he invested all the money