Dakota High School - Talebearer Yearbook (Dakota, IL)

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THE A TALEBEARER LINCOLN ESSAY CONTEST Each year the Illinois Watch Company of Springfield conducts a Lincoln Essay contest to encourage the study of the life and character of Abraham Lincoln. All recognized hig-h schools, junior high schools, academies and other schools of their equivalent which are located in the United States or in its possessions are ele- gible to enter this contest. This company offers a bronze medallion to the winner of each school. Velda Mc- Cauley won this year with the essay, Lincoln, the Man of Quality. Honorable men- tion was given to Mary Barker's essay, Lincoln, the Literary Artist. Lincoln, the Man of Quality The heights which are reached by great men are not reached by sudden flight, but while others are sleeping, they are toiling upward. In spite of the hardships of life which Lincoln incurred, as a youth he laid the foundation of a character upon which he built for himself a name which time cannot erase and which strikes a key- note off love and admiration in the heart of every American citizen. The character of Lincoln, rather than anything he did, makes secure the place which he holds and will continue to hold in the history of mankind. At the base of his nature, in the tap-root and very fiber of his being-, pulsed a fidelity to truth. He was proverbially honest in all of his achievements-clerk, sur-- veyor, lawyer and politician. His honesty became a by-word among his friends. Abraham Lincoln was a synonym for honest dealing. ' His scrupulous honesty was proved by an incident occurring when he was a clerk in a store at New Salem. He found that he had overcharged a customer six and one- fourth cents. To rectify this mistake he walked three miles to return the money. Another time he found that he had given a customer only four ounces of tea instead of eight which she had paid for, so he took the four ounces to her the next morning when he discovered his mistake. As a lawyer, Lincoln would often admit that he did not know enough about the case, and would not go ahead with it, pretending that he knew something about it as many others would have been inclined to do. The simple words I do not know are among- the hardest to pronounce in the English language, but Lincoln used them free-- ly so that he might be honest and true. One man classified him as being too per- versely honest to be of any use to a client who was not exactly honest. Lincoln's sterling practical sense, which went straight home to the essential point in everything he was considering, marked him as original. His thoughts, his manner, his address were eminently his own. He always judged things for himself and was not easily inHuenced by other's adverse opinions. Lincoln showed a dash of shrewdness, a quickness of wit, and a power of persua- sion. In politics he had a sense of what the other fellow would probably do, and thus could get ahead of him. One time in a legislature campaign some of the people wanted Lincoln to consent to a bit of log rolling which he considered wrong, and he broke forth in an indignant refusal that the legislators never forgot. This was a convincing demonstration that you could not buy Lincoln. The simplicity in Lincoln's talk and manners is striking. He was not a follower of glory, but rather of duty. When he was first elected president, his cabinet of- ficers were amazed to find a president who was so simple and good, loving everyone with the same simple earnestness. In his speech, he was so simple and clear that everyone understood it. His Gettysburg Address is an example of his simple, clear, exact and direct manner of talking. Every word possesses a volume of meaning. S1927 Page twenty-one

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THE TALEBEARER Lincoln did not vvear one garb as an official and another as a citizen. He was modest and unassuming always admitting that he should be learning more. He was interested in his profession and had a reverence for it. It was his desire that throug-h it he might serve men, free the oppressed, and bring happiness. Lincoln didn't love money or riches. He often served people as an act of benevo- lence and took no reward. His whimiscal humor often caused him to define wealth as a Hsuperiiuity of what we don't need. Pecuniary rewards occupied a minor place among his incentives to activities. Other lawyers accused him of keeping the prices down because he was willing to work for such a small sum. One day a widow whose cow had been run over by a railroad train came to Lin- coln for help. The railroad company, knowing of Lincoln's power, sent an agent to offer him five hundred dollars to take the case. Lincoln, however, had promised the widow. The agent replied that the widow could not pay him any money. No, thundered Lincoln, I'll not go back on her. I will take her case, and, moreover, I'll win it. He did win as he had said. Another quality of Lincoln's character was his keen sense of humor. His ability at story telling' often hindered him in his work, for everyone stopped work to listen to him. In the evenings at New Salem everyone would gather in the store to listen to Abe's stories. As a lawyer he would usually use a joke or story to get people to think as he did. He was always good-natured and could take a joke on himself. In debates with Lincoln, Douglas tried to make out that Lincoln was insignificant, but Lincoln took it all good-naturedly and would turn right around and praise Douglas. Lincoln loved the people as shown by his freeing the slaves. Their sympathies were his, and their interests were a common stock with his own. The people trusted him and placed all confidence in their Honest Abe'. The children loved him: and after he would return from an absence, they would run to their homes joyfully crying, Mr, Lincoln is come! In one of his debates with Douglas, he noticed a little girl pushing her way through the crowd going to a store on an errand. When Lincoln was told that she was an orphan, he slipped a dime into her hand. I don't supose the little girl ever for- got this simple act of sympathy and kindness. This seems a small thing, but still some of the simplest things of life are the greatest ones. One day when he was in New Salem, he noticed a girl who wished to get to the next train but had no way of getting her trunk to the station. He manfully should- ered the trunk and carried it to the train. The people were very much amused to see Abe toting the trunk down the street, but admired his act of kindness, Lincoln always possessed a tender feeling toward the weak and needy. He was never too busy to help a beginner out of a tight place. Perhaps the next best to his genuine sympathy was his advice to work, work, work! His sympathy and kindness extended not only to man but also to birds and ani- mals. One day as he was riding along- the road, he heard some birds crying. He dismounted and found that they had fallen from their nest. He replaced them and rode on. Lincoln was very seldom wrathful or passionate. None were his enemies unless they were intended to be enemies of the human race. He was mild and forgiving. The same sweetness of character and sympathy were shown in a thousand ways to the people who came to the White House on little personal errands, to the boy who wanted a commission, or to the stranger who came in from mere curiosity. Abraham Lincoln was honored as a private citizen, happy in his domestic rela- tions, successful as a statesman, and an avowed Christian. His reliance was in God. He said, When I stood on the battle field of Gettysburg, I was deeply impressed, and I gave my heart to Christ, and I can now say that I do love my Savior. Against his pure moral character even his bitterest enemies could not truthfully utter a word. Armed with a single purpose, Lincoln worked until his goal was reached. He was steady in storms, calm in victory, and is known as the true Father and Savior of our country. He possessed tenacity of purpose, he had the foresight of a prophet, and he desired liberty for all men. Velda McCauley, '27. 1 9 2 7 +5-3?3+-as-+V+-9:??l55e455i PQEQIK-5? Page twenty-two